There are many an issue that keep me up at night (and by “up at night” I mean until my self-designated bedtime of 11pm). For one, why won’t Dick Wolf give us at least one episode of Law & Order: SVU that features a shirtless Carisi? I’ve only been aggressively tweeting this suggestion at him for the last six seasons. Or, like, will I die alone? Then, of course, there’s also why the hell is everyone so obsessed with Selena Gomez?
Lately it feels like I can’t go one day without reading a headline about Selena Gomez. Whether it’s to psychoanalyze in minute detail each and every line of her new music or to report on the more hard-hitting stuff in her life, like her Instagram comments, the girl is f*cking everywhere. Her fame feels all-consuming, almost rabid, and on the same scale as mega celebrities like Beyoncé and Jennifer Aniston. Sometimes I feel like just uttering the words “Selena Gomez” on the internet sends people into a blood frenzy of speculation and gossip. The obsession with her is next level and her fans are beyond loyal. Case in point: she’s one of the world’s most followed people on Instagram, despite the fact that she hasn’t released a new album since 2015 and she’s not afraid to go dark on social media every few months.
The rabidness of her fan base feels a bit unwarranted. Now, don’t get it twisted, I am one of these rabid fans. I’ve been a huge fan of Selena’s ever since she was on Wizards of Waverly Place (RIP) and, quite frankly, carried the entire goddamn show. I still, to this day, go about vocally voicing at parties that if I could switch lives with anyone it would be Selena Gomez. And I say that with a straight face and everything!! But even I’m confused by her fame. I mean, what is she really famous for? Yeah, she publicly makes out with Justin Bieber once every four years, but that’s about how long it takes her to put out a new single too. I was under the impression that her fan base included me and any other person born in the 90s who got way too excited about Disney+. So, how does she stay so relevant? She’s sporadic at best with releasing new music, comes in and out of the public eye, and her last acting gig took place when side bangs and chunky belts were still in style. To put things into perspective, Brenda Song has the exact same resume, and you don’t see people salivating at the mouth to publish a story on who she’s feuding with on IG.
So what is it that makes her so goddamn popular? Sweetest Betch You’ll Ever Meet and I have discussed this issue AT LENGTH over Gchat at work (yes, we want to get fired, we’re begging for it actually). She’s of the mind that Selena’s rabid fan base has an underlying foundation of pity built into it, like how the media always writes her as the wronged woman in the Justin-Hailey Saga (kind of like how the media did to Jennifer Aniston about… everybody she was ever with). But, then again, these are also things Sweetest Betch has said about her coworker’s child whenever she visits the office and begs for quarters for the vending machine. I get what she’s saying, though: people love to root for a scorned woman, and no one has been burned more than Selena Gomez. Still, you’d think pity can only go so far. So, I want to break down Selena Gomez’s appeal one factor at a time.
Her Squad
I think part of Selena’s appeal is the way she flaunts her female friendships. If you take one look at her IG, you’ll see countless images of Selena with her friends—and not just the famous ones, either! (Though, for someone who claims to value her privacy, she certainly isn’t afraid to tout her high-profile relationships either *cough* Taylor Swift *cough, cough*). It gives people the impression that anyone can be a part of her squad. Like, that girl who starred in The Cutting Edge 4: Fire & Ice who gave Selena her spare kidney, or me a random fan who keeps flooding her DMs with positive affirmations she found on Pinterest.
And the way she showcases these friendships is honestly masterful. This is a girl who has ditched every friend she ever made any time Justin Bieber decides to slide back into her DMs, and we’re to believe she’s this self-partnered, girl power, feminist icon? Look, I love Selena, but do I think she would ditch girls night in a heartbeat if an ex texted her “hey”? You bet your ass I do. But, again, this is what makes her so relatable. Who among us hasn’t skipped out early during a girls night out just to meet up with a guy whose idea of romance is splitting the Uber pool? And despite her apparent flakiness with friendships, her girls still back her up, still welcome her back with open arms after a messy breakup. Seeing that kind of loyalty in her girl squad inspires loyalty in her fans.
She Leaves You Wanting More
Another part of her allure is the way she handles social media at the most high profile of times. Remember when she broke up with The Weeknd and started publicly hanging out with Justin Bieber like it was no big thing? Or that time we found out she was hospitalized and almost died? Or that time Justin Bieber GOT MARRIED to Hailey Baldwin two months after he and Selena broke up? Instead of posting cryptic IG stories about deserving more (I see you, Khloé Kardashian) or testing Instagram’s nipple visibility policy with thirst traps (I see YOU, Kylie Jenner) she just like, lived her life. She posted normal pics with friends at dinner or in sweat pants hanging at home, or she posted nothing at all. I remember thinking when the news broke about Justin and Hailey dating, “where is your feminine rage?” and, “blink once if you need me to key his car!!” Instead, she handled the situation by saying nothing at all. It’s like when someone leaves you on read—it makes you that much more interested in them.
She Seems Real AF
I think what really draws people to Selena Gomez more than anything else is that she seems really down-to-earth. She’s been open about her struggles with mental health and her body image. She’s just as likely to post a thirst trap pic as one of her pounding pasta. She’s not afraid to be vulnerable to the public, either. Let’s not forget that one time, fresh off of one her breakups with Justin Bieber, she started crying in the middle of her 2014 AMAs performance. Crying in public over an ex (or just a Ship bro who didn’t follow me back on IG) is sort of my thing, and I’m sorry but HOW CAN YOU NOT RELATE TO THAT.
So, there you have it: the allure of Selena Gomez as best as I can describe it. One day when I’m explaining this to my grandkids I can point to these three reasons as a valid excuse for following @JelenaGoals well into my 20s. I’m going to go with that, or I’m just going to assume her fan base is comprised entirely of Russian bots. It’s anyone’s guess!
