Celebrities are People Too

From “Why I will never respect Meghan Trainor” to hating on TSwifts new haircut.…

Did we forget our manners? Newsflash: celebrities are human, too.

Do we mock our friend’s new haircut to their face if we don’t like it? No, we make a general comment on the new hairdo and move on.

Would we point out an ugly haircut in the store to the stranger’s face? I HOPE NOT!

But as soon as we tweet about TSwift’s new haircut, we have publicly mocked a human being. You can dislike a haircut, or prefer a different hairstyle, but why broadcast it mockingly? Find a place for respect of others.

Roasting a celebrity is a cheap shot at a few minutes of fame through retweets and comments and shares. Taylor Swift is wayyyy ahead of that game – she doesn’t need to publicly shame people for fame, because she worked hard to earn her fame. Even her response to Kanye’s inappropriate lyrics was classy, sticking up for herself without throwing him in the gutter by name. Take note.

But what if our post is in regards to a social, political, or moral stance we totally disagree with? Certainly no one should censor their opinion, especially in concern to big issues. For instance, Taylor wasn’t silent about Kanye’s crude reference to her. But she didn’t call him out and shame him. She spoke up for herself and let it go.

By all means, if you disagree with Meghan Trainor’s lyrics in terms of body positivity, speak up! But remember, Meghan is still a person. That’s why, though I’ve read great articles about the wrong beliefs in Meghan Trainor’s music, I specifically take issue with this article headline: “Why I will Never Respect Meghan Trainor.” NEVER. No room for improvement there. Who’s to say a great rebuttal article to her song couldn’t have challenged her, changed her mind, and caused actual CHANGE? But at Meghan’s expense, the author created a clickbait title that left no room for growth. A clear line in the sand was drawn that Meghan is not allowed to cross, forcing the reader to choose a side.

If a friend referred to someone as a “skinny b****” while promoting positive body image for obesity, I would hope we would have the courage to speak out against the rude comment, yet leave room for the friend to change. Would we NEVER respect that friend again? Or would we give them a chance? Even if the friend went “off the deep end” for years with the wrong ideology….would that friend forever be despised? Or would we give them grace to eventually change?

Let’s all leave room for mistakes. Room for growth. Room for grace.

Let celebrities be human. Treat them as human, even in disagreements.