11/02/2025
Fandom has become a widely accepted form of bullying, for women especially. Art is a gift, and fans are not entitled to demand a different trajectory.
Transformation was once hailed as genius. Coco Chanel left the convent for the Parisian nightlife and created hats in her boyfriend's apartment. Shel Silverstein, beloved children's author, also illustrated Pl***oy without a hitch. The Beatles and The Beach Boys also did artistic 180s, and fans stayed mesmerized.
Today, when artists show multiple sides of themselves or changes on account of personal experience and growth, it's a crap shoot. From cosmetic surgery to music genre changes, fandom is a fickle and fair-weather friend.
A facelift can be hailed as a return to glory or received as a near-hate crime. Why?
Fandom bullying is savage and widespread... But we're guests in the artist’s house — not shareholders of their journey.
It takes courage to share from within. Artists deserve courtesy for their contributions, and we, the peanut gallery, are the only ones who can diminish the bullying.
We claim to love artists for their honesty, but we punish them for evolving. From Coco Chanel to Lindsay Lohan to the Beatles — we call men “genius” and wome...