“The Algo Is Haunting”: Sophia Ziskin on It Girls and Incriminating Texts

 

As far as It Girls go, Sophia Ziskin is the blueprint. She was 17 when she started modeling and DJing—though her exact age is “timeless,” as she told me— in the L.A. scene where she was born and raised. But you might have seen her on TV last month at the Grammys, where she made out with The Dare on stage during Charli xcx’s show-stopping Brat medley. After that clip went viral, a Reddit thread, r/LAinfluencersnark, asked the question on everyone’s mind: what’s the tea on Sophia Ziskin? And while the overwhelming consensus was, “There’s not much to spill… She’s nice and gorg and a good DJ”—it’s never that simple. In this week’s Search History, we DM’ed Fifi to get the skinny on the girl behind the smooch.

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EMMA STOUT: Hi babe, ready to get started?

SOPHIA ZISKIN: Hi hi! Yes I am.

STOUT: A/S/L?

ZISKIN: Ok ok ok. Timeless/she her/Los Angeles, city of angels.

STOUT: And you’re the angel du jour!

ZISKIN: Ah wow. Thank you very much.

STOUT: What’s the first thing you do in the morning?

ZISKIN: Feed my cat, then check my phone.

STOUT: What’s your cat’s name?

ZISKIN: Mako, named after Mako Island from the show H2O.

STOUT: Who else is on your It Girl roster?

ZISKIN: Oh wow. Allegra Samsen, Imogene, Tavia Bonetti, my mom. Allegra’s TikTok of how she does her hair changed my life.

STOUT: Literally, it rewired my brain. Because hair is a sculpture.

ZISKIN: I KNOW. And how couldn’t I see that before?

STOUT: Can you send a screenshot of your most recent Google searches?

ZISKIN: Omg yes. Sorry I had to blur one. It’s kind of boring

STOUT: The W9 is so real. Choose one: money or clout?

ZISKIN: Money.

STOUT: Period. How many unread texts do you have?

ZISKIN: 2,020. It makes me wanna throw up

STOUT: A constant reminder of how awful 2020 was…

ZISKIN: Exactly!

STOUT: Read receipts: on or off?

ZISKIN: Off off off. No one needs to know.

STOUT: Have you ever accidentally sent or received an incriminating text?

ZISKIN: 1000%, I feel like most of them are. Mostly I have eyes everywhere and nothing can get past me. So it’s often me seeing something I shouldn’t and texting my best friend immediately. And like, listen, your secret is safe with us but I do know everything! The last one was probably telling my friend who her ex-boyfriend is seeing. It’s not my fault I’m at the right places at the right time!

STOUT: It’s not your fault you know everything! Send a fit pic of what you’re wearing right now.

ZISKIN: Here I am.

STOUT: I love it. What’s in the cup?

ZISKIN: Iced matcha with almond milk from Blue Bottle.

STOUT: The most L.A. sentence ever uttered…

ZISKIN: I know, I’m sorry. Born and raised!

STOUT: Okay. FMK: L.A. venues.

ZISKIN: OMG OK. Marry Living Room, fuck Tenants of the Trees and kill Tenants of the Trees. It is rough out here with L.A. nightlife if you couldn’t tell.

STOUT: What three things do you always have on you at the function?

ZISKIN: My USB, stone lip liner from MAC, and gum.

STOUT: Essentials. Can you queue up a song for this interview?

ZISKIN: Oh, of course I can. I think I’m gonna have to go with “Two Months Off” by Underworld.

STOUT: Send the last meme you screenshotted.

ZISKIN: Does this count as a meme?

STOUT: Do you kiss on a first date?

ZISKIN: Yes love, unless it was the most boring, horrible date ever. I love a kiss.

STOUT: Duh. Also, was The Dare a good kisser?

ZISKIN: Oh god I can’t hahaha

STOUT: You’re so mysterious!

ZISKIN: Thanks babe!

STOUT: What does your TikTok FYP look like?

ZISKIN: You know my FYP is kind of insane. I don’t know what I did for this to happen but I get a lot of stuff with zero to 20 likes. And it’s like, old people with filters on. Also a lot of Boiler Room/DJ clips and recipes. Whoever I’m hating at the moment always comes up. The algo is haunting.

STOUT: At least you’re keeping your enemies close. What’s a website everyone should know about?

ZISKIN: Omg okay, it’s not a website. It’s an app called OCEARCH Shark Tracker, and you can literally track tagged sharks. And they name them. And you can see who’s friends with who. It’s amazing. Like, OMG where are you even going next!

STOUT: Awww they have cliques too.

ZISKIN: It’s beautiful.

STOUT: Last question, what’s your password?

ZISKIN: Don’t even go there. It’s very smart and long.