This month we saw two really interesting headlines that were connected to social media. The first being a local news story for my fellow Torontonians and the other featuring a celebrity actor trying to make a bigger name for himself. The question I have to ask…is social media infamy worth it?
Dumb and Dumber.
First off, you have Empire actor Jessie Smollet, who last month staged his own racially driven assault in the late hours of downtown Chicago, only for it to unfold before his very eyes. It turns out this clown hired two men and rehearsed the robbery with them. Phone records were traced, while eye witness accounts were given. All in the sake of what, trying to gain some notoriety and grow your name out in Hollywood?
Originally the public sympathized and felt sorry for the 36-year-old actor. But as the story started to gain more traction, Smollet’s account in this matter started to become suspicious. Hence Jesse went from being a victim to now becoming a laughing stock of the television and film industry. This should be a lesson to those who want to make it big in the entertainment business, that there are no shortcuts in this game and people will out you for trying to.
The chair toss heard around the GTA.
Secondly you have Chair Girl aka Marcella Zoia, who seems to crave the spotlight. In what seemed like a really funny video that would eventually go viral, has now turned into a disgraceful sign of embarrassment. Where is her common sense? Sure, she is only 19-years-old and is probably doing what most young teenagers do, get into foolish behaviour. But this is one of these circumstances where trying to be popular and getting a rise out of your friends becomes dangerous. Luckily, the chair she threw that day off that condo balcony did not seriously injure a pedestrian or a driver on the road.
What we have learned from a story like Chair Girl is that everyone can get their 15 minutes of fame and can either A) grow into a larger attraction or B) fall into obscurity and become yesterday’s news. Zoia’s story is definitely of negative light, but her youthful, rebellious attitude could blossom her into a larger story. News outlets will be glued to her in the upcoming months. Personally, I think people will be fascinated with her and what she does next. Her social media following has grown exponentially since she made headlines and will continue to rise once this is all said and done.
Real Talk.
In regards to social media use, sometimes we have to ask ourselves, do we know what we’re really doing? We all have social accounts, it’s up to all of us in how we portray ourselves online. Our close friends have an idea of who we really are, but there will be others on the outside who have no clue who we are. These people could be employers, someone trying to date you, stalkers and so on. What they search about you online, ultimately gives them a different opinion.
Jessie Smollet and Marcella Zoia both become trending digital topics this month based on their mindless actions. Perhaps Smollet thought he could stage his own hate crime that would garner public sympathy and boost his stock in Tinseltown. This looks like it could backfire in the long run for him. As for Chair Girl’s case, she’s just a young adult living her best life. But truth be told, she might have stumbled onto a potential goldmine opportunity. Don’t believe me? Just Google Bhad Bhabie.
