Who says romance is dead? It’s very much alive and well on TikTok. The social media platform is awash with husband-wife duos whose entire brand identity depends on being married. Influencer couples are captivating audiences with their glamorous lives, showcasing affectionate nicknames, public displays of affection, and extravagant gifts to an eager, time-rich fanbase who adore their favorite couples’ charming dynamics. And the pinnacle of modern-day TikTok romance is Campbell ‘Pookie’ Puckett and Jett. Currently in the spotlight, an Atlanta couple boasts nearly three million followers on TikTok and Instagram, winning over the internet’s affection while growing their wealth. For those unfamiliar, Pookie, as Jett affectionately calls her, is the quintessential influencer: a beautiful ex-flight attendant married to an investment banker known for being the ultimate ‘husband material.’ Jett’s devotion to Campbell has captivated TikTok users. He wears chinos and padded vests while doting on his 33-year-old laid-back wife, serving her breakfast in bed and serenading her in a monotone. Jett’s phrase, ‘Pookie is looking absolutely fire tonight,’ has become famous for describing his wife’s outfits for their steakhouse dates and has taken social media by storm. This sugary sentimentality overlays business-as-usual luxury and brand showcases, such as the $12,000 Hermes Kelly ‘push present’ Jett gave to Campbell following the birth of their baby, Paloma, last November. The couple even have a clunky mantra, dripping with the usual influencer pretensions, to sum up their PDA-on-speed schtick: ‘To authentically love out loud.’ ‘Our followers say we give them the inspiration to find love and that we make their day,’ trilled Campbell in her soft southern drone on Michael and Lauryn Bosstick’s Skinny Confidential Him and Her podcast back in May. Fans flood the couple’s videos online with comments calling them a ‘walking advertisement’ for relationships amid pleas to find their own ‘Jett.’ So you could be forgiven for thinking the pair are on some higher mission instead of riding their loved-up enterprise and hawking their ‘Quintessential Love’ merchandise. There are rugby shirts for $95, baseball caps for $40 and, for $88, you too can be your own ‘Pookie’ with a moniker-branded crewneck. Indeed, money can’t buy love – but, as internet couples have seemingly discovered, love can earn you a whole lot of money. And the drip feed of picture-perfect romance is a fast track for making ‘fans’ feel insecure and dissatisfied about their own love lives as they waste time and money buying into a fantasy-rich gravy train. You see, scratch the surface of some lovebirds monetizing their happy ever after and you’ll find a flaky fairytale with thorny roses and flat champagne with a bad aftertaste. As the Pucketts’ profile rises, their blend of bling and bland is attracting more questions and scrutiny. There has been speculation over Campbell’s cosmetic overhaul, with allegations on Reddit by a ‘close friend’ of the couple that Jett ordered Campbell to have breast surgery, although there is no evidence to back the shock claim. And rumors swirled of contrived personas cynically cashing on a core fanbase of single females who aspire to have Pookie’s lifestyle. ‘This couple know what they’re doing. It’s inherently performative,’ a source previously alleged to the Daily Mail. ‘They are not realistic, they’re social media influencers who know what goes viral. They have generated characters for their brand and it’s worked a treat for them. It actually sets a very unrealistic expectation, especially with young women who want to get married one day.’ Selling perfect love might be more emotive territory than morning wellness routines and the perfect smashed avocado on toast, but doesn’t that make it grubbier? Indeed, such a love story is a reliable payday. From the reality show couple eking out their last dregs of relevance with showmances, to the rise and rise of Love Island and the Bachelor elevating photogenic coupledom. But what happens when the mask slips? At best, the joint social media accounts are divided as financial assets in the divorce – a new reality for content creators in the digital age. At worst, it’s a scandal. Indeed, the glittery mirage of made-for-Instagram love is not always as picture-perfect as it seems. Take Italian fashion blogger of The Blonde Salad fame, Chiara Ferragni, and her much-flaunted, eight-year, money-spinning romance with rapper Federico Leonardo Lucia known by his stage name Fedez. Their love story culminated with their dazzling 2018 $1.3 million Sicilian nuptials, featuring three Dior wedding dresses and a custom-built fairground all to the delight of Ferragni’s nearly 30 million followers on Instagram. Even their first kiss as man and wife was choreographed to an explosion of fireworks – and similarly, their love eventually imploded amid allegations of infidelity. Equally smoke and mirrors was the saga of the Mormon MomTok influencers, a gaggle of photogenic wives from Utah who shot to internet stardom for their trendy dance routines and glimpses of their wholesome family lives. Little did the devout audience know, MomTok star Taylor Frankie Paul was participating in a ‘soft swinging’ lifestyle – a scandal that emerged in the wake of her abrupt divorce from her husband in 2022. Paul, arguably the most famous mom of the group, shocked her followers by claiming she and her spouse were secretly swinging with other couples. But in a world of swiping on apps for meaningless hook-ups, perhaps it isn’t so surprising that savvy power couples are finding an audience ripe for buying into some classic romance. It may seem harmless froth and fantasy, but it’s promoting a regressive message for the modern woman – that your self-worth and achievement is rooted in landing your very own Jett to reward your looks and fertility with another Hermes handbag. And honestly, I don’t care if Pookie is looking absolutely fire – such a romance leaves me stone cold.