This is part of a weekly series called “Pop Opinions” where The Lantern offers its take on the week’s pop culture news.
Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the UK film premiere of ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1,’ on Nov. 10 at the Odeon in Leicester Square, London.
Credit: Courtesy of TNS
J-Law hates the limelight
Ever since photos of Jennifer Lawrence headlined the recent celebrity nude photo leaks, the Hunger Games star has been speaking out about privacy, fame and the paparazzi.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Lawrence explained the unexpected trials of being a world-famous movie star, claiming “I didn’t know that I would feel anxiety every time I open my front door.”
We idolize celebrities. We look to them as models for how we should live our lives. They are our inspiration, our educators and, in a way, our friends. This idolization often makes it difficult for us to remember that celebrities are, in fact, people too. But the truth is that celebrities are not perfect, and good ol’ J-Law has made it her personal mission to prove that fact.
Lawrence quickly rose to fame because of her role as Katniss Everdeen in the critically acclaimed Hunger Games series, but what truly won the hearts of millions was her blunt honesty and her blatant lack of tact.
To this day, after spending years in the spotlight, Lawrence still appears as a fish out of water. She refuses to sign up for social media, citing that she does not understand it. She’s tripped at the Oscars in front of a national audience, and she’s spoken openly about a variety of, well, bodily functions.
Lawrence reminds us that fame is a joke. It is a joke that she is fully in on, despite being at the very center of it.
Lawrence is not a typical celebrity. She’s funny, she’s blunt and she’s honest. She has spent a majority of her time in the spotlight tearing down the illusion that celebrities are any different from common folk, opening herself up to the world. And now she just wants her privacy.
Lawrence recently revealed that sometime in her life, she would like to see a world where it is illegal to “buy, post or shop a photo that’s been obtained illegally.”
I agree. She deserves freedom from the paparazzi, and she deserves the freedom to leave her home without concern. I think all people are entitled to a certain level of privacy and alone time. But when you’re a celebrity, that idea itself is a double-edged sword.
It’s not something we often think about, but the idea of celebrity worship is sort of essential for the entertainment industry. If we were to give them their privacy, if we were to lessen our interest in their lives, we would likely lessen our interests in their careers. And their success would suffer.
So what is my point? Well, my main thought is that I agree with Lawrence. Buying, posting and shopping illegally obtained photos should be strictly banned. But that is the extent of it.
J-Law should count her blessings. Someday, this will all be over. She’ll be able to retire into a multi-million dollar mansion in her own secluded corner of the country. She can eat Cheetos by the bag and drink soda by the bottle, and she can finally catch her breath. But until then, until she is ready to forfeit her career, she’s going to have to deal with the $1 million paychecks and the millions of adoring fans.
On second thought, I don’t see what the gal’s complaining about.
Diplo v. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift performs a concert for ‘Good Morning America’ on Oct. 30 in Times Square, New York.
Credit: Courtesy of TNS
I know what you’re thinking: Who the hell is Diplo? And I’ll admit that before his recent jabs at Taylor Swift, I didn’t know either. And quite frankly, I didn’t care.
As it turns out, Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz (I’d go by Diplo, too), is an American DJ and music producer. He’s worked with the likes of Britney Spears, Beyonce and Justin Bieber, but his real claim to fame is his budding relationship with Katy Perry — oh, and his recent attempt at mocking Taylor Swift’s butt.
Right off the bat, it’s obvious that this guy is facing a serious inferiority complex. First off, his girlfriend is 10 times more successful and 10 times more famous than he is. Ouch. Second, he feels the need to instigate a battle with the world’s most prominent pop star, Taylor Swift. And third, he feels the need to keep the joke running even after Swift failed to give him the time of day.
Diplo is attempting to leech off of T-Swift’s fame. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to concoct a publicity stunt like this, and the entire attempt verges on pathetic. It is painfully obvious that Diplo wants a slice of Swift’s spotlight. Unfortunately for him, his master plan has backfired.
After the DJ’s initial tweet claiming that Taylor Swift had a small booty, countless Swifties tweeted back in a fury to defend Swift and accuse Diplo of body shaming (a huge no-no in today’s feminist pop culture climate). Chief among the retorts was Swift’s BFF and fellow singer, Lorde.
“Should we do something about your tiny penis while we’re at it hm,” she tweeted from her account, @lordemusic.
While Diplo’s initial tweet only garnered a measly 4,000 favorites (even after it was highly publicized), Lorde’s retaliation scored more than 16 times that amount, more than 66,000.
The attacks on Swift come entirely too late. Two years ago, sure, it was cool to rag on Taylor Swift. But today, not so much. Diplo’s insults resemble those of an outdated grandpa, trying hard and failing to understand the happenings of the contemporary world.
Stick a chip in him, ‘cause this Dip(lo) is done.
