Instagram Videos: A Symbol of Connection and Authenticity in How Y'all Doing?

In How Y’all Doing?, Leslie Jordan’s Instagram videos are far more than a digital portfolio—they become a concrete symbol of how performance, vulnerability, and human connection can be forged in an unexpected medium. Appearing first as a pandemic coping mechanism, the videos recur throughout the memoir and evolve into a platform for authenticity, community, and even social responsibility. This analysis unpacks the literal presence of Instagram videos in the book, traces their transformation, and connects them to the memoir’s major themes and characters.

What Are Instagram Videos in the Memoir?

Instagram videos are the short, humorous clips Leslie Jordan began posting during the COVID‑19 pandemic while he was staying in Tennessee. The memoir opens with his signature line—“Well, shit. How y’all doing?”—which he used to launch his first viral video. These videos typically feature Jordan telling silly stories, twirling a back scratcher like a baton, doing yoga on a kitchen counter, or cutting his own hair to old‑hippie music. They are characterized by a conversational, rambling style that he later describes as “short form” comedy, noting that the one‑minute constraint actually sharpened his delivery: “Get to the point. Cut to the chase.”

The videos are recorded on a smartphone and posted to his Instagram account. Jordan had started the account years earlier on the set of The Cool Kids, but it was only during the pandemic lockdown that his follower count exploded from around 80,000 to over five million in a matter of months. The videos are thus both a product of isolation and a lifeline outward—a way for Jordan to perform while the world stood still.

How the Motif Recurs and Transforms

The Instagram video motif does not appear in every chapter, but its influence ripples through several key moments.

• Chapter 1: “How Y’all Doing?” – The videos are introduced as a direct response to pandemic boredom. Jordan describes making them to “pass the time,” and they go viral when a friend calls to tell him he’s “gone viral.” This chapter establishes the videos as a spontaneous, unpolished outlet. Later in the same chapter, Jordan uses his Instagram platform to hand his account to activist Deesha Dyer during racial justice protests, marking a shift from personal entertainment to public responsibility.

• Chapter 4: “The Short Journey” – While not detailing videos themselves, Jordan reflects on his Instagram fame as part of his career resurgence. He mentions his “gobsmacking success on Instagram” in his stage introductions, showing that the videos have become a defining credential.

• Chapter 7: “Hymn Singing” – Jordan shares that he and a collaborator recorded hymns and posted them on Instagram Live on Sunday mornings. He explains that this was not a response to church closures but “a result of my mind trying to find a resting place from all the chaos in the world.” Here, the videos take on a meditative, spiritual dimension.

• Chapter 12: “Until We Meet Again” – In the closing pages, Jordan directly addresses his Instagram followers, calling them “my lovely new friends.” He compares finishing the book to the childhood ache of leaving Daytona Beach, but reassures readers that “my followers will be with me as long as there is an Instagram or something similar.” The videos have become a permanent bridge between author and audience.

Thus the motif recurs not as a string of repeated descriptions but as a touchstone that Jordan returns to at pivotal emotional moments, each time with a slightly different significance.

Shifting Meanings of the Instagram Videos

Meaning 1: Boredom Buster – Initially, the videos are a lark. Jordan, stuck alone in a tiny Tennessee apartment, thinks of “funny things to post” to alleviate the monotony of lockdown. They are private, silly, and have no ambition beyond making himself laugh.

Meaning 2: Viral Fame – Once the videos gain traction, they become a source of public recognition. Jordan notes the irony that a 65‑year‑old gay man could amass millions of followers. The videos now mean celebrity, with real‑world side effects: he can no longer drive his BMW convertible with the top down or sit reading newspapers in a Starbucks without being mobbed.

Meaning 3: Platform with Responsibility – During the summer of 2020, Jordan feels pressure from followers to speak out against racial injustice. He admits he initially thinks of an easy “dog in that fight” excuse but ultimately decides to listen instead of talk. He cedes his account to Deesha Dyer, giving her “the stage and the voice I had been given.” Now the videos represent a microphone that must be used thoughtfully.

Meaning 4: Source of Solace – In the hymn‑singing chapter, the videos become a form of meditation and a way to reconnect with his church‑music roots. Jordan describes a “desire to find a resting place from all the chaos.” The videos here are intimate, almost devotional.

