If you're going to be a hater, at least hate within your league

Those who can do. Those who can’t get online and call a size 8 Victoria's Secret Angel “fat”.

I’ve never seen a Victoria’s Secret fashion show (“VSFS”)- I don’t know where it plays or when. I admit that watching it is on my bucket list, though. I want to understand the hype. More than the hype, I want to figure out what it is about this event that drives everyday people to the Internet in droves to tear down slim, gorgeous women who are doing cooler things than the people tearing them down could ever hope to accomplish.

This isn’t a post to dissect the ethical issues behind this- that’s obvious, and