The BET Awards hit the airwaves tonight and brought out not only today's musical bests, but also the big old jerkface bullies. Just when you thought people couldn't be any meaner, Twitter lit up with TONS of mean-spirited talk about an 11-year-old girl. That child happened to be Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's daughter and aspiring singer, Willow Smith.
Let's just say Willow's young age didn't get in the way of the level of cruelty that led the viewer commentary tonight. Unbelievable!
Twitter didn't leave a single aspect of Willow's appearance untouched -- ripping on her new super-short hair, her ears, and her outfit, calling out her thin frame and her gender-neutral appearance, and even questioning her sexuality. Um, she's 11 folks. Some jerks even went as far as to say she looks like a boy, like Will Smith's son, cancer stricken, or even like a "monkey." WTF? Pick on someone your own size @-holes!!!
There's no denying that celebrities get picked apart all the time. It's sort of par for the course; however, I think we have to draw the line when we're talking about a growing, changing, coming-into-her-own child. Willow is a creative and beautiful young girl who is always playing with style and -- like all 11-year-old girls -- figuring out who she is and how to express herself. Good for her, I say! And good for her parents for letting her be the girl she wants to be.
Will and Jada no doubt have their hands full, having two kids who are dabbling in music, film, and more. Growing up is hard to do, with or without celeb status, and now Willow's parents are faced with having to shield their daughter from the ugliness of adolescence and peers, atop the ugliness of the whole entire world -- adults included. That's a lot.
Willow also debuted her new video for her song "I Am Me" tonight, and people jumped all over that too, saying she's too young to know anything about which she sings. But maybe what people really needed to do was shut the eff up and listen to her lyrics and learn.
Do you think society needs to give child celebrities a break or do these kids just need to grow a thick skin and deal with the low blows?
Image via Getty/Frederick M. Brown
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Comments 53
The more famous and beautiful and rich the star, the more shit people talk.
I agree. People need to back the f*** off!! She's a kid. When I was her age I did the same thing. I wore my brother's clothes mixed with some of my stuff just trying things out to figure out my own style. These ass hats will never understand. They need to take a row of seats and shut the hell up!!
That's pathetic -- I agree with you. Whoever picked on her is absolutely a jealous loser. They must be very proud - ragging on an 11 year old for her appearance! Of course she's thin, she's a child (plus, the long shirt and the black kind of swallow her up - that outfit would slim everyone down). I don't think there's anything wrong with that look - leggings, boots, and a long shirt. Whatever - she decides what she wants to wear. :) (and her hair looks fine, if she wants to experiment with it she should)
.. people will be juveniley ridiculous killjoys~ Hopefully she doesn't let those idiots bring her down. People can be so cruel and she shouldn't have to deal with it - they're only envious that they don't have the fame and success that she does.
I think her outfit is awesome. I wouldn't rock it, but she totally does.
Yes, famous children need to grow thicker skin, to pepare them for what will happen if they become famous adults
I just don't think they need to learn like THIS. People are real dicks.
What a nice message her song has. Its terrible that people are saying that she "is too young to know anything about what she sings". Her song does have a strong message, and I don't think she's too young for it. She is singing about being herself, and she is practicing what she preaches. She does realize that she is going to be critiqued for the way she looks or acts, but instead she's proud of being who she is. I think this is very mature for an 11 year old. Those critics are the ones acting too "immature" as seen in their own comments.
I would think people would be applauding her, for being "natural". She doesn't have a hair weave, she's not wearing tons of make-up and she's not dressing provactively. I agree with linzemae, if she was all done up she'd be criticized for acting too old!
I agree that people need to back off because she is only a child. That said, her parents are absolutely not bringing her up or letting her express herself like a child. Fully in the spotlight, no school, dressing the way she does (which is amazing and yes I love it), singing the words she does etc. of course she is going to get flack. She is provocative - not in the sexy sense but in the sense that she and her lifestyle provoke people, especially idiots who think it's OK to judge a kid.
Famous people get picked apart.
If you don't want that to happen, don't be famous.
She's just riding her parents' coat tails. Do any of you actually think she'd be at any award's show, let alone get a record deal, if it weren't for her parents?
Personally, I'm tired of reading about her.