The Best of the Worst: Top 20 Snapchat Clichés

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Are you on Snapchat? Then you might have noticed the recent surge of travel and other bloggers pimping their Snapchat handle everywhere they can (including yours truly: souvenirfinder). No one wants to be late to the party for the next big social media platform.

What is Snapchat?

Unlike other platforms like Instagram and Facebook that live on in perpetuity, Snapchat is completely ephemeral. Snapchat stories (made up of captioned photos and selfie-videos) are posted in real time, then vanish into thin air 24 hours later. Because snaps can only happen in the moment– with one take and no editing– they work best when they capture behind-the-scenes footage, quirky observations and off-the-cuff commentary.

Who fails at Snapchat?

Perfectionists, control freaks, dullards, *attention seekers

*except they can be unintentionally funny if they fall into the “trainwreck” category.

Who’s great at Snapchat?

People who are wholly genuine and aren’t afraid to be a little vulnerable. Bonus if they are naturally funny, with a knack for improv and the uncanny ability to recognize serendipity when they see it.

As a beginner Snapchatter, I’m still working on getting my own Snapchat style down. But as an avid follower of hundreds of Snapchatters (in travel, fashion and lifestyle as well as all those “famous” Snapchatters), I have started to notice some patterns emerging in my Snapchat story feed. In fact, these patterns have become so ubiquitous among my fellow bloggers that they have now become bonafide snapchat clichés.

For fun, I rounded up the best of the worst top 20 Snapchat clichés I’ve come across in my story feed. I didn’t have the heart to screenshot others’ silly cliché snaps, so I instead recreated them for my own Snapchat feed (along with some of my own real ones).

 

Snapchat Cliché #1: The Spin

Let’s start with one of my absolute favorite worst Snapchat clichés– the 360 degree spin. The more dramatic the Snapchatter, the more (unintentionally) funny the snap.

Video not working? Try a different browser like Chrome or Safari.

Snapchat Cliché #2: I Woke Up Like This

see also variation: slow-motion falling backwards onto bed

Narcissistic Snapchatters can be awesomely fun to watch because you can’t quite believe they are really posting this stuff. Masters of the humble brag, the narcissist will never actually post an unflattering snap. Usually, the hair will be artfully mussed just enough to maintain the illusion that the snap might in fact be real.

My parody snap below might seem over the top, but it’s not that far off from what I’ve seen in my Snapchat feed.

Snapchat Cliché #3: The Lip Syncher

Unless you’re Jimmy Fallon, no one wants to watch your lame lip synching snaps. Once the province of tweens, I’ve seen this trend spread among bloggers like wildfire.

While lip synching is tiresome (kind of like watching someone play air guitar) it is fun to watch bloggers sing for real (the more off-key, the more hilarious to watch).

 

Snapchat Cliché #4: The Wistful Look over Yonder

Part of the fun of being a travel blogger is sharing your enthusiasm for travel with others. I love Snapchatters who look right at the camera, flash a warm smile and tell us why they love a place. Their joy can be infectious. Compare that to the I’m too-cool-for-school, pensive look, which is always staged (it’s not like anyone ever candidly captures this pose).

The ridiculousness of the pensive pose as illustrated by my chihuahua.

Snapchat Cliché #5: Dangling Feet

Off a mountainside, over the ocean, wherever, it doesn’t matter. Bloggers love to show their feet. I’m still not sure why.

Snapchat Cliché #6: Skinny Bitch Who Pretends to Eat Like a Horse

While most travel bloggers heartily enjoy (and snap) their food, there is a subset of bloggers (usually certain rail thin, fashion bloggers) who specialize in showing you the giant cupcake they have no intention of actually eating.

Snapchat Cliché #7: Bad Street “Art”

Some street murals are iconic, inspiring or just plain fun to see on Snapchat. Snap away! But just because something is spray painted on a cement wall does not mean it’s art.

 

Snapchat Cliché #8: Baby’s First Snowfall

see also variation: kicking autumn leaves

I love a first snowfall. There is a moment when you step outside and feel the first hit of brisk air while the deafening silence of the snow surrounds you. Magic, for sure, but not very Snapchat-able.

Some bloggers want you to believe that they live in a constant state of child-like wonder so they resort to what I like to call inappropriate hyperbole to express themselves. When the camera is on, the frolicking through the snow begins, sometimes accompanied by a playful toss of a snowball and squeals of delight (omg, you guys, it’s snow!) all perfectly timed to fit within Snapchat’s ten second video.

