Fans, it’s time to take a page from Phoebe Bridgers’ book and remember that your favourite artists are not just performers, but human beings who deserve basic respect and privacy. Let’s ditch the toxicity and embrace kindness, shall we?
Phoebe Bridgers has called out toxic fans who subjected her to “dehumanizing abuse” while she was grieving for her father and on her way to his funeral earlier this year.
The Boygenius singer songwriter has had enough of toxic fans who can’t seem to cut her some slack. The singer recently opened up about the “dehumanising abuse” she suffered at the hands of supposed “fans” earlier this year. Speaking to Them magazine alongside her boygenius bandmates Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, Bridgers revealed that she was “bullied” by fans while she was on her way to her father’s funeral.
Phoebe Bridgers, who announced the death of her father on Instagram on January 3, was photographed with comedian Bo Burnham at LAX just over a week later. The photos sparked rumours that she and actor Paul Mescal had ended their relationship. However, the singer was not prepared for the backlash she received from fans, some of whom even had her picture as their Twitter profile photo.
“I, at one of the lowest points of my life, saw people who claim to love me fing dehumanize me and shame me and fing bully me on the way to my dad’s wake,” Bridgers revealed in the interview. “It’s not like they didn’t know my dad just died. A lot of the top comments [were] like, ‘Hey, her dad just died, what are you guys doing?’”
The four-time Grammy nominee didn’t hold back her feelings towards these so-called fans who claim to like her music but don’t seem to care about her as a person. “If you’re a kid and the internet somehow taught you that that’s an okay thing to do, then of course I hate capitalism and everything that led you to believe that it’s okay to do that,” she said. “But, to those who use her picture as their profile photo but harass her online, ‘I fucking hate you,’ Bridgers said, ‘and I hope you grow the f*** up.'”
Bridgers also praised her bandmates for supporting her during this difficult time. “I have to say, most of the people I talk to light up my life and remind me what I love about my job, but my two best friends are helping me with the boundary of: I don’t have to sit here and be f***ing grateful that that happened and that that’s a part of my job,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be, and it wasn’t five years ago, so I appreciate being able to look at two other people and be like, this is dehumanizing abuse, horrible s—.”
Bridgers’ experience serves as a reminder to fans that there is a line between showing support for an artist and crossing personal boundaries. It’s important to remember that artists are human beings who deserve respect, especially during difficult times like the loss of a loved one. Let’s hope Bridgers’ message resonates with fans and leads to a more positive and respectful online community.