Meaning 5: Everlasting Connection – By the book’s end, the videos have transformed into a permanent community. Jordan declares that his Instagram friends were present with him while writing, and that the feeling of loneliness he once felt after a childhood crush will not recur because his followers “will be with me as long as there is an Instagram.” The videos are no longer just content; they are a covenant.

Character and Theme Connections

Character: Leslie Jordan – The Instagram videos are the vehicle through which readers (and his real‑world audience) meet the “real Leslie Allen Jordan.” He emphasizes that his followers “got to know the real” him through the short clips. The motif therefore directly supports the memoir’s central purpose: revealing his authentic self.

Character: Peggy Jordan – Leslie’s mother is initially uneasy with his online fame, especially the use of the word “shit.” However, her arc in chapter 2 (the Debbie Reynolds call) is not directly tied to Instagram, but the platform’s visibility does factor into his later decisions not to monetize his success, knowing his family’s background. In chapter 1, he notes that his mother “was none too happy I garnered such success using the word ‘shit.’”

Theme: Performance and Authenticity – The videos allow Jordan to perform without a script. He describes feeling a “freeing quality” in short form, and he believes the format improved his comedy. Yet the performance feels personal, not produced; this tension between crafted humor and genuine self‑disclosure is a major theme of the memoir.

Theme: Community and Family – The videos create a virtual community that Jordan treats as family. He calls his followers “dear new friends” and says they had “a big part in this opportunity” to write the book. The motif thus literalizes the theme of chosen family, a recurrent idea in his recovery narrative.

Theme: Recovery and Sobriety – Though the videos are not directly about addiction, Jordan’s recovery framework informs his approach: he decides not to monetize the platform because it “did not seem right.” This echoes the Twelve‑Step principle of practicing integrity. The hymn‑singing videos also serve as a sober, reflective practice.

Theme: Dealing with Loss – The pandemic was a time of collective grief. Jordan’s videos countered that loss with laughter. In the final chapter, he explicitly links the end of the book to a childhood goodbye, but the Instagram community provides a way to “keep the connection alive.”

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the meaning of Jordan’s Instagram videos change from the beginning of the memoir to the end?

At first, the videos are a casual distraction from pandemic boredom. By the end, they represent a lasting bond with millions of followers and a source of true comedic freedom. Jordan explicitly says that writing the book gave him “true comedic freedom,” but the videos laid the groundwork. The shift is from private amusement to public responsibility, then to a spiritual practice (hymn singing) and finally to a permanent community that prevents the loneliness he felt as a child.

2. What role does the decision not to monetize his Instagram success play in the motif’s arc?

Jordan states he turned down product‑placement offers because monetizing “did not seem right.” This decision underscores the motif’s association with generosity rather than commerce. It reinforces the theme of recovery (practicing principles over profit) and protects the authenticity of the videos. By refusing to become a branded influencer, Jordan keeps the videos as a gift to his audience, which aligns with his stated goal: “That’s what I do. That’s my role. People come to my page for some FUN.”

3. How does the hymn‑singing episode on Instagram Live reshape the meaning of the videos?

The hymn‑singing segment introduces a contemplative, spiritual layer. Jordan says the songs helped his mind “find a resting place from all the chaos.” This contrasts with the earlier silly baton‑twirling videos. The same platform that hosted comedy now hosts worship‑adjacent content, demonstrating that the motif is flexible enough to accommodate both levity and reverence. It also reconnects Jordan with his church upbringing, a part of his identity he had long left behind.

4. In what way do the Instagram videos serve as a “bridge” between Jordan and his readers at the memoir’s close?

In the final chapter, Jordan compares finishing the book to the sorrow of leaving Daytona Beach after a childhood crush. He admits he was “bereaved” and worried about losing connection. But he then reassures the reader: “I have no worries about hearing back as I did with the blond‑haired boy, as I know my followers will be with me as long as there is an Instagram or something similar.” The videos thus form an ongoing relationship that outlasts the pages. They transform a solitary writing process into a shared journey.

For deeper exploration of the themes touched by this motif, see the pages on identity and shame, performance and authenticity, and community and family. You can also learn more about Leslie Jordan himself and the memoir overall.