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Did Hailey Baldwin Just Vow to Kill Selena Gomez?
Thank God Selena got out while she could.
10.23.2019
Selena Gomez has released a new song called "Lose You to Love Me," which many fans think is a final goodbye to her famous ex Justin Bieber.
For anyone needing a refresher on the Baldwin-Bieber-Gomez love triangle, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber famously dated on-and-off from the time they were teens. They broke up for the last time in March 2018; Bieber started dating Baldwin in June, and the pair got engaged in July.
After Bieber and Baldwin celebrated their wedding, fans watched Gomez's moves with bated breath. A sleepy, sad-faced selfie Gomez garnered over 8 million likes.
The social media drama has continued. Precisely four minutes after the star posted "Lose You To Love Me," a glittery piano ballad that erupts into a lush chorus, Hailey Bieber posted a screenshot of the song "I'll Kill You" by Summer Walker, a song that is mostly about a woman warning another woman to stay away from her man. Gomez's many devoted fans have criticized Mrs. Bieber, comparing each of their reactions in a series of scintillating Tweets. Many have pointed out that Gomez's song in no way seems to imply that she wants JBiebs back; instead, it seems to praise the end of a toxic relationship.
cultural impact: ████████ ████████ ████████ ████████ ████████ ████████ ████████ ████████ ████████… https://t.co/daIFahMctG— 𝒔𝒐𝒂𝒑𝒚//FAN ACCOUNT (@𝒔𝒐𝒂𝒑𝒚//FAN ACCOUNT)1571837645.0
Bieber also posted something after Gomez's song dropped, though it's slightly more cryptic: An extremely high-definition image of a very annoyed-looking cheetah.
Personally, I'm happy for Selena. She's a complex, talented, strong woman and she shouldn't have to deal with somebody as obviously needy as Justin Bieber. In so many of the interviews with Bieber and Baldwin, Bieber seems to describe Baldwin as the steady, stable contrast to his heavily tattooed chaos, but really, it just seems like Bieber's looking for someone to take care of him. Thank god Selena got out of there when she could.
Still, maybe we shouldn't all be so quick to attack Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber. They're probably fighting like hell right now to preserve their marriage in the name of Jesus Christ, while Selena Gomez just released the best song of her career—which isn't saying all that much, but still. Anyone who watched them fall for each other in 2009 knows why this is so important.
*Justin Bieber gets married* *Selena sings, "I gave my all and they all know it You turned me down, and now it's sh… https://t.co/KaIaPKHWjU— BA🦋 (@BA🦋)1571804328.0
Selena Gomez: “in two months you replaced us”. Justin Bieber: https://t.co/vmo0b42Zcm— Pao Montiel (@Pao Montiel)1571839821.0
“This song is a perfect expression of healing & my absolute favorite song she’s put out yet. A triumph. I love you… https://t.co/6LpNd5wNZA— Taylor Swift Facts (@Taylor Swift Facts)1571818389.0
Selena Gomez recorded her #LoseYouToLoveMe video entirely on an iPhone. You know what else you can do on an iPhone?… https://t.co/g1xiuN76oD— Grindr (@Grindr)1571807154.0
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Lin Manuel-Miranda's Hamilton has taken the theater world by storm since its 2015 Broadway premiere.
A hip-hop musical about America's founding fathers doesn't sound immediately appealing, but Manuel-Miranda's brilliant song writing and diverse casting not only captured the attention of audiences, but proved that major change is possible within an art form as encumbered by traditions as musical theater.
