The love of hate: a scoop of celebrity drama

SAMANTHA GOLDSTEIN AND ASHLEY KIM DESIGN EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER

To social media, hate is like an ice cream sundae – sweet and alluring. That much has always been true, since the first traces of platforms in the late 1990s. However, if drama is the ice cream itself – essential to the mere existence of the sundae – then celebrity controversies are like the sprinkles.

Over the years, there has been a clear pattern in what society views as the cherry on top: conflict between two female celebrities, especially when that conflict is centered around a man. This theme has come into play over and over again as various social media platforms have gained popularity, the most recent instance being the conflict between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber. Selena Gomez is a singer and actress, who has been a star since she was just a kid. In 2009, she met Justin Bieber, a popular singer-songwriter, and thus began their on and off again relationship that lasted for around 8 years. Just months after they officially broke up in 2018, Justin Bieber tied the knot with Hailey Bieber, formerly known as Hailey Baldwin. Hailey Bieber is an American model, often referred to by the media as a “nepotism baby”, as the daughter and niece of actors Stephen and Alec Baldwin.

This gained a lot of attention from the media, with millions of fans wondering what went on behind the scenes. “Why did Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez break up?”, “How did Justin Bieber move on so quickly?” and “What role did Hailey Bieber play in all of this?” were just a few of the many questions people are asking. Although the three of them have never directly answered any of these, many fans have found enough evidence to build a strong case. Hailey has received extreme amounts of backlash for bullying directed towards Gomez. This has resulted in an influx of hate tweets, TikToks, Instagram posts, you name it, all directed towards Hailey. While some are merely condemning her for her actions, ones that are rumored to have occurred for years, others have gone as far as to name Hailey only as a “nepo baby” and to claim that she has trapped Justin in their marriage, dismissing her success as a model. This isn’t to justify Hailey’s actions. In today’s society, where social media has such an when criticism turns into redundant, harmful hatred. Honestly, the hate directed towards Hailey has become hypocritical. Hailey first received backlash for bullying, which is has been through a lot recently. It is also rumored that Justin cheated on her with Hailey near the end of their relationship. This has led the fans to take her “side” in all of this drama. Another factor playing into this is Selena’s background. She was a child star, as she had a role in Barney and Friends and Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. This helps fans resonate with her, because they grew up knowing her and she has been known for much longer. She has also been referred to as a very nice and compassionate person, which is a huge speculation, Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber seem to be completely civil. Selena and Hailey followed each other on Instagram, and Selena acknowledged the situation by asking her fans to stop hating on Hailey. This may or may not be a facade, in an attempt to stop the drama. Most recently, Hailey opened up about her mental health struggles over the past year, especially pertaining to her media image. Eventually, the truth may come out and answer all of these questions, or this drama will remain a mystery and will fade out of existence with time. But, until then, the speculation and possible evidence surfacing the media will likely continue to increase. extensive influence on young people, it’s increasingly important to call out celebrities and those with platforms for their wrongdoings. Hailey is known as a “mean girl” in the industry. There have been many situations where fans have reported her being rude or disrespectful in public. Also, many people are claiming Hailey is obsessed with Selena. There have been many similarities found between Selena and Hailey, which has led people to believe Hailey is copying her. Between interview answers, tattoos, outfits, and more, fans have found many similarities between the two, leading the media to believe Hailey is a copycat.

However, it’s also necessary to realize what that very same backlash has turned into. It seems as though every move Hailey has made since acknowledging Gomez’ existence, harmful or not, has been condemned.

According to the media, Selena Gomez is definitely the victim in the situation. Between her and Justin’s toxic relationship, her battle with lupus, and her mental and physical health struggles, she difference from Hailey’s “mean girl” image. Still, she is criticized by some for not doing enough to stop her fans from attacking Hailey. This starkly contrasts the way male celebrities are treated when they are the subject of controversy. Justin, who is undeniably involved in the Hailey vs. Selena debate, has received no backlash for his wrongdoings, despite the uncovering of many new details about his marriage, like his abusive actions and rumored infidelity. When weighing the couple’s actions, it’s clear which are more severe. However, there is an obvious disparity between the level of repercussions they have faced in comparison to their actions.

Despite all this

This isn’t the only scenario where female celebrities have received disproportionate hate compared to their male counterparts, even when their actions are practically incomparable. Kanye West, for example, has made countless antisemitic and racist comments and has repeatedly harassed his female counterparts. Yet in 2016, when he attacked Taylor Swift, she was the one who received endless hate. West, though overtly problematic, maintains his influence to this day.

It is true that social media thrives on hate. Admittedly, hate is entertaining, and that may never change. Despite this, it’s important to take into account that social media isn’t always real. When a new controversy presents itself on our screens, what we see is not the whole picture, but rather an expertly curated story designed to get a response. Before we hate, it’s crucial to ask ourselves why we hate and what that hate will do. Will it condemn actions that need to be called out? Or will it contribute to already existing injustices?