Jay didn’t set out to become the internet’s watchdog of entitled influencers.
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The creator behind the Daadi Snacks account, who asked to be identified by his first name to protect his corporate day job, started posting on TikTok in 2024 to promote his family’s snack business. The company makes popcorn inspired by his grandma’s recipe that includes Indian spices.
One day, he came across a pair of influencers who were disappointed that a high-end South Indian restaurant didn’t have Chicken Tikka Masala on its menu.
“They made this comment that I thought was funny, in a way, out of touch,” he said. “So I just did a really quick stitch making fun of that, and being like, ‘Oh my God, there was, like, no chicken Tiki Marsala,’ as I said it, and that blew up.”
That video was the start of Jay’s side hustle as a prominent influencer critic. He now gets millions of views for his deadpan takedowns of creators, including tourists who don’t learn local customs and foodies who try to bully restaurants into giving them free meals.
“Come with meeee,” the New Yorker says in what’s become his trademark opening, satirizing the whiney upspeak that’s common among the targets of his critiques.
Daadi Snacks now boasts over a million TikTok followers, and while the videos aren’t traditional product marketing, Jay said they’ve helped grow awareness of his family’s brand. He doesn’t make money directly from the videos, but in addition to “Sweet Chai” and “Spicy Masala” popcorns, Daadi Snacks sells a “Come with meeee” tote and “ohmygawdyouguyz” ballcap.
Some of Jay’s targets have not been amused, at times blocking him or sending cease-and-desist letters.
His content feels especially relevant now, with influencer marketing growing faster than ever, replacing traditional media channels, and industry standards racing to keep up.
Foodie influencers under attack
Many viewers praise Jay’s videos, with one commenter calling him the “Batman of the internet.”
“Love this account and everything it stands for,” another commented.
Not everyone’s a fan, though.
“He’s literally a food influencer with an annoying voice in his ‘normal videos’ and pretending it’s all a parody just to sell popcorn,” sniffed a commenter on Reddit.
A TikToker known as themilehams, who has been targeted by Jay’s criticism, said accounts like his fuel bullying. Themilehams said in a direct message with Business Insider that they “welcome the trolls” because it helps their channel, but others might be ill-prepared for such attacks.
Jay, who often takes aim at food and travel influencers, said most feedback on his videos has been positive, and that many of his posts are based on tips from followers.
His clashes with influencers can get messy.
In January, an influencer complained that a New York café charged $25 for coffee and a “nasty danish” and booted her after three hours. Jay visited the café and showed a menu listing the most expensive combo at about $15, along with a no-weekend laptop policy he said was clearly posted.
“It makes me sick that someone tried to do this to honest, hardworking people,” he said in the video.
The poster, an Atlanta influencer who goes by BestieBri, said in a statement to Business Insider that she didn’t mean to attack the café. She said she didn’t like her pastry and that the laptop policy wasn’t posted when she visited. She added that she felt “misrepresented” by the Daadi Snacks post and had received harassing and threatening messages after it gained traction.
Jay’s taken aim at bigger fish, too.
They include the monk-turned-wellness-guru Jay Shetty, whom he colorfully ripped for his glamorous lifestyle. Shetty has defended his monk training and said he wrestles with reconciling his spirituality and entrepreneurship.
Jay also took aim at Ballerina Farm over its raw milk controversy. Multiple news outlets reported in January that samples of Ballerina Farm’s raw milk had failed two health tests in the summer of 2025. Ballerina Farm issued a statement in February, saying it passed the state’s required testing, had never recalled any products, and had stopped selling raw milk in August 2025.
Reps for Shetty and Ballerina Farm didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The creator economy is maturing
The creator economy is bigger than ever and growing. IAB estimated that advertisers would spend $43.9 billion on creator marketing this year.
Despite its size, there are no universally accepted standards for creators, and new entrants are constantly reshaping the space, said Kyle Hjelmeseth, CEO of G&B Digital Management.
“It’s not like people go to school for ‘How to show up and be an influencer,'” he said.
Hjelmeseth has launched a training program, the College of Influence, aimed at professionalizing the industry.
There have been some efforts to set industry standards, as well. A nonprofit, with ad industry support, is looking to certify creators — or create a stamp of approval — to ensure they follow some best practices. And a new public-interest organization called Deinfluence is trying to crack down on influencers who don’t disclose their funding sources.
Skepticism of influencer culture has been building for years, gaining traction with the rise of the “de-influencer” movement — a trend that urged people to question products creators promoted (while creating its own category of influencing). Los Angeles-based creator Kerry Rose Schwartz has gained a following on Instagram with her blunt restaurant reviews and criticism of paid influencer culture.
For now, Jay enjoys the work, but he doesn’t see himself doing it forever. He hopes his posts will encourage influencers to be more supportive of local businesses, so he can hang up his cape and focus on what he really enjoys: promoting local businesses.
“My hope is that things are in a position where I don’t really have to make as many videos, and I could just make small business reviews,” he said. “That’d be way more fun.”
