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Griffin Maxwell Brooks

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Griffin Maxwell Brooks
Born (2000-12-08) December 8, 2000 (age 24)
Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
EducationPrinceton University
Occupation(s)College diver, TikTok influencer, socialite
Years active2020–present
EmployerSusanne Bartsch
Known for
TikTok information
Page
Followers1.2M
Likes91.7M
Last updated: March 26, 2023
Websitebeacons.ai/griffinmaxwellbrooks

Griffin Maxwell Brooks (born December 8,[1] 2000)[2] is an American college diver, TikTok influencer, and self-described "digital club kid" and socialite.[2][3][4] A Division I former diver and engineering graduate from Princeton University, they[a] are known for TikTok videos focusing on comedy, fashion, and social justice through an LGBT lens,[4][5] and as a figure in New York City nightlife, including working with event producer Susanne Bartsch.[2][3][4][5] On TikTok, they have over one million followers[2][3][5] and have been credited, along with Chrissy Chlapecka, as a key figure of "BimboTok", an online community seeking to reclaim the bimbo stereotype in a leftist and Gen Z fashion.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

Early life

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Brooks grew up in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, a community they have described as "semi-conservative".[4] They are Jewish[12] and were raised by atheist parents.[13] Brooks experienced homophobia both at home and at school[4] and viewed diving as a respite from the loneliness of growing up queer in such an environment.[5] They matriculated at Union County Magnet High School, a small application-based public school for STEM students, where they first studied engineering.[4]

Career

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College athletics and study

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As a student at Princeton University, Brooks was a diver with the Princeton Tigers varsity men's diving team.[14][5][3] During the 2019–2020 season, they advanced to the final on both the one-meter and three-meter dives at the Ivy League Championships, finishing seventh on the one-meter with a score of 292.25 and 11th on the three-meter with a score of 323.10.[14][15] They also had high scores of 226.40 on the 10m dive at Princeton's Big Al Invitational; 327.68 on the one-meter against the Villanova Wildcats; and 369.32 on the three-meter against the Columbia Lions.[14][15] After missing the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they returned for the 2021–22 season, in which they scored a season high of 336.83 points on the one-meter against the Navy Midshipmen, and 361.05 on the 3m in a tri-meet against the Brown Bears and the Dartmouth Big Green.[14] They once again advanced to the finals of the Ivy League Championships, with the Tigers placing second behind the Harvard Crimson and Brooks placing fourth with a 355.55 score on the three-meter dive and 7th with a 292.95 score on the one-meter.[16][15] They were also one of five divers to represent Princeton at the 2022 NCAA Zone A Championships, placing 15th on both the one-meter and three-meter events (scoring 572.90 and 634.40 respectively).[17][18]

Brooks has been noted for their open queerness and gender non-conformity within college sports,[3][4][5] such as their Princeton Athletics headshot during the 2021–22 season showing them with black eyeliner, a pearl necklace, earrings, and pink-streaked hair.[4][5] DNA wrote of Brooks, "By way of being a proud queer person, they are carving a very public stance against traditional notions of being an athlete."[3] While Brooks has noted that teammates are largely supportive of their identity, they have criticized their treatment by opposing teams as well as the general state of queer acceptance at Princeton,[5][4] saying in a December 2021 TikTok that "as a queer, and gender nonconforming person, I often feel unvalued, unwelcome, and sometimes unsafe here at Princeton University."[4] They expressed support for fellow trans Division I swimmer Lia Thomas during the public debate her success sparked.[19]

Outside of diving, Brooks graduated with a mechanical and aerospace engineering major in 2023.[4] They have spoken of their commitment to pursuing an engineering career, saying "I might do, you know, 10 years of being a socialite and then I’m like ‘okay, time to be an engineer.'"[4]

TikTok

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Brooks gained popularity on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic, and by May 2022 they had over 1 million followers on the platform.[5][2][3] Their content focuses on comedy, fashion, and social justice through an LGBT lens,[4][5] including outfit of the day videos, humorous monologues, and documenting of their experiences as a college student and nightlife figure.[2][5] Outsports described their content as "an effervescent collection of comedic relief, bold fashion choices and social justice stands",[5] while The Daily Princetonian noted their "affirmational positivity, tongue-in-cheek confidence, and fiercely independent expression" and called them "a digital flagbearer for Gen Z’s queer community."[4] Brooks, who self-identifies as a "bimbo",[2][6] has been credited alongside Chrissy Chlapecka as a leading figure in "BimboTok", a TikTok community reclaiming the archetype in a queer and anti-capitalist context.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

In one February 6, 2022 TikTok, Brooks gave a humorous "marketing pitch" to "yassify" the racing company NASCAR, suggesting the name "YASCAR". In response, the company chose to partner with Brooks for Pride Month on a YASCAR marketing campaign and line of merchandise promoting LGBTQ acceptance.[20] Discussing the campaign with Outsports, Brooks said, “In the midst of corporate pride being a point of fair criticism, it was sort of refreshing to have a point of contact with queer people at a really big company whose fanbase is typically not that embracive of queer people."[20]