<p>For most of us, being able to afford tickets to see the show in person has been a distant dream. Instead, we've obsessively listened to the cast recording, followed every new Hamilton performer on Instagram, and otherwise engaged with the show as much as possible without actually seeing it. </p><p>Finally, that's all about to change. Disney+ is bumping up the release of its recording of the musical by over a year. Instead of the planned theatrical release set for October 15th, 2021, it'll be out on July 3rd, 2020. That means we can all finally experience the glory of Aaron Burr's wrath from the comfort of our social isolation. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>With the acclaimed production finallu accessible to a wider audience, it's worth reflecting on the cultural impact of the mega hit. Obviously, when a show has this kind of reach, criticism is inevitable. In 2016, it was the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/no-the-hamilton-casting-call-for-non-white-actors-is-not-reverse-racism_n_56fd2c83e4b0daf53aeed9b9?ri18n=true" target="_blank"><u>Hamilton casting notice that specified "people of color"</u></a> that sparked controversy. Inevitably, people have also <a href="https://feministspectator.princeton.edu/2016/02/24/hamilton/" target="_blank"><u>questioned</u></a> the strength of Manuel-Miranda's female characters.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>Firstly, <em>Hamilton</em> does not pass the Bechdel test. If you aren't unfamiliar with it, the Bechdel test was created by the comic artist and inspiration for the musical <em>Fun Home</em>, Alison Bechdel as a way to test a movie, TV show, or play. <a href="http://bechdeltest.com/" target="_blank"><u>The test</u></a> "…names the following three criteria: (1) it has to have at least two named women in it, who (2) talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man."</p><p> <em>Hamilton</em> passes the first two criteria easily, though there are significantly fewer female characters than male (in fact only four named female characters compared to sixteen named male characters). These four female characters are the three Schuyler sisters—Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy—and Maria Reynolds, Alexander's eventual mistress. Maria never speaks to another woman, making her irrelevant to the test. The sisters, despite having many interactions, never have a whole conversation without discussing their search for a man or, once they meet him, Hamilton himself. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>Despite this, one could argue that the Bechdel test is an unfair assessment of the female characters in <em>Hamilton</em>, as well as period pieces in general<em>, </em>for the simple reason that the past was, well, incredibly sexist. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>That being said, if you can change the telling of history enough to make Alexander Hamilton lay down a sick rap verse, can't you change it enough to create some autonomous female characters? According to Marjorie Strachey in <em>Women and the Modern Drama,</em> "As regards women the modern drama has before it a magnificent and almost untouched field, for the position of women is, and has been for fifty years, in a state of transition…"</p><p> So if this is true, is there any excuse for <em>Hamilton</em>, arguably the most influential work of modern drama in recent years, not to explore this unexplored territory?</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI3OTQ2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTY2MzU4Mn0.yhWd03Tw9j2uaIRoSNlLN-scu_Tg3irkUmD_saZh_2A/img.jpg?width=980" id="0a7ed" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3e4c16ceb851925bc7aad4c01e442233" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Hamilton and Eliza ">
</p><p>It's worth noting that Miranda made it a priority to remain historically accurate in constructing his plot, so much so that<em> Hamilton</em> is being used as a means of historical education for grade school students. As unfortunate as it is, to make women any more involved in the life of Alexander Hamilton than they were would tarnish this historical accuracy. </p><p>Women during this time period were little more than property, to be bartered, used and exploited at the whim of whichever man's influence they were under at that time in their life. It could be argued that the Schuyler sisters are fully fleshed characters with inner lives and desires; the fact that their desires largely center around men is a reflection of the time they lived in, not the depth or strength of these characters.<br></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>But, according to contributor James McMaster on HowlRound.com, the argument, "'Well, this is just how things are back then!'" is inadequate. McMaster argues, "…It's hard to accept such an explanation when black and brown men populate the stage…Given all the cross-racial casting, why was gender-bent casting beyond the musical's imagination?" </p><p>But wouldn't gender-bent casting rob the musical of the powerful ways it explores the gender division of the time period? A female Aaron Burr, for example, would tell an entirely different story. Aaron Burr and Hamilton's tension comes largely from a clashing of specifically male egos. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>That being said, according to Broadway World, Miranda stated that he is "open to the idea of gender bent casting", particularly in the cases of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, two characters without love interests or majorly important gender roles within the plot of the show. </p><p>Beyond the critique that there aren't enough women in <em>Hamilton</em>, <a href="https://www.contemporarytheatrereview.org/2018/chandler-hamilton-almost-feminist/" target="_blank"><u>some find </u></a>that the female characters Miranda did create are devoid of strength. The instance most cited in this argument is Eliza's forgiveness of Hamilton after his very public infidelity (a historical fact). But couldn't it be argued that it's this very instance of grace that makes Eliza such a complex, strong female character? </p><p>The problem is that critics often look for female strength in the forms male strength might take, such as a lack of emotion, unwavering ambition, and a large presence. In Eliza, we are instead presented with a gentle woman who truly, deeply, loves her husband and has the courage to forgive him despite her anger. Is this not strength of a different, more delicate variety?</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1ddd8f8e34185693645620aeffdf8a72"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-_m_hwKu5FQ?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Phillipa Soo Burn Hamilton The Musical</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://youtu.be/-_m_hwKu5FQ" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
</small>