While I didn’t playfully toss a snowball, I am guilty of my own very real New York City snowstorm snap:

Snapchat Cliché #9: Jared Leto Please Stop Scribbling on your Face

Celebs aren’t immune from Snapchat cliches– even their signature snaps can become tired when done one too many times. Sure Jared Leto is cute, but really how many times can we watch him draw on his face before the joke grows thin? I loved  @cailinoneil’s spot-on parody.

 

Snapchat Cliché #10: The Wing Shot

I dare you to find a Snapchatter who can resist snapping the wing shot.

Snapchat Cliché #11: The First Class Upgrade

First I want to say I hate you all. Especially as I’m about to board an eleven hour flight in cattle class. But while I love to taunt those gloating upgrade Snapchatters, truthfully their snaps can be quite funny.

Yup this is my own snap.

Snapchat Cliché #12: Your Feet Walking

See also variation: riding escalator

We know how easy and tempting it is to point the camera down at your feet, because hey you’re walking! Don’t do it.

(click on link for video, annoyingly only works in some browsers)

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Snapchat Cliché #13: Let me Show you My Bug Bites

see also variation: bruises and other boo boos

There is a recurring theme in my Snapchat feed where travel bloggers show off their bug bites, cuts and bruises. I once tapped through several graphic videos of a blogger showing off her bed bug bites. This is the stuff of nightmares.

This is an early real snap of mine where I am guilty of two offenses– highlighting ugly bruises and also of featuring the ubiquitous “hot dog legs”.

Snapchat Cliché #14: The Documentarian

The Snapchat documentarian is a very common cliche among travel bloggers. The documentarian will show you every mundane moment of their day, snap by snap, with no regard as to whether it’s interesting, funny or otherwise snap-worthy. Oftentimes this snap series is just a stream-of-consciousness ramble, dragging on for well beyond the acceptable story limits. These Snapchatters desperately need to learn to edit themselves. I recommend forcing documentarians to watch back their entire day’s snaps, in full, without skipping anything.

I created this sample “documentarian” story to illustrate this point– it’s pretty boring so I doubt you’ll make it all the way through to the end.

Snapchat Cliché #15: Talk to the Mirror

Thanks to @expatedna for suggesting this Snapchat cliché. Inexplicably, bloggers cannot resist the lure of a full-length mirror and must snap when they see one. It’s Snapchat law.

 

Snapchat Cliché #16: The Magical Sunset

see also variation: waterfalls, rainbows

On Snapchat, everyone is convinced their sunset is the absolute most beautiful sunset that ever existed in the history of sunsets. A quick photo snap in context can be harmless enough, but I’ve seen full-on video snaps of sunsets accompanied by compelling blogger narration like “omg you guys, have you ever seen a sunset like this?”

Snapchat Cliché #17: The Cuddling Pet

I love seeing cute pets on Snapchat– in moderation, if they’re doing something especially adorable or funny. What gets tiresome are those never ending late night cuddle sessions with pets (not helped by terrible lighting and baby talk).

My dog is absolutely adorable but I try to limit her screen time.

Snapchat Cliché #18: Stuck in Traffic

see also variation: video of the road ahead while driving

If you think you’re bored stuck in traffic, imagine how we feel looking at your snaps.

 

Snapchat Cliché #19: The Party Snap

Party snaps can go either way. They can be completely fun and are a great way to see “guest appearances” from other bloggers you might also want to follow.

But what often starts out early in the evening with nice snaps of smiling bloggers clinking glasses can quickly devolve into a dark, blurry, loud (and sometimes slurring) mess. I’m thinking of the Snapchatting blogger at the Thai beach bar, screaming at the bartender all night as she threw back shot after shot. It was not pretty.

@anna-everywhere sneakily caught this snap of me, still early-ish at a blogger event in Istanbul.

Snapchat Cliché #20: The Perspective Snap

I was personally mortified to take this perspective snap, but the other tourists here (all doing the same thing) smiled encouragingly at me and gave me a big thumbs up.

These Snapchat clichés are just a small portion of the snaps I see out there– I follow some hilarious Snapchatters too, stay tuned for an upcoming post where I’ll list my favorites.

What are your favorite worst Snapchat clichés? Share in the comments or better yet Snap them to me and they might be used in Part II! Snap me here: souvenirfinder (from mobile click here)

 

 

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