Images: Shutterstock.com; Giphy (1); @selenagomez /Instagram (3)
Things are very confusing in the world of Jelena right now. After getting back together in November, it seemed like maybe Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were just meant to be, but now everything is uncertain. Last week we discussed Baskin Champion, the girl Justin’s been hanging out with. Anyone with logic understands that typically, going on dates with someone who’s not your girlfriend implies that you are no longer in a monogamous relationship. But it all happened very quickly, and with no explanation. Some people concluded Justin and Selena had gone on a break. Now it seems like Justin and Selena’s break might be a real breakup. To put it in Facebook terms, “it’s complicated.”
Initial reports of their break were all over the place, and it was tough to tell what was going on without the clarity only an 18-page letter could provide. Justin and Selena appeared together at the end of February, but they’re pretty good at avoiding the paparazzi when they want to. They were definitely still together on March 1, when Selena posted a birthday Instagram for Justin. It’s the last few weeks where things start to get murky. Rumors of a break (or a breakup, who knows) first started to circulate around March 8—and where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. After spending a lot of time together, and going to Justin’s dad’s wedding in Jamaica, was it all over? Selena reportedly went back to Texas to spend time with her mom, who isn’t exactly Justin’s biggest fan. A fond #tbt to the time when Selena’s mom was literally hospitalized because she didn’t want Justin and Selena to get back together.
So Justin and Selena had some time apart, but what was really going on? There have been lots of classic anonymous sources with varying reports, ranging from everything being perfectly fine to total disaster. Most reports seem to fall somewhere in the middle. Justin and Selena probably don’t hate each other, but there are issues they need to work through, I guess? Idk, I hate this wishy-washy shit.
After a couple weeks of uncertainty, Justin seemed to make the first big statement by hanging out with our new friend, Baskin. Had he really moved on from Selena and found another girl to #JesusAndChill with? Baskin is a cute girl and she’s probably a lot of fun when she’s not competing in pageants, but I didn’t want to believe that Justin would really do Selena like that after so much history. He’s proven time and time again that he’s still a fuckboy, but deep down I want to believe he has a good heart.
Now, there are even more sources getting in on the conversation, and it’s more confusing than ever. One new report tells of a full breakup, saying that “Selena realized even though he’s made some positive improvements, they just aren’t a perfect match right now.” First of all, my cynical side would like to point out that there’s probably no such thing as a perfect match unless you’re a contestant on Are You The One?, but this doesn’t sound good. However, other sources are saying that they’re still working through their problems. Luckily, there might be a crucial moment coming up: church.
Justin and Selena have made a habit of going to church together on Wednesday evenings. That means tomorrow we might know what to really think about this break. They both have an appointment with Jesus, and are they really going to let a girl named Baskin get in the way of a commitment like that? Basically, I picture this as a movie where the characters will meet at a certain place and time if they want to be together. Justin will probably crash his Lambo and be a few minutes late, but I really hope he’ll make it eventually. Come on kids, we’re counting on you.
Images: @selenagomez / Instagram; Giphy (2)
There are only six weeks left this year, and most of 2017 has been a big mess. From our tragic political situation to basically everyone you know and love being a sexual predator, the good moments have seemed few and far between. At this point, we’ll take whatever we can get, which is why today we’re discussing the reunion of one of our most iconic celebrity couples: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. After Selena and The Weeknd broke up, she was spotted going to breakfast and church with Justin not long after. And just yesterday, they were photographed kissing at Justin’s hockey game.
You might not love Justin. You might not love Selena. But deep down, you know that they just sort of belong with each other. It’s not like they can’t be apart, but some force of nature always seems to pull them back together. We’re completely sucked in, and it turns out there’s a scientific reason why.
Cosmo enlisted some psychologists to tell us why we care so much, and tbh, they read us like a book. They talked about how Justin and Selena represent the romantic first love that never actually works out for real people, like how you thought you’d be with your high school boyfriend forever but didn’t make it past Thanksgiving your freshman year of college. They also delved in to how Justin is the bad boy, and we just want Selena to make him better. “She appears to soften him and redeem some of the rougher edges of his character. In turn, it gives consumers ‘hope’ that true love can conquer all,” Dr. Azadeh Aalai told Cosmo. No, shut up, we’re not crying. We’re not sure what these psychologists do in their actual careers, but they should also consider writing #Jelena fan fiction in their spare time.
All of this goes a long way toward explaining why we all about lost our damn minds when Selena traded in The Weeknd for her old flame. They seem to be spending lots of time together, but will it last this time?
If history repeats itself, the answer will obviously be no. Justin has a clear history of bad boy tendencies, and Selena will have to decide if she wants to stick around through another one of his douchebag phases. She could basically date any guy in the world, so Justin will really have to work to earn her trust again. We also have to remember that Selena was dating The Weeknd literally less than a month ago, so there’s a chance that Justin could just be a rebound for her. She knows he still loves her, and it’s nice to feel loved. It’s too soon to know if that shit will last, but we’ll obviously be paying close attention.
Another question that remains to be answered is how public Jelena 2.0 will be. In the past, they’ve kissed on red carpets, openly dedicated (many) songs to each other, and talked in interviews about their relationship. But in 2017, things are happening a little more discretely. We all know they’ve been hanging out together, but there have been no sensual Instagram pics or anything yet. A good indicator will be the American Music Awards this Sunday, where Selena is set to perform live for the first time in over a year. She’ll surely be nervous, and maybe having Justin there with her will be just what she needs? As long as she doesn’t cry onstage, we’ll take it.
We may not know if Jelena will be around forever, but at least Justin and Selena have given us something to talk about that’s not Donald Trump. In 2017, that’s basically all we ask for. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go listen to Selena’s entire discography to look for clues.
