Everything That Upset the Internet This Week
What is the web-o-sphere angry about this week? A pop star campaigning against blogs, an athletic brand showing off a little bit of body hair and a superhero franchise introducing a gay character for the first time. (Warning: there is a very minor Avengers: Endgame spoiler ahead.) Here’s everything you need to know:
Ariana Grande Calls Blog Writers “Purposeless”
THE STORY: In E! News host Morgan Stewart’s “Nightly Pop” Coachella review, she commented on Justin Bieber’s forehead acne and called him out for lip-synching during his appearance in Ariana Grande’s headlining set. Bieber tagged Stewart in his response on Twitter, questioning why she spends time “tearing people down.”
Then Grande chipped in: responding to a fan who tweeted that the entertainment host was seeking attention, Grande said, “They all do. And they all look silly trying to get it.” That tweet has since been deleted.
In another since-deleted tweet, Grande made a larger attack on those who work for blogs and digital publications. “People are so lost,” she wrote. “One day everybody that works at them blogs will realize how unfulfilled they are and how purposeless what they’re doing is and hopefully shift their focus elsewhere. That’s gonna be a beautiful ass day for them! I can’t wait for them to feel lit inside.”
THE REACTION:
E! is hardly a "blog" and calling someone's career purposeless is condescending and rude, no matter how you may feel about it. we can't all make bank making pop music
— Liv (@OliviaJRowe) April 24, 2019
Without all the blogs and the vlogs and the columns and the reporting, her career wouldn’t be where it is today… c’est la vie!
— MiileyD (@MiileyD) April 24, 2019
It’s called doing there job just like how you’re doing your job so I don’t know how doing a job unfulfilling and purposeless. Y’all need to stop acting like BLOGS aren’t some of the main reasons why y’all are known worldwide.
— REAL YAAD MAN ?? (@iamteviii) April 24, 2019
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: This is the second time this week an A-list celebrity has taken to Twitter to share their distaste of blogs. (To read our defence of Fug Girls after Olivia Munn’s attempted takedown, head here.)
Here’s the thing: if you feel that you’re being unfairly treated, you have the right to speak up. Critical coverage, however, isn’t exactly unfair when you’ve voluntarily put yourself in a spotlit position. They can have their opinion, and you can have yours.
Grande clarified, in an additional since-deleted tweet, that she didn’t mean to lump Stewart’s comments in with the larger scope of journalism. “There’s a big difference between journalism and what was happening in that video,” she said. “I was hurt for my friend.”
Nike Ad Features Female Armpit Hair
THE STORY: A new campaign image from Nike Women shows singer Annahastasia stretching her arm over her head and, in the process, showing her underarm hair. On Nike’s Instagram account, the photo is captioned “Big mood.”
Here’s an example of what those comments look like: “That’s disgusting. Like please don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted this woman is brave enough to go around like that but that’s horrible. It’s not cute. Stop this feminist bullshit saying this shit is ok. Its not, it’s wrong. There are some things that women could do but just really fucking shouldn’t cause it looks rotten and disgusting and this is one of them, I get that it’s natural but it’s not cool.”
THE REACTION:
I’m confused. You expect woman who actually like to workout to wear your clothing that, at times, are 75% mesh and or see through but then come out with this armpit hair (ew) ad to promote Feminism. @Nike pic.twitter.com/rPYGlSzMtt
— Jillian Malloy (@itsjilly_duhh) April 26, 2019
https://t.co/zAhyrfqd1G Yeah this ain't selling any sports bras. Yes it is "natural" but so is nose hair and body odor. GROSS!
— Jennifer (@jenniferglynn) April 25, 2019
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: People still insist on policing female body hair? Weird. Your body, your choice. Shaming female bodies for their biological functions is how we become conditioned to reject our natural selves.
Avengers: Endgame Features First LGBTQ Character
THE STORY: Avengers: Endgame is the first MCU film to feature a canonically gay character, making it the first in the 22 movie franchise to even acknowledge the existence of LGBTQ people.
Endgame director Joe Russo, who actually portrayed the character onscreen, explained the importance of the moment to Deadline: “Representation is really important. It was important to us as we did four of these films, we wanted a gay character somewhere in them. We felt it was important that one of us play him, to ensure the integrity and show it is so important to the filmmakers that one of us is representing that.”
THE REACTION:
"After 22 films we thought an openly gay, completely anonymous character should have three full lines of dialogue."
— Scott Weinberg (@scottEweinberg) April 27, 2019
*VERY SLIGHT AVENGERS ENDGAME SPOILER*
I'm still laughing that the first openly gay person in MCU is a stranger in a grieving session
— Dan the Dancer ✨ (@DVruno) April 27, 2019
AVENGERS: ENDGAME has the series' first openly gay character, say the headlines!
…who has no name, appears in one scene, and has maybe three lines, says the actual film.
It's a good scene, but let's not go overboard celebrating Marvel's boundless inclusiveness just yet.
— Andrew Todd (@mistertodd) April 25, 2019
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: Progress moves slowly in the Marvel Universe. After all, it took 18 films to get a non-white lead in a standalone film and 21 to get a woman as the top-billed character. The Avengers is a massive global franchise, and this character does represent a small step in a positive direction. Hopefully, it’s just the first of many steps.
 Here’s everything you need to know:
Ariana Grande Calls Blog Writers "Purposeless"
THE STORY: In E! News host Morgan Stewart's "Nightly Pop" Coachella review, she commented on Justin Bieber's forehead acne and called him out for lip-synching during his appearance in Ariana Grande's headlining set. Bieber tagged Stewart in his response on Twitter, questioning why she spends time "tearing people down."
Then Grande chipped in: responding to a fan who tweeted that the entertainment host was seeking attention, Grande said, "They all do. And they all look silly trying to get it." That tweet has since been deleted.
In another since-deleted tweet, Grande made a larger attack on those who work for blogs and digital publications. "People are so lost," she wrote. "One day everybody that works at them blogs will realize how unfulfilled they are and how purposeless what they're doing is and hopefully shift their focus elsewhere. That's gonna be a beautiful ass day for them! I can't wait for them to feel lit inside."
THE REACTION:
https://twitter.com/OliviaJRowe/status/1121124079220731904
https://twitter.com/MiileyD/status/1121186495040241665
https://twitter.com/iamteviii/status/1121113412166127616
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: This is the second time this week an A-list celebrity has taken to Twitter to share their distaste of blogs. (To read our defence of Fug Girls after Olivia Munn's attempted takedown, head here.)
Here's the thing: if you feel that you’re being unfairly treated, you have the right to speak up. Critical coverage, however, isn't exactly unfair when you've voluntarily put yourself in a spotlit position. They can have their opinion, and you can have yours.
Grande clarified, in an additional since-deleted tweet, that she didn't mean to lump Stewart's comments in with the larger scope of journalism. "There's a big difference between journalism and what was happening in that video," she said. "I was hurt for my friend."
Nike Ad Features Female Armpit Hair
THE STORY: A new campaign image from Nike Women shows singer Annahastasia stretching her arm over her head and, in the process, showing her underarm hair. On Nike's Instagram account, the photo is captioned "Big mood."
Here's an example of what those comments look like: "That's disgusting. Like please don't get me wrong, I'm delighted this woman is brave enough to go around like that but that's horrible. It's not cute. Stop this feminist bullshit saying this shit is ok. Its not, it's wrong. There are some things that women could do but just really fucking shouldn't cause it looks rotten and disgusting and this is one of them, I get that it's natural but it's not cool."
THE REACTION:
https://twitter.com/itsjilly_duhh/status/1121773635193188353
https://twitter.com/jenniferglynn/status/1121426791690690560
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: People still insist on policing female body hair? Weird. Your body, your choice. Shaming female bodies for their biological functions is how we become conditioned to reject our natural selves.
Avengers: Endgame Features First LGBTQ Character
THE STORY: Avengers: Endgame is the first MCU film to feature a canonically gay character, making it the first in the 22 movie franchise to even acknowledge the existence of LGBTQ people.
Endgame director Joe Russo, who actually portrayed the character onscreen, explained the importance of the moment to Deadline: "Representation is really important. It was important to us as we did four of these films, we wanted a gay character somewhere in them. We felt it was important that one of us play him, to ensure the integrity and show it is so important to the filmmakers that one of us is representing that."
Russo plays an unnamed character who appears early in the film, where he casually discusses a date with another man during a support group led by Captain America.
THE REACTION:
https://twitter.com/scottEweinberg/status/1122243938780422144
https://twitter.com/DVruno/status/1122259231309271040
https://twitter.com/mistertodd/status/1121514281822908417
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: Progress moves slowly in the Marvel Universe. After all, it took 18 films to get a non-white lead in a standalone film and 21 to get a woman as the top-billed character. The Avengers is a massive global franchise, and this character does represent a small step in a positive direction. Hopefully, it's just the first of many steps.){kind=link}