My first inclination was to skip this particular prompt, not because I never have heard of it, but because I had paid little attention to it, that although the name is familiar, the meaning eludes me.
But one thing that I can say has benefitted me on here is, rather than overlooking a thing because I know not what to contribute, I make researches and gain the knowledge which is to my benefit and an added advantage. Using the internet, I realized that I'd always known what this was, I just did not know it was identified by a name.
Unsplash
Far too many times, I've seen this trend play out where at the very slight comment made that doesn't sit well with the general public, a known individual(celebrities in particular) are trolled. More often, they need mot even make a comment, their silence on a trending issue which may/may not be remotely linked to them can be a trigger. And not once, it has bothered me if some of these trolls have for so long waited for that moment so they could release the bile, because, the swiftness with which they attack and the vile they come with can only be a product of piled up hate.
Ome such case which i recall happened years ago. When singer, Chike, made a tweet about people not taking trips during the festive season because the roads were busy and it wasn't worth the risk. He called it primitive behavior.
I think that was the undoing.
The call-out was insane. It was just at that point that all social media platforms caught fire(not literally). People began to trash his acting, they berated his music calling it whack and other despicable names.His followers reduced in their numbers, some saying they followed him because they thought he had sense.
Anything to spite him.
I later learned that he lost two of his friends in a road accident. His statement must have been as a result of him being emotional and if we're being frank, emotional people are not the most logical. Some said he should have blamed the government rather than people travelling to enjoy the festive period, but then, he's just human. Stuff calmed a bit but the deed had been done. Whatever emotions he was dealing with couples with the online shenanigans from every corner must have damaged him terribly.
Well, it was beneath him to have made such sweeping comment. I only felt like the manner in which he said it was disrespectful. But then, it didn't make me go after his career. And that's where a lot of people make mistakes. They fail to distinguish between a celebrity and their career. You come for the person, you rebuke their words, not their business nor family.
I think too, that if any random person had made same statement as he, they wouldn't have come under so much fire. Albeit, I get it that a good number of people look up to celebrities and rever them very much, but they also fail to realize that these people are humans as we all are. They've got their opinions and views and backgrounds and varying thresholds for emotions as we all. Not one of them is infallible. Not one!
Every day, on the media, celebrities are dragged for their choices, their opinions, their silence, their presence/absence, they are called out for being modest or extravagant, for living their own lives - you name it. Enough to drive them back in their shells and into depression. They are bullied constantly for choosing to show up, for living as them. And it is wrong.
Very unhealthy. A degradation to their freedom and an abuse to the media.
There still is a positive angle to this call-out culture but more often, we see the negative play out.
Thanks for gracing this post.
Greetings!