</p><p>In the song "Burn," we see Eliza reject Alexander and turn her back on their love, showing that despite many women of the day merely accepting the unfaithfulness of their husbands as the norm, Eliza will not. Eliza burns all of the letters she had exchanged with Hamilton, and as Michael Schulman points out in his article for <em>the New Yorker</em>, "The Women of 'Hamilton'": "…The song points to the larger problem of women's history: the public records are thinner, the milieu is mostly domestic, and there's more need for speculation. </p><p>What was Eliza really thinking? Was burning her letters the only act of personal agency she had left?" One forgiving interpretation is that this is Manuel-Miranda's way of noting this lack of public records regarding women and acknowledging the way it inevitably affected his show.<br></p><p>One must also look at Eliza's actions in the context of the entire plot. She abandons pride and refuses to hold grudges, something both Burr and Hamilton are unable to do, resulting in Hamilton's ultimate demise. In that sense, isn't Eliza the true protagonist of the show? In the closing scene, we hear about all of the many things she accomplishes before her death, things that Alexander was not able to accomplish because pride and manly bravado robbed him of his life. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>Is her ability to forgive the very thing ultimately flaunted as what Hamilton was fundamentally missing— his fatal flaw? Eliza's philanthropic accomplishments are cited as the culmination of the life of Alexander Hamilton, arguing that despite all his male pride, brilliant writing, and delusions of grandeur, the best work done by a Hamilton was that of his wife.</p><p>This argument would not be complete without mention of the other primary female character in the show: Angelica Schuyler. Angelica and Alexander connect on an intellectual level and are described as equals in all aspects. We hear about Angelica's correspondence with many men of great power, showing that despite her power being limited by her gender, she asserts her mind as much as she can. Despite the special connection Angelica and Alexander share, Angelica concedes to the desires of her younger sister, giving her blessing to Alexander and Eliza's marriage. She chooses her sister over him in this instance, and when she hears of his infidelity she rushes to her sister's side to reject Hamilton entirely.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>Angelica is a smart, powerful woman who is held back only by her gender, something she recognizes in the song "Satisfied," by proclaiming, "I'm a girl in a world in which / My only job is to marry rich / My father has no sons / So I'm the one / Who has to social-climb for one …"</p><p>Finally, we must engage with the limits of the Bechdel test itself. Often, people take the Bechdel test as the deciding factor as to whether or not a work can be considered feminist, but that's not necessarily true. For example, the 2015 movie <em>50 Shades of Grey</em> passed the Bechdel test but is far from being a movie that represents women in a way that would make most feminists proud. In contrast, you can look at older works and see that they do not pass the Bechdel test either, but feature complex female characters. <span></span></p><p>Given all of this, one has to conclude that Manuel-Miranda actually did a fair job in creating complex female characters while maintaining historical accuracy in <em>Hamilton</em>. Of course, representation of women on stage is still sorely lacking, but of all the shows worth criticizing, it seems fair to conclude that the accusations of sexism have primarily been aimed at <em>Hamilton</em> because of its immense success. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>None of this is to say that the Bechdel test isn't a helpful and important way of criticizing art, particularly new works, and holding them accountable for the inadequate ways they incorporate women, especially in modern stories in which women are freed from many of the obligations they were burdened with in the past. </p><h2></h2><p>Perhaps the Bechdel test should be edited to stipulate that in works representing the past, female characters should be evaluated by their complexity and strength, <em>despite </em>their necessary attachment to men. Such a test might read as follows: "Are there two or more named female characters? Do they talk to each other about something other than men? If they do not, is it out of a desire for the approval of men, or for survival? If for survival, are they shown to have wants and desires outside of those surrounding men?"</p><p> In the case of<em> Hamilton</em>, the women's discussion of men is not because they do not think of anything else or are too simple to conduct lives separate from men, but because it is a decided necessity to find a man in order to survive. Additionally, this is not where the character development ends, we learn a lot about both women's desires and inner lives, making them real, multi-faceted human beings, anchored to men by their circumstances, not their inability to be independent.</p>
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CULTURE
5 Weird Instagram Habits Only Celebrities Can Get Away With
Celebrities on Instagram—as in life, unfortunately—seem to get away with a hell of a lot of social-norm breaking and generally unusual behavior.
10.18.2019
Jennifer Aniston is responsible for '90s-defining bad hair, redefining a "break" from a relationship, and the world record for accumulating the most Instagram followers in the fastest amount of time.
After creating her account, the 50-year-old actress gained 1 million followers within 5 hours and 16 minutes. (The previous record was held by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who lost the completely meaningless honor by just 29 minutes). The Friends actress has always been an enigma on social media, despite being America's sweetheart for much of her career. Her first post was a typical 50-year-old's photo, blurry and awkwardly angled for a group photo of all her Friends costars. The caption read, "And now we're Instagram FRIENDS too. HI INSTAGRAM." Mashable applauded the actress' new social media strategy: "Jennifer Aniston (or at least Aniston and the people working with her on social media) has pretty much nailed the Instagram game."
Certainly, with three posts and nearly 14 million followers, Aniston is on her way to becoming one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram. Aside from being named "the worst social media for mental health," Instagram does work like a game, in that one has to follow unspoken rules to succeed, you're in competition with and compared to every other user, and you hope to show some grace and intelligence in your decisions.
But celebrities on Instagram—as in life, unfortunately—seem to get away with a hell of a lot of social-norm breaking and generally unusual behavior. From posting bad selfies and oversharing to following 0 people but accumulating millions of followers, these are the strangest celebrity habits on Instagram.
Following 0 People
Aside from the fact that most high profile figures don't manage their own Instagram accounts, it's such a flex to follow no one while being one of the most followed people on the platform. See, for example, Taylor Swift: 122 million followers. Following: 0.
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