Social media hates women for no reason.
Fandoms seem to propagate unjust hate for different women celebrities for absolutely no reason. Due to high standards and jealousy within fandoms, people online band together to tear down successful women, using just about anything to demonize popular women in the public eye. Whether that’s for dating a dreamy A-lister or saying the wrong thing, the list is endless when it comes to things women can do wrong.
However, a lot of the reasons women receive hate doesn’t extend to men—revealing that the sexist flames of double standards are stoked through social media.
One example that comes to mind occurred during the 2024 Golden Globes. Starry-eyed couple, Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, made their most recent public appearance and were met with a negative online reaction.
The online comments about the couple expressed confusion about Chalamet and Jenner being together, speculating about what the two would even talk about. This discourse seems to be fueled by the misogynistic idea that Jenner isn’t smart or cool enough to keep up with Chalamet.
Chalamet seems to be on a pedestal to the public eye, treated as a deep and philosophical man whose energy Jenner can’t match. These reactions seem absurd given how none of the people commenting actually know the stars personally.
Perhaps the assumptions stem from inner jealousy that Chalamet is with Jenner, due to the intense fandom that surrounds his heartthrob status. Regardless, the couple has only reiterated the gendered double standard that exists.
I’ve never watched Keeping Up With the Kardashians, but from what I have seen of Jenner, she seems to be thriving both personally and professionally. Devoted to two children and her family, she has a highly successful brand Kylie Cosmetics—which made $380 million USD in 2023 alone. If one thriving business wasn’t enough, Jenner also owns a sub-branch to her cosmetics, Kylie Skin, an alcoholic beverage, Sprinter, and a clothing brand called Khy, illustrating her business-savvy success.
Though no one truly knows a celebrity’s personality based off of their public persona, Jenner doesn’t seem to have done anything that makes her unworthy of Chalamet’s love.
Outside of the dating scene, some female stars receive deep hate in different types of fandoms due to unattainable high standards. The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) actress, Rachel Zegler, was trending last year amongst The Hunger Games fandom for all the wrong reasons.
One reason for this negative perception came from an interview asked why Zegler was in Shazam! Fury of the God (2023), the young actress replied it was because “she needed a job.” The consensus through fan comments on the interview was that they hated her– calling her annoying and ungrateful.
However, when Euphoria (2019) actor, Jacob Elordi, was asked by IndieWire what he looks for in roles, he replied “I just play what they give me. I need a job.” Most of the reactions to Elordi’s comment praised him for being real—a perfect example of the double standards alive and well within fandoms.
For women in the public eye, tides can change quickly—from the “people’s princess” one day to public enemy number one the next.
This hypocrisy isn’t new. Academy-Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway was deeply loved internationally until the 2010s, when she was hated and harassed relentlessly online. The trend called HathaHate emerged when the Internet decided the star was “too perfect,” therefore making her annoying and a “try hard.” Clearly even if you avoid controversy and do your best to be liked, it’s still not enough to avoid scathing online brutality.
It seems virtually impossible for women to win the social game that accompanies fame.
Misogyny is boring. Women putting other women down is toxic. Online hate is cowardly. Jealousy and obsession are a disease—we can only hope that fandoms get well soon.
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