You’re Giving Me A Migraine: Leave Rihanna Alone
When I heard about Rihanna’s latest controversy over on Instagram (seriously, can we just ban all celebrities from social media? Except you, Shaq, you can stay!), I rolled my eyes so far back into my head, I damn near had a seizure. If you haven’t been paying attention to the adventures of the young, rich and sassy (also the title of my memoir) then I envy the f**k out of you because it seems like we can’t go a full week without that blonde lady with the giant teeth on E! feigning concern for Young Hollywood. This time, Rihanna swiftly brought a hater to her knees by lashing out at the woman, after she left a comment on a photo of RiRi and a relative, saying “I swear everyone in Rihanna’s family looks like they’re retarded… Must be the drugs and alcohol!”
Badgalriri was clearly not here for that and came for the hater on her own Instagram account (it’s worth mentioning that the comment starting this brief flame war was left on the relative’s account, not Rih’s) by posting a selfie of ms_kasharna, (which was taken from her public profile) beside a photo of a goat and asking her fans to “spot the difference.” DAMN. Shots fired. 1-0, Princess RiRi. Within hours, the comment was gone and the account that posted it was deleted as well. While she probably didn’t see that one coming, she should’ve known not to cyber bully a cyber bullier. Rihanna is no stranger to responding to haters on Twitter, but posting this latest picture to her millions of Instagram followers has people wondering if she’s “crossed the line.”
Let’s look at some facts: Rihanna’s Instagram account has over 7 million followers. Her Twitter account is linked to that, as well, reaching over 29 million people on its own. Let’s assume that most of her fans follow both, but even then she’s still got at least 30 million sets of eyes on her every day.
We are clinging onto Rihanna’s jock with such ferocity that every time she farts, our hair blows back. The girl is 25 years old. She met Jay-Z when she was still in high school. She’s been getting steady shit from everyone with a TV show, blog, podcast, hour-long college radio program, for the past 10 years. When is everyone going to wake the f**k up and realize that a young female, figuring her s**t out like the rest of us, is not a role model for an entire generation of fans and should not have that responsibility thrust upon her like it’s some sort of requirement for her career? Don’t make me get on YouTube and beg you…LEAVE RIHANNA ALONE!
If Rihanna is your daughter’s role model, you’re doing it wrong.
A lot of entertainment news sources are crying, “But what about the childreeeeen?” What about the children? RiRi’s made it clear that she is not setting out to be an example for her younger fans. And that’s okay. Remember when she ignored literally everything everyone around her said, and continued to date that pile of stale vomit and hairballs, defying all logic and sensibility? Yeah, let’s just go ahead and assume she doesn’t give a rat’s ass. She did, after all, recently post a photo with a very clear message: “Don’t call me a bad role model then act surprised when I do bad role model type s**t.” ‘Nuff said, Princess. I think she’s been pretty straightforward about the fact that she’s going to do her own thing despite any backlash or criticisms…so if you’re going to look up to her for something, maybe it should be her totally badass refusal to do anything but stay true to herself. Werk.
Talk s**t, get hit.
Look, I don’t know about you guys, but my mom raised me to take pride in my friends and family and to burn any troll who mocks them online. It’s just how I was raised. Yes, Rihanna has 7 million followers, and the offending commenter had (just a shot in the dark, here) much less… but this wasn’t the first time ms_kasharna had come for Rih. She’d posted a bunch of lazy insults (“@rihanna looks so dirty!!! Like she hasn’t showered in days!” and another saying: “@Chrisbrown should just punch @rihanna in the face again”) on her Twitter and on other photos of Rih. You guys. This person is a serious chode. She has the wit of a 7th grader and the maturity to boot. Does that mean she deserved the hellfire rained down upon her by The Navy (Rihanna’s legion of fans) and the Princess herself? Not my place to decide, but in Rihanna’s defense, she only left the photo up for a short time before packing up the circus and getting back to her regular programming of blunts, boobs and Brown.
With the gap between celebrities and their fans is now bridged so simply by Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, it’s easier than ever to feel better about your part-time cashier job at Walgreens after letting of some steam by calling Adele a fatass, or incessantly take cheap shots at Justin Bieber on Twitter (LOOKIN’ AT YOU, DRAKE BELL). But does that mean you should? Celebrities have appeared untouchable for so long, so far removed from our atmosphere that we can often forget that they’re just as insecure and sensitive to criticisms/just plain d*ckishness as the rest of us.
How much abuse should artists be expected to take from both fans and haters alike, before they can fight back?
