I used to just jump in and defend every celebrity I liked online, but lately I've pulled way back

A few years ago if someone canceled an actor or musician I enjoyed, I'd be typing up paragraphs trying to explain why the backlash was overblown. I spent maybe 10 hours a week getting into fights on Twitter and Reddit about stuff that honestly didn't matter to my life at all. Then about 6 months ago I had this conversation with a buddy at a cookout in Louisville who said "you're just giving them free attention and stress for no reason." That really stuck with me. Now I just mute the topic and move on unless there's a real legal situation or someone's getting hurt in a serious way. Has anyone else found that ignoring callouts altogether actually makes you enjoy following public figures more?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_butler8320d ago

Start wondering if people who obsess over defending celebrities are just filling some kind of void in their own lives. I mean, it's a little extreme to be spending 10 hours a week fighting strangers about someone who doesn't know you exist. That guy at the cookout was right though, you're just giving them free attention and stressing yourself out for nothing. Maybe it's just me but I think people take this stuff way too seriously, like it's some kind of moral crusade when half the time it's just internet drama that fades in a week anyway.

gavinw4512h ago

Yeah, the "filling some kind of void" part hit me. I used to think defending celebs online was just part of being a fan. Like you had to stand up for them. But seeing it spelled out like that, it's hard to argue. Been there before with a band I liked. Wasted way too much time arguing with randoms. None of them ever changed their mind. Eventually I realized I was just burning my own energy for no payoff. The celeb didn't care. The strangers didn't care. I was the only one getting worked up. It's a tough pill to swallow but it's true. You're not their friend. You're not their lawyer. You're just a guy with a keyboard getting stressed over nothing.

rose_cooper20d ago

Isn't it wild how invested some people get in defending someone who literally has no clue they exist? I caught myself doing it a few years ago over some singer and one day I was like wait, why am I stressed about this person's publicist issues?