By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Jada Pinkett-Smith isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and when she does nowadays, it’s usually through her Facebook page. One of her most notable messages was one in which she responded to the criticism she received for “allowing” her daughter Willow to cut her hair. In the letter, Jada explained to her fans and supporters why she is so against telling her children what they can and can’t with their own bodies. Jada also speaks out in defense of other celebs as well, as she had no problem telling Beyonce’s haters to have several seats after they criticized Beyonce’s HBO documentary Life is But a Dream.
In her latest open letter posted to her Facebook page, Jada suggests that she feels the media is bullying today’s younger stars such as Justin Beiber, Rihanna, and 9 year old Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis.
She writes:
How can we ask for our young stars to have a high level of responsibility if we are not demonstrating that same level of responsibility towards them?
This last week, I had to really evaluate the communication in regard to our young artists in the media. I was trying to differentiate cyber-bullying from how we attack and ridicule our young stars through media and social networks. It is as if we have forgotten what it means to be young or even how to behave like good ol’ grown folk. Do we feel as though we can say and do what we please without demonstrating any responsibility simply because they are famous? Is it okay to continually attack and criticize a famous 19 year old who is simply trying to build a life, exercise his talents while figuring out what manhood and fame is all about as he carries the weight of supporting his family as well as providing the paychecks to others who depend on him to work so they can feed their families as well? Does that render being called a c*nt by an adult male photographer as you try to return to your hotel after leaving the the hospital? Or what about our nine year old beautiful Oscar nominee who was referred to as a c*nt as well? Or what about being a young woman in her early twenties, exploring the intracacies of love and power on the world stage? And should we shame a young woman for displaying a sense of innocence as she navigates through the murky waters of love, heartbreak, and fame? Are these young people not allowed to be young, make mistakes, grow, and eventually transform a million times before our eyes? Are we asking them to defy the laws of nature because of who they are? Why can’t we congratulate them for the capacity to work through their challenges on a world stage and still deliver products that keep them on top. We all know how hard it is to keep our head above water, even in the privacy of our own homes let alone on the world stage. Imagine yourself, at their age, with the spotlights, challenges and responsibilities. Most of us would have fallen to the waste side before we could even get to a crashed Ferrari, a controversial romance, several heart breaks, or an Oscar nomination at NINE. We WISH we could have had the capacity to accomplish HALF of what they have accomplished along with ALL these challenges they face. But…maybe THAT’S the problem…we WISH we could have or even…we WISH we could.
She must want Rhianna to do a album with Willow
Lmao.
Sigh…
Love Jada and she is a very smart woman BUT with that being said, she needs to have several seats. Social media hasn’t changed people…if anything, it’s just put a microscope on the entire race. Before the internet and social networks, people would give their harsh opinions on celebs at the kitchen table. Now we’re doing it on blogs, Twitter, etc. When you’re famous, you become a target of scrutiny. That’s just how it is. Celebs need to rise above and not let it bother them so much. Heck, they get paid millions to be talked about. Shut up and cash those checks.
What bullying has Rihanna got? LOL. That girl gets treated like a princess by the media. They reserve their hate for Chris.
This is true.
Cosign.
You’re blind if you haven’t seen the bullying Rihanna receives for taking back Chris.
It’s kind of annoying how people who get paid millions for minimal tasks like non-singing and non-dancing on stage feel they should only receive praise and positivity on the Internet. Even non-fmaous people get talked about. Why the hell should celebs be exempt?
She has a point. A lot of people take things too far and type things they really shouldn’t about celebs…
I agree, but part of being a celeb means having thick skin. They can’t let what strangers think about them break them.
I like Jada but she’s getting on my nerves with the “letters.” Does she not have enough work coming in?