Sabrina Brier on Psychoanalysis, Stanley Cups, and Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Sabrina Brier is a comedian, actress, viral TikTok savant, and recent owner of her first ever Stanley cup. But what she’s best known for is holding a mirror to the inner worlds of the many twenty-somethings who see her on their timelines. Brier’s viral videos take on a host of characters, including The Friend Who is Always Overdressed, The Girlfriend Who Always Ruins the Moment, The Friend Who is Drifting Away and, of course, The Passive Aggressive Roommate. More often than not, these characters are irritating, cringe-worthy, exhausting, but never unfamiliar. For this week’s Search History, we slid into Sabrina’s DMs to talk about psychoanalysis, which Girls character she identifies with, and what it’s like to be the internet’s best friend.

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EMILY SANDSTROM: Shall we jump right in?

SABRINA BRIER: Let’s dive in, queen!!!

SANDSTROM: A/S/L?

BRIER: 29/F/NYC.

SANDSTROM: What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

BRIER: I say “Alexa stop” because she is blasting rain sounds (because I told her to).

SANDSTROM: What’s the worst DM you’ve ever received?

BRIER: I mean, I definitely get gross objectifying things from men often, but after a while I’ve stopped having any reaction to them because the internet isn’t real. It’s a simulation. We’re all Sims. And also, I’d say a favorite I’ve received was this story tag:

SANDSTROM: You’re being printed on cakes around the world. You play so many different characters—which one do you identify with most? 

SABRINA BRIER: Ummmm, gorgeous question. The first thing I ask myself when I’m getting into a character is: does she have the upper hand or is she the loser in the situation? I definitely identify with her more when it’s the latter… when she’s desperately wanting something from the other person in the scene. For example, I have this new series I’ve been into, “That Friend Who is Drifting Away,” and it’s based on a very real feeling of a desperation I’ve felt about a friend in the past. I guess I was really accessing that as an actress and leaning into the sadness that I remember so well, because people have been commenting a lot saying like “wait I’m crying?” I also access a very real and authentic part of myself any time I’m doing a character who gives passionate advice to her friends, because that is where I thrive IRL. 🤪 Sorry I had to send that emoji because I felt I was getting too serious.

SANDSTROM: The friend who is drifting away struck chord with me. What was it like to go viral for the first time?

BRIER: It was freaking amazing. I had wanted it for so long tbh. I was actually making videos for about a year on IG (before Reels AKA The Stone Age) and though I’m so glad that I took all that time to develop my content before it went really public (it was just friends and friends of friends watching and encouraging me), I was ready and so excited to have a bigger audience.

SANDSTROM: Which platform do you get the most hate on?

SABRINA BRIER: Hmmmmm, maybe IG reels?

SANDSTROM: How are you feeling about Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s prison release?

BRIER: I haven’t followed that story enough tbh but so glad that queen is free!

SANDSTROM: What’s your opening line when you’re sliding into someone’s DMs?

BRIER: “Love your work.”

SANDSTROM: What was your last online order?

BRIER: I got a computer cleaner thingy from Amazon because I just got a new computer and my brother-in-law made a comment about how it’s only a matter of time before it’s gonna be covered with crumbs and schmutz. So I took that as a challenge.

SANDSTROM: That’s so mature.

BRIER: I’m soooooo mature, yeah.

SANDSTROM: What’s it like being the internet’s id?

BRIER: First of all, thank you for making me sound important. I’m definitely a people person and always have been. My mom, sister, and I are def psychoanalysis girlies, so it comes naturally. I’m grateful that I have a platform where I’m able to really infuse who I am and how I think into my work, and of course am continuously amazed by how thoughtful and passionate the audience response is.

SANDSTROM: Can you send a fit pic?

BRIER: I usually present myself online looking really extra but the truth is that this is my final form. I’m a major homebody.

SANDSTROM: Is that a Stanley Cup?

BRIER: Yes! I literally bought it yesterday and now I’m 16 years old.

SANDSTROM: Have you seen all the recent Stanley Cup drama?

BRIER: The fire????? I’m so boomer. I just saw that TikTok where the cup survived the car fire and was sold. 

SANDSTROM: If there was no internet starting tomorrow, what would you do?

BRIER: I would immediately become a better person. 

SANDSTROM: Which Girls character are you?

BRIER: Hannah Sun, Marnie Rising.

SANDSTROM: What’s the last meme you saved?

BRIER:

SANDSTROM: Is there a specific video you wish you never posted?

BRIER: Hmmm, I can’t think of anything I wish I hadn’t posted, but I get really cringed out watching my early TikToks. I can’t do it.

SANDSTROM: Which characters have fans responded to the best and worst?

BRIER: There seems to be a lot of passionate responses to the advice ones/the characters who are really direct and honest. Personally, I love that sometimes people say they wish we were friends as a reaction, because I’m like “yeah girlypops, we are!” Girlfriend Who Ruins the Moment was definitely polarizing.

SANDSTROM: Send us your Google search history.

 

SABRINA BRIER: I haven’t stopped thinking about The Color Purple since I saw it. Searched for my GIF to send to my sister and I was so boomer about it because I couldn’t figure out how to send it as a clip and not just a pic. And then I mansplained to my roommate that 2/3 aquamarine girls are in Vampire Diaries and then realized I was talking about H20. Mortifying.

EMILY SANDSTROM: Was H20 that Australian show?

SABRINA BRIER: Yes!!