Pinups, burlesque dancers and vintage enthusiasts rejoice! Our Queen has released an app!

Earlier this week, Dita Von Teese released a new self-titled app (available for download from the Play store) and it currently has around one thousand downloads. As a huge Dita fan myself, I had to download the app and try it out.

The app is a platform for Dita to post exclusive images, videos and information directly to her fans. Great idea right? The Dita Von Teese app allows users to link all their websites and social media to their new Dita account, so I linked my Intagram account. Im not sure why the app asks for so much access and permissions (like my microphone) so I only gave access to my images despite the wide requests from the app. The app itself is a little bit like Instagram; Dita fans can post images, interact and comment on other people’s images and, hopefully, get the attention of Dita. It’s a great platforms if you really want to connect with other Dita fans. The app is well layed out, pretty easy to use and I love the overall layout and aesthetics of it. I also admire the time Dita put into the app to connect with her fans.

One thing I found slightly disheartening is that you need to pay a monthly fee (of around $7) to access and view all of Dita’s posts. If Dita releases a new album, I pay for it. But to pay to see social media posts doesn’t seem worth it to me especially living on a budget. Viewing social media has always been free and I don’t really want to start paying to see what people are posting. Im sure people will happily pay the monthly fee but it’s just not for me. At the moment, the app is offering a free 7 day trial so you can see if you like the app with full access.

As users, we are allowed to upload 3 images for free and if we want to share more, we need to pay. I saw a lot of users upload images of themselves and Dita so I did the same. It’s really fun to hear people’s experiences and stories all in one place. I especially loved how it brought about a sense of community and love. Much like Instagram, you can ‘like’ (or in this case, give a star) to images and posts put up by users on the ‘fan feed’ tab. From what I understand, the more you like and interact on the app, the more stars you gain. You can use the stars to ‘boost’ your posts and your ‘fan ranking’. Of course, you can also buy stars.

If I am honest, I find the ability to pay for stars and boost your posts/ranking slightly strange. The idea is to get Dita’s attention but Im worried it’ll dishearten users who cannot afford extra stars or the monthly subscription. I cant imagine meeting someone, talking about Dita and then being asked what number in the Dita fan rank I am. Do those in the first few ranks feel closer to Dita? Am I less of a fan because I am not in the top ten?

This also makes me think about the fans who find the app within a month or so. Current users have had so much more time to interact and gain stars and then use them to boost their fan rank whilst new users are stuck at the bottom without much of a chance unless they pay. Personally, I would prefer an app where I can calmly interact with Dita fans instead of it becoming a competition and just a cry to get noticed by Dita.

Dita’s website already has an exclusive ‘pay to access images’ section so I think it’s not necessary for fans to have to pay more money for access to social media posts. This also makes me wonder if Dita will now favour her personal app as opposed to her Facebook or Instagram. Even her posts today have only been posted on her app and nowhere else.

A major highlight of the app is that all of Dita’s online publications, social media accounts and content can all be viewed from this app. Under the FanFeed section are icons depicting other online platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitter etc which when selected, show all of Dita’s posts. This is great for fans who want to catch up and see what Dita is up to. It also keeps all of Dita’s posts in one place which is helpful if you are looking for something specific. I love this feature on the app.

I love Dita Von Teese, I have for years, but I don’t think I can pay for a monthly subscription to her social media posts. I admire how Dita took the time to create a fan platform that gives us all more personal access to her and other fans. She has brought about a sense of unity and Im sure as the app grows, friendships and bonds will begin to form. For a little while, I will stick with the app as a free user, perhaps I will try the free 7 day trial and see if it’s really worth it.

For now, I’d like to thank Dita for taking the time in creating an app and trying to connect with her fans. It’s great to see celebrities take the time to bring their fans closer together and give us a safe space to interact and make friends.

Have you tried the app? What do you think of it?

MonMon x