This post has been bubbling around for sometime. I have always disliked the idea that people intrude into your personal affairs just because you are famous. OK, I know I read stuff on the internet etc but often the information I see leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Hubby disagrees with me but this is my blog so my opinions!

The catalyst for me actually getting down to writing about this occurred over the last few weeks. I have been a fan of a certain rock band for a few years but only just found the huge online community that surrounds them. I have started following fans on Twitter just so I can discuss my love of this band and also to meet new, interesting & like-minded people.

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1. While tweeting and surfing I found news about how the singer (allegedly) had offended a teenage ‘fan’ by calling her a cunt. I do not know the full story at all but from what I can gather this girl had been tweeting personally insulting words about not only the singer but his family. The use of the word’cunt’ as an expletive directed against a teenage girl seems to have enraged some (feminist?) sections of the interwebs and they are now referring to him as a misogynist despite lots of evidence to the contrary.

Now, this is where I get annoyed about fame/fans. A man is supposed to sit back and allow someone to insult him & his family but he isn’t allowed to retaliate without censure “because he’s famous” and shouldn’t say things like that to people. WTF? Fame does not make you better than human, you are prone to errors, anger, upset just like everyone else. Unfortunately what you say & do is now public fodder but nevertheless you should be allowed free speech without being attacked for your choice of words. If you don’t agree with the choice then that’s your problem – everyone uses vocabulary differently and some words are always going to be more offensive to some than others. Try some empathy on for size.

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2. This singer is quite, erm, well, gorgeous. He has an army of frenetic fans who think likewise – also a wife & daughter whom he apparently loves to bits. His wife is also in a band and has an online presence. It appears that she gets a lot of hate comments from so called fans just because she is lucky enough to be happily married to the object of their warped desires. Again, WTF??? OK, if you want to have private (or, having read some fan-fic, not so private – yuck) fantasies about the man then go ahead. But do not have a go at his wife. Do you really think he will leave her & come running to you? If you do than you really, really need to get an appointment with a man in a white coat.

So, if you’re famous it’s not only you that’s fair game but your family? No, I don’t think so. If this guy was a neighbour down the street and you verbally abused his wife then you’d find yourself in legal trouble. Him being famous does not give you any rights to treat him or his wife in any way less than you would someone you met in real life. Please have some respect.

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3. This is so immature. There are kids setting up twitter accounts naming themselves after parts of the band members’ anatomy and then auto retweeting what they post. Unsurprisingly they are being blocked by said band members and then complain about it. Grow up for goodness sake.

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I am sure I could find more examples but these are the ones that caught my eye over the last couple of weeks.

Being famous is great in some ways I guess, especially if (like this band) you are doing something you love. But to me all the intrusion and weird stuff is not worth it. I know the band probably ignore most of what is out there but sometimes they have it shoved right in front of their noses and it must be so difficult to deal with.  Well done for not letting it get to you guys and thank you for some fantastic music.