The birth of social media also heralded the boom of several different types of jobs and the monetisation of online content. Such content includes pursuits that may previously have been undercover activities but can now find audiences online to indulge in those tastes. Sugar Babies penetrates the microcosm inhabited by Autumn, who is a self-declared ‘sugar baby’ whilst being a Tik Tok influencer. Autumn had found a way to monetise her online platform by providing a solution for herself, whilst living in impoverished conditions in the suburbs of Louisiana, and addressing the needs of a portion of her audience by fulfilling fantasies without giving any of the ‘sugar’. It is both an intriguing and petrifying outlook of the precariousness faced by modern-day teenagers trying to have an education and make ends meet.
Autumn seems just like any teenager, obsessing over make up and clothes, but for her there is one clear goal and that is to make money to escape the destitute circumstances of her surroundings. She is unapologetic about her ambitions and even recruits her friends and siblings to assist her exploit a loophole for earning an income.
Sugar Babies demonstrates a shift in traditional working practices whereby anyone could set up an enterprise within their bedroom as long as they are in possession of a smartphone or a laptop. The film therefore unearths a sub-culture hidden to many but, which also exploits one of the age-old industries as sexuality continues to be a commodity. Many may begrudge this style of living but director Rachel Fleit has fashioned an authentic portrait of the plight of the forgotten few within various US states who effectively live hand to mouth.
Whilst there has been a backlash against the rise of influencer status, the film does not pander to those judgments and instead offers a balanced perspective. Autumn is candid, but, she is not depicted as a money-grabbing teenager; the film unveils more nuance – she is a college student who fell behind with her grades but lacked the support for her tuition fees. For her, being a sugar baby may be an enjoyable, social media-based pursuit but it is also a means to an end although she admittedly tells her boyfriend that if they were to break up and she was aged 25 or more then she might be tempted to meet some of her regular audience for additional fees! Clearly, her youth shields her from being able to conjure up the dangerous scenarios that could befall her in those situations.
Sugar Babies is effectively a tale of two halves as footage of the Governor of Louisiana’s attempts over several years, within a Senate Bill, to increase the minimum wage is also revealed, which provides a glimpse of the stark living conditions, for Autumn and her peers, within a realistic socio-political lens. Autumn lives in a multi-cultural area, which is one of the poorer regions by definition, without an industry to provide sufficient labour for its population, many of whom remain under-educated. Autumn and her generation’s attempts to move onwards to find improved conditions may therefore be commendable but the yearning of their family and community inevitably draw them back to the suburbs with the impending threat that the circle remains unbroken.
The concept of legacy therefore reverberates strongly throughout Sugar Babies with multiple generations living alongside each other in the rural suburb inhabited by Autumn and family. Thus, Autumn’s surroundings and external social influences are also taken into account in this thought-provoking documentary. Fleit allows us to become immersed within Autumn’s day-to-day life with judgments reserved, as she is, on the face of it, a bubbly teenager trying to succeed. It is obvious that Fleit has spent a significant amount of time getting to know Autumn and her family, not least as the title cards indicate the passage of time, as that implicit level of trust oozes on to the screen. Fleit’s approach is respectful, whilst using close-up shots for the camera work, but this gaze does not feel exploitative as it exudes compassion.
Sugar Babies is a riveting but sharply insightful documentary offering that socio-political commentary into the difficulties encountered by some US states with a lack of infrastructure. Hopefully, this film may serve as an instrument for change to assist in breaking the cycle and offer alternative possibilities for future generations to thrive with the assistance of technology.
Sugar Babies recently screened at Sundance.
Learn more about the film, including how to watch, at the IMDB site for the title.
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