The internet is now one big harassment machine – and fans can easily become unhealthily fanatical, writes Arwa Mahdawi
Wed 29 Mar 2023 07.00 BSTo this is embarrassing to admit, but, when I was a tween, I was obsessed with Bush. THE BAND! THE BAND! I adored the lead singer,, and I assumed that one day the stars would align and I would marry him. I spent hours on the dial-up internet inhaling Bush-related content and I harboured a grudge against Gwen Stefani, because she was with Gavin, living my dream. What I didn’t do, however, was send Stefani any online threats.
Fast-forward a million years and the internet is now one big harassment machine. Fans, tweenage and older, can become unhealthy fanatics very easily. See, for example, the drama between the fanbases of the model Hailey Bieber and the singer Selena Gomez. This saga is too inane to properly explain, but, in brief, the two women have been pitted against each other by their fans because they each dated.
Gomez fans have been attacking Bieber so relentlessly that the poor woman has repeatedly begged people to leave her alone. Gomez has also asked her fans to stop, to no avail. Earlier this month crowds at a Justin Bieber concert chanted “” when he went on stage. It doesn’t matter how rich and famous you are: relentless harassment is unbearable.
It’s not just Bieber who has found herself hounded as a result of toxic fandom. Being a critic today should come with hazard pay; say the wrong thing about someone’s fave and you can quickly find yourself the victim of a vicious pile-on. In December, for example, the co-director of Everything Everywhere All at Once had toRabid fandom isn’t all bad: in some instances it has been channelled constructively.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The US is the world’s richest country. So why can’t I get a glass of clean drinking water? | Arwa MahdawiThis weekend, 8,000 gallons of latex were accidentally dumped in the Delaware River – and tap water across the country is laced with disturbing chemicals
Read more »
Bol 'sham': 'Blunder of epic proportions' revealedPeter Bol has spoken out after two independent laboratories cleared the runner of using the banned substance he has been accused of taking. 🗣️ FULL STORY: 9WWOS
Read more »
Man charged with murder after ongoing neighborhood dispute ends in altercationA 26-year-old man will remain behind bars after he was arrested over the alleged murder of a 44-year-old man in south-west Queensland last week.
Read more »
Former soldier bailed over risk from extremist inmates after war crimes chargeA former SAS soldier charged over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan has been granted bail due to security risks posed behind bars.
Read more »