Hailey or Selena? Neither.
The tension and drama created between Justin Bieber’s ex girlfriend and current wife has reached an all time high. Selena Gomez versus Hailey Bieber has flooded social media, prompting users to pick a side or a “team” despite both women publicly stating that they want nothing to do with the drama. The perceived conflict goes back pretty far, with Hailey marrying Justin in what was reported to be just six months after his breakup with Selena. The new obsession with the drama amongst the media started February 22nd, after Gomez posted a video of her “accidentally too-laminated eyebrows.” Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner then posted FaceTime screenshots of their own eyebrows not too long after, which people saw as the celebrities making fun of Selena.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
The question is- who cares? It is understandable to be a big fan of a celebrity like Selena Gomez and wanting to defend her. But, do we really have to put other women down? Critique their personality, their body, their life? Selena and Hailey are both at the center of online persuasive and invasive theories about their intense disliking for each other. The internet's obsession with female feuds has been taken to a new level. A level that looks and feels awfully like cyber-bullying. Gomez and Bieber have both publicly asked fans to give it a rest, but people still feel inclined to pick sides. Most users are rallying behind Selena, while simultaneously posting negative remarks and critiques of Hailey. Users have classified Hailey as a “mean girl,” which somehow gives the internet the justification to bully her online. Why? Perhaps the answer can be found in something Dr. Louie Dean Valencia, an associate professor of digital history at Texas State University, said.
Valencia points out the element of “schadenfreude”—pleasure in others' misfortune—that is present in our consumption of celebrity feuds: “Celebrities can be petty, vulnerable, angry, and people take joy from seeing them as flawed.” I can admit that finding the flaws in someone like Hailey Bieber is definitely appealing. She is a conventionally beautiful and rich woman, and pointing out her flaws can make you feel better about yourself. The hatred surrounding her online right now, isn’t new. Many women in the public eye have faced this type of internet fueled hatred, and it can really all be rooted down to the user's personal insecurities.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Especially because the theories and drama have really been popularizing on TikTok, a platform where views and watchability is valued over facts and truth. The tiktokification of the drama makes it easier for users to self-identify with the perceived heroine, Selena Gomez, and villainize Hailey Bieber. There is so much content circulating around hating on Hailey Bieber, that it can be easy to just jump on the bandwagon. But, taking a second to think about where the hatred is coming from, what it is rooted in, and reevaluating your position will ultimately make you happier. If the internet is hating on Hailey for being a “mean girl” why is it okay to be just as mean to her? If everyone can recognize where this hatred is coming from, and eliminate it from their vocabulary, the internet would be a safer and healthier place for everybody.
Strike out,
Writer: Indigo Carter
Editors: Madi Sloan and Ainsley McCullen
Saint Augustine
