In the digital social media age, where attention is currency, public figures like Britney Spears and Candace Owens have mastered the art of stirring controversy to fuel their online empires. Spears' infamous 2023 knife-dancing video on Instagram (mirrored on TikTok) and Owens' relentless conspiracy theories on X might seem like signs of instability to casual observers.
However, a closer examination reveals these acts as strategic maneuvers to "tickle the algorithm"—a tactic of posting provocative content to boost engagement, visibility, and ultimately, monetization. Far from being "crazy," they are savvy entrepreneurs exploiting platform mechanics for profit.
Many influencers simply look at what is trending on the day and create content around it. No matter how distasteful in polite society.
As of September 2025, there is a federal law that requires TikTok to be banned in the U.S. unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the app's American operations. The TikTok legislation was included as part of a larger $95 billion package that provides foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel and was passed 79-18 in the Senate. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of this law, but its enforcement is currently paused by the Trump administration.
Britney Spears' knife-dancing incident exemplifies this calculated chaos. On September 25, 2023, the pop icon posted a video of herself twirling in a crop top and bikini bottoms while wielding what appeared to be large butcher knives in her living room.
The clip, set to upbeat music, quickly went viral, amassing millions of views and sparking widespread concern among fans and authorities. Police conducted a welfare check after reports of erratic behavior, and social media erupted with debates about her mental
Spears later clarified in the caption that the knives were "fake" props inspired by a performance, insisting she was just "playing in the kitchen."
Critics dismissed it as a cry for help, but the backlash drove unprecedented engagement: likes, shares, and comments surged, propelling her posts higher in algorithms. This isn't accidental; controversial content like this keeps her relevant post-conservatorship, translating into sponsorships, merchandise sales, and TikTok monetization through ads and live streams. By courting outrage, Spears ensures her feed remains a hotspot for clicks and cash.
Similarly, Candace Owens leverages conspiracy theories on X to amplify her reach. Known for inflammatory claims, Owens has alleged that French First Lady Brigitte Macron is secretly a man, that Jews orchestrated the Bolshevik Revolution as a Christian genocide worse than the Holocaust, and that Israel controls global entities from Trump to ISIS
Her posts, often laced with antisemitic undertones, have drawn lawsuits and condemnations, including a 2025 complaint from the Macrons.
Yet, this hasn't hindered her; instead, it fuels her podcast and subscription model. Tweets accusing the sex industry of being a "global blackmail operation" or linking historical events to shadowy cabals rack up thousands of interactions.
Critics like AG Hamilton highlight her pattern of normalizing "absurd and offensive beliefs," but Owens thrives on the division, with high-engagement posts boosting her visibility and ad revenue on X.
Her departure from The Daily Wire in 2024 amid similar controversies only amplified her independent brand, proving controversy pays.
At the core of these strategies is "tickling the algorithm"—a social media slang for crafting content that provokes reactions to game recommendation systems.
Platforms like TikTok and X prioritize posts with high likes, shares, and comments, creating a feedback loop where outrage equals exposure. For Spears, a single viral video can lead to affiliate deals; for Owens, conspiracy-laden threads drive podcast listens and donations. As one X user noted, influencers like Owens "are well aware of the power of social media monetization," using psyop-like tactics to hook audiences.
This isn't lunacy—it's business. Studies show controversial content increases dwell time and shares, directly correlating to earnings through ads, subscriptions, and merchandise.
While Spears' dances and Owens' theories may alarm the public, they are deliberate plays in the attention economy. By "tickling the algorithm," these figures convert perceived madness into measurable wealth, reminding us that in social media, sanity is secondary to strategy. Their success underscores a broader truth: in the digital arena, provocation isn't crazy—it's profitable.
Editorial comments expressed in this column are the sole opinion of the writer.