Nightlife and fashion

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A self-described socialite and "digital club kid",[2][3][4] Brooks is a figure in New York City's nightlife and fashion scene. Since summer 2021, they have worked with event producer Susanne Bartsch, including co-hosting events with her, making regular appearances at her Manhattan parties, and running her TikTok account.[2][3][4][5] They are known for their eccentric fashion sense, which they have described as "eclectic, flashy, over the top [...] Some might say camp."[4]

Brooks began clubbing after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, beginning with an anniversary party for Lady Gaga's Born This Way album where they wore a Gaga-inspired look.[5] These parties also marked Brooks' first in-person interactions with their TikTok fans, which they described as "pivotal for me. I had never been in a space like that where the idea of standing out was celebrated”.[5] In May 2022 they attended the Met Gala afterparty, where they were noticed by musician Anderson .Paak.[3][2] In September, Brooks made their New York Fashion Week debut at the Vogue World show wearing a Stella McCartney/Mylo outfit, where they introduced themselves to Vogue editor Anna Wintour.[21] That same month, Brooks attended the Coach x VOGUE World afterparty atop The Standard, also attended by Lil Nas X, Ansel Elgort, Caroline Trentini, Jeremy O. Harris, and Stuart Vevers; Brooks was photographed with fellow TikToker Davis Burleson.[22] In November, they attended the Humane Society's To The Rescue! gala wearing a dress from sustainable fashion designer Collina Strada; the event was hosted by Andy Cohen at Cipriani 42nd Street, with other attendees including Justin Theroux, Amy Sedaris, and Cory Booker.[23]

Personal life

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Brooks identifies as non-binary, gay, genderfluid, and transfeminine[4][6] and uses they/them pronouns.[24]

Notes

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  1. ^ Brooks identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

References

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  1. ^ Griffin Maxwell Brooks [@GriffinMaxwellB] (December 8, 2021). "@Grindr and @NICKIMINAJ It's my bday too smh 💃" (Tweet). Retrieved March 18, 2023 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Macias, Ernesto (May 19, 2022). "Meet @GriffinMaxwellBrooks, TikTok's Favorite Party Girl". Interview Magazine. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Donovan, Joshua (May 9, 2022). "The Yassification Of Sport – Griffin Maxwell Brooks Is The Queer Princeton Diver Redefining Being A Jock". DNA. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Kagan, Sam (April 22, 2022). "In a Manhattan nightclub, Griffin Maxwell Brooks comes alive". The Daily Princetonian. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Reimer, Alex (May 3, 2022). "This queer Princeton diver is an NYC club kid and TikTok sensation". Outsports. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d Stall-Paquet, Caitlin (December 15, 2022). "The Year of the Bimbo". Elle Canada. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Richards, Arielle (February 2, 2022). "Bimbofication Is Taking Over. What Does That Mean for You?". VICE. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Morgan, Lucy (March 15, 2022). "Bimbofication is the empowering new trend that's reclaiming the power of hyper-femininity". Glamour UK. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Sinclair, Leah (March 9, 2022). "Bimbofication: The TikTok trend focusing on self care". Stylist. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Haigney, Sophie (June 15, 2022). "Opinion: Meet the Self-Described 'Bimbos' of TikTok". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Dickson, E. J. (November 23, 2020). "The Bimbo Is Back. Like, for Real!". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  12. ^ Griffin Maxwell Brooks [@@GriffinMaxwellB] (September 25, 2022). "Tiktok finding out I'm Jewish was such a weird moment of validation but also "oh you're Jewish! I love that, suddenly my unwarranted hatred for you is gone" like maybe unwarranted hatred should be challenged in general? Lol" (Tweet). Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Griffin Maxwell Brooks [@GriffinMaxwellB] (April 3, 2021). "I love Easter bc growing up as a child of previously-Jewish atheists meant I would go to Six Flags every year Easter and not have to wait in lines because everyone was at church that day" (Tweet). Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ a b c d "Griffin Brooks - Men's Swimming and Diving". Princeton University Athletics. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c "Griffin Brooks". Swimcloud. February 23, 2022. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  16. ^ "Raunak Khosla Honored as High Point Swimmer, Tigers Finish Second at Ivy Championships". Princeton University Athletics. February 26, 2022. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  17. ^ "Colten Young Qualifies for NCAA Championships on 3-Meter". Princeton University Athletics. March 7, 2022. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  18. ^ "Men's Divers Compete on 1-Meter at NCAA Zone A Championships". Princeton University Athletics. March 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  19. ^ Powell, Michael (May 29, 2022). "What Lia Thomas Could Mean for Women's Elite Sports". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Reimer, Alex (June 22, 2022). "How this queer diver's viral TikTok made NASCAR gayer than ever". Outsports. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  21. ^ Eddy, Kayla (October 6, 2022). "Looking Back On NYFW". DOWNTOWN MAGAZINE. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  22. ^ Ramzi, Lilah (September 13, 2022). "Lil Nas X Ended His Night at the Coach x VOGUE World After-Party". Vogue. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  23. ^ Colyar, Brock (November 21, 2022). "It's Gala Season, You Animals!". The Cut. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  24. ^ Smith, Katie (March 19, 2022). "Explained: Science entangled in transgender athlete debate". NewsNation. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
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