Who are these articles written for? And who is writing them? And why? Just why?

Lord, it must be awful to be famous. To have your life dissected and discussed by every random person with an internet connection or a newspaper. For people who have never met you to have an opinion on aspects of you they’ve never been witness to, to have your hair, makeup, and dress tallied against some imaginary score to decide whether it’s a hit or a miss.

Just today I have read Beyoncé being bagged because she is a vegan and apparently she’s offended “real” vegans or she’s not vegan enough or maybe she’s too vegan; I’ve read that Kate Moss is too old to get drunk on a plane and apparently she’s been very messy for some time and that’s just not okay (although curiously it used to be okay but now it’s not); I’ve seen the magnificent photos of Prince George and Princess Charlotte scorned because the children were “too well dressed” and not messy enough – maybe they should speak to Kate Moss’s people. Miley Cyrus is too raunchy, over-exposed/try-hard on her latest cover and there is plenty to read about Caitlyn Jenner’s post op panic attack because yes, even that’s a story.

And that’s just today.

Usually I am the person to defend the underdog, I feel the weight of the world and I want people to be kind to the meek, the mild, the challenged, the impoverished and the disadvantaged. It feels weird to be sticking my neck out for the most advantaged, the most well known, the uber famous and wealthy.

But as much as I don’t get the obsession with celebrity and the need or desire to know about what they are wearing/saying/doing/ shagging, I don’t get the deal with bagging people just because they are famous. Or even thinking we have the right to judge people we really don’t know at all. I don’t understand the mentality that makes us believe we “own” a celebrity and that they have to perform to a standard of which we approve.

I get that celebrity comes at a price and loss of privacy may be part of that price. I understand the need for critique and evaluation and personal taste. If you don’t like someone’s music or dress or the way that they apply their eyeliner – that’s cool, you can own that.  But shouldn’t that be voiced in a way that demonstrates it’s how we feel about the artist, it’s not actually about the artist themselves?

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When I became embroiled in the Giant Thermomix Debacle, there was a woman who wrote some hateful stuff about me on her Facebook page. I approached her and we had a bit of back and forth in which I tried to explain to her how I was really hurt and that I had done nothing to deserve the treatment I was receiving on her page. Her response to me “If you’re just a regular person with a blog how did you get to have your article in Perth Now ?, You’re the managing editor of Ivillage.com.au – not really a regular person like me with a blog ?”

Other than the fact that I am actually no longer the editor of iVillage when did it become okay to attack someone because of the position they hold? Because of their job title? I have no idea who is editing iVillage at this point but I would hazard a guess that they are human.

Where does the humanity end and where does the celebrity start? (I can assure you not with iVillage!) What makes it okay to hate on someone who is a celebrity simply because we recognise their faces from a movie or a catwalk?

Where do you stand on the thousands of judgmental articles written about people who have achieved a certain level of fame? Would love to know who cares enough to actually weigh in?

Who are these articles written for? And who is writing them?

Comments

  1. Lana you raise some very pertinent points about how people treat those who may be a “celebrity”.

    It is wrong and it is the height of disrespect and bad manners to do so. It is also totally illogical to hate someone for their “station” in life. If a person who is a celebrity does things deliberately to hurt others then yes call them out on the behaviour but not by using hate and threats.

    I think in some ways people who behave towards “celebrities” in that way possibly feel that because they bought the magazine, watched the film, bought the music or even read the blog they have “made an investment” into that celebrity so they “own” them and want to “cash in” their investment. That is just plain wrong.

    I do hope that people can start to try to treat people the way they wish to be treated themselves. Sadly I think that for many the cannot do that anymore.

    Cheers,

    Patrick

  2. It would be nice if everyone followed the rule, if you wouldn’t say it to their face…
    I’d like to say I’m innocent but I’ve had one extra wine on occasion and had a jab at a politician on Twitter or very rarely my blog. But I don’t think I’d ever get personal, you know, attack them as a person, just question what they said or did. I think that’s the difference. Take up arms against the action (if you have to) not the person. Celebrities are people and I think the fourth wall of social media makes us forget that sometimes. P.S. How could anyone criticise Kate on her gorgeous children???

    • I have criticised politicians many times. Eeeep. But only on their policies. That said I may have not wished them very well. You should totally read “Have you been publicly shamed” by Jon Ronson. It will change the way you think about Twitter (plus it’s a great book)

  3. Jodi Gibson wrote something similar lately (Has the world gone crazy or is it just me?)

    I wonder if people jump to judgment, particularly of those they don’t know, because otherwise because then they would be left with their own thoughts and interactions? And that might be hard.(sometimes far easier to get the emotion out by being ‘for’ or ‘against’ something / someone else instead)? If this is part of it, pretty sad indictment on many people.

    • I think people who would write mean and nasty things about other people lest they be alone with their own thoughts need to spend more time working out why they can’t be alone with their thoughts!

      xxx

      • Absolutely! (I still think that it does apply to many people – wouldn’t it be great if they could work out their own issues instead?)

  4. In general I’ve never understood why people get themselves SO worked up about other people’s lives.

    Unless the actions of another person directly affect me or I believe they are negatively influencing people I care about (i.e the charlatan health and diet ‘gurus’ that amass a huge following based on dodgy science), I just don’t give a damn. I mean, I judge, sure! But never so vehemently that I feel the need to attack them online. I. Just. Don’t. Care. I have my own very full plate to worry about. I just don’t have the time or inclination to obsess over someone else’s life. It’s really quite pathetic.

    • I am with you 100% especially where charlatans are concerned. I care about them because they tell other people how to live their lives – celebrities I am happy to live and let live! xx

  5. Nonny Miss says

    Lana, you write so very nicely. And are so lovely to read. A combination of humility and intelligence. It seems you can be the sharpest pencil and hit the nail on the head all at the same time.

    For a long time now I’ve been skimming through ( can no longer read) many of the articles you describe. They appear everywhere from blogs to newspapers. I have found them to be sickening. As much because of the depths the writers descend to as to the contents of the writers’ ideas.

    The writers, be they journalists in our daily newspapers or the freelance writers who hover around blogs (or even the blog followers) obviously want to use their writing tools to be clever and let us know what they’re thinking but instead they come across ias being just too clever by half, and not very nice in total.

    The journalists who attack politicians in a personal way are amongst the worst. And the newspapers that pretend to provide news when they are really trying to destroy and stitch up in a very partisan way are particularly devious.

    Have we become worse in modern times? I don’t know.

    Maybe there wouldn’t be a market for it if the public wasn’t lapping it up?

    Anyway thank you Lana, for being a nice cup of herbal tea in a world of venting bile!

    PS don’t write about what you were wondering about a couple of blogs down. I have no idea what you were referring to but there are some awful people out there and you don’t want them to know your deeply personal and painful stuff.

    Remember many people use writing to stab and they can be the sharpest needles.

    The battery on my phone is on 5% . I can’t do a spell check. Forgive my typos, I have to go! Xx

    • Oh Nonny Miss that is just the loveliest comment ever. Thank you for your kind words, your obvious care and for commenting when you only have 5% battery on your phone xx

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