Things the Internet Could Do Without

Body-shaming – and commenting on bodies at all – is supposed to be so last century.

So, why do the entertainment magazines/websites continue to do this to bulk up their online content:

I mean absolutely no disrespect to Suki Waterhouse. She’s beautiful and talented. (See Daisy Jones & the Six for proof.) But what is the point of republishing a photo she posted on Instagram and making a giant, hairy deal about how quickly she regained her figure after giving birth?

Is it only to make other new moms feel bad about not shedding baby weight in a flash? To continue the myth that “this could be YOU if only you tried harder!” To ignore the fact that she doesn’t have a job she has to rush to after dropping her daughter at daycare and maybe tending to other children? That she is, in fact, like all supermodels and tiny, perfect performers, a freak of nature?

Media continue to force feed ravenous consumers who no longer know what news – even fluffy entertainment news – is anymore. I mean, Rebel News, a right-wing collection of racist activists, calls its biased commentary “news”. Its no wonder there’s so much confusion.

A “story” like this has no value. It perpetuates the women-as-objects, sexist narrative that continues to drive so much of media today.

Something Else We Can Do Without

Why would a guy with tens of thousands of followers (on top) take the time to post a response like this about the one person who made a negative statement (on the bottom)?

Highlighting the ONE negative response and introducing one’s followers to it seems counterproductive to me. Block them and move on.

The Internet is filled with celebrities who are bombarded by the most awful, negative criticism imaginable, day after day. Either they get past it or they crumble. But one thing they don’t need to do is point it out every single time. Why amplify the voice of someone who doesn’t get you?

This is what it’s like when a lot of people know you. Not everyone will like you. That’s something to be grateful for, not lament. Universal acceptance is for oxygen and gravity. The rest of life is up for debate. Even us.

One More Example

We don’t have to be perfect grammarians but can we at least try to get it right? Maybe use a capital letter here or there. An apostrophe. Props for using the correct “its” though.

I don’t think as many people are illiterate as it seems. I think we are rushed and some don’t think it’s as important as it is to some of us who will – despite our best intentions – judge you for repeated, sloppy posts. Especially in an ad for goodness sake!

It’s not just a generational thing. I know several younger folks who also care about grammar and accuracy, or at least, the attempt to achieve it. I make mistakes (oh, I certainly do!) but I try to own them.

In Conclusion

Quite spontaneously in an episode of Gracefully and Frankly I said, “social media isn’t life.” And then I realized that it’s true. We can develop a perception about the world, an issue, or a person from social media. But it’s not necessarily the truth. We all know from learning about how algorithms work that we create our own “truth” on social sites.

This wasn’t a comprehensive list! Can you add to it? Please do so in the comments.