« Hello, everybody. This is going to be extremely explicit, so if you don’t like swearing or angry people from Wisconsin, then turn your mother-effing camera off now. »
So begins the 11-minute, 49-second video Angela Julius uploaded to YouTube on Nov. 4, 2012, in which she dramatically unpacked a futile quest to find two specific scented candles at her local Bath & Body Works brick-and-mortar stores.
A prolific vlogger who goes by the username Az4angela, Julius, 48, of Neenah, Wisconsin, enjoys spilling tea and sharing snippets of her daily life with her followers — many of whom tune in for her candle reviews. That video, entitled, « I MIGHT Boycott Bath & Body Works RANT!, » was an intentionally silly and over-the-top retelling of a frustrating customer service experience that Julius made for a niche, clued-in audience. Then the rest of the world found it.
The video blew up overnight after YouTuber Tyler Oakley shared it on his Tumblr page in October 2014, turning Julius into a prototype of the « Karen » trope that spawned memes and comedic reenactments. A parody appeared in a Season 1 episode of Ryan Murphy’s slasher comedy Scream Queens. Allusions to the screed have popped up on Bath & Body Works Yelp, Facebook, and Foursquare pages over the years. Forget Team Edward or Team Jacob — are you Team Angela or Team Jen, the Appleton store manager who had incorrect intel about the true location of Winter Candy Apple and Iced Gingerbread three-wicks?
As someone who grew up in America’s Dairyland, the video has an oddly special place in my heart. Wisconsinites typically go viral for far worse reasons — a local serial killer gets a big-budget biopic, a quarterback says something stupid, a Republican politician says something stupider. There’s something refreshingly trivial about Julius’s candle rant, and her Green Bay Packers garb and Inland North accent are so true to the real Wisconsin I know. Seeing the video referenced in the wild incites the same feeling as spotting a brandy old-fashioned on an out-of-state bar menu: pleasant surprise muddled with a warm pang of homesickness.
I caught up with Julius over email ahead of the candle rant’s 10-year anniversary, and just after a spot-on lip sync gave it new life on TikTok and Twitter. In the spirit of Small Talk, the self-proclaimed Candle Queen of Appleton opened up about the events leading up to the video, viral backlash, her lifelong love of candles, and one of her newer online ventures: OnlyFans.
The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.
Mashable: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a single mom of two girls, one of which is over 30. People may be surprised to learn that I take care of children for a living — I have the non-emergency number memorized, and when I call, they know me by name.
Can you walk us through the day you decided to make the original candle rant video?
That day, I was with my mother. We were shopping in Oshkosh at Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candle. I was previously looking for two scents to review on my channel. I had a pretty good relationship with the Appleton Bath & Body Works store. I was surprised when they called me and asked if I could come to Appleton because they had both of the candles in.
I would have never gone to the mall that day if it hadn’t been for them calling me. My mom and I had just enough time to run to the mall to pick up the candles and get back home for dinner with my dad. At that time, he was recently diagnosed with cancer and, due to chemo, his appetite was down, so we were making daily meals. I thought it was just gonna be a quick in-and-out at the mall, but then it turned into a big fiasco. My whole point in the video was they should have never called me if they weren’t 100 percent sure they had the items in.
What would I have done differently that day? Absolutely nothing. It’s true I was upset that my time was wasted, but if you listen closely you can hear my daughter laughing in the background. It was obviously a fabrication, and I was having fun.
What was it like to have the candle rant go viral?
When I posted the video [in 2012], I only had the candle community watching. They completely understood what happened and sympathized. When Tyler Oakley posted the video [on Tumblr in 2014] and I woke up the next morning with thousands of notifications in my email inbox, I started freaking out. Back then, going viral was different than it is now. I immediately sent the video to private. Unfortunately, I missed out on a huge chunk of change.
I almost didn’t go to work that day. My friend and [vlogging] sidekick Miss Judy talked me into going, telling me that if I didn’t go that day I would never go back. I went and my place of employment was a circus. Everyone knew, including my whole city and surrounding cities. It was in the newspaper, on television, everywhere. I just wanted to hide.
Is there anything people often get wrong about you based on the candle rant?
People always say I was the first Karen. Again, I was having fun in the video, but people took it literally. I never intended on having millions of people watch the video. I thought it was just going to be the candle community. People who truly know me agree that I’m extremely kind and have excellent customer service [skills] and also treat workers with respect. People do recognize me from time to time, but more often now [than back when the video first went viral]. It’s usually when I’m in Appleton shopping.
Are you still a big fan of Bath & Body Works? You’ve mentioned a candle collection in some of your videos.
I will never stop shopping there. I go at least four times a year, if not more. And I do have a big candle collection, but to be honest it’s mostly Yankee candles. I will always be a fan of both companies.
Have you heard from or run into Jen since?
Never! And I’ve been back to the store, and I have never seen her… She never got fired to my knowledge. I honestly believe that she was definitely trying to help me out and once she learned of her mistake, she felt bad. I’m sure she’s a very nice person, and I wish her all the best.
What was it like being parodied on Scream Queens?
It was like a dream come true. I absolutely love Ryan Patrick Murphy. Anything he does turns to gold.
A woman recently went viral on TikTok for lip-syncing to the candle rant. What was your reaction to seeing her video?
She is definitely brilliant! It was word-for-word perfection! She even had my voice pitch down. I was definitely surprised by her talent. To be honest, I was not surprised to see my video resurface. It usually does once a year. Someone famous will do a shout-out on Twitter, and my views skyrocket. But this was definitely something special!
What made you decide to start an OnlyFans account? What’s that experience been like?
This is a touchy subject because not a lot of people know. At the start of COVID-19, like many, I got laid off… I started trying to think of different ways I could earn money, and OnlyFans was it! I didn’t have to show my face, and I could choose what I wanted to post. I definitely do soft adult entertainment — the least of the least!
On a lighter note, can you tell us your favorite candle scent and your favorite discontinued Bath & Body Works product(s)?
I will always be true to Cherries on Snow by Yankee Candle. That fragrance will always be in my collection. I also like anything that is almond-raspberry-scented. From Bath & Body Works, it is definitely Winter Candy Apple. I also miss the glitter roll-on sticks from Bath & Body Works back in the day. We used to roll them all over our bodies and would be covered in glitter and then go to the clubs.
Because I have to ask: Any thoughts on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers this season?
I don’t care for Aaron Rodgers. He’s just not my vibe. Even though I rarely watch the Packers, I still get highlights from Miss Judy, and I also have Packer clothing.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
My love for candles started when I was just a little girl. My father and I used to go downstairs in the basement, and I would watch him pour wax into molds for friends and family as Christmas gifts. Spending one-on-one quality time with my dad was very special. Before the video went viral, my father was able to view it. He laughed and laughed and thought that it was so hilarious. He was one of the only people that understood my humor. I just wish he was alive when it did go viral, but I know he’s looking down lighting a candle and still laughing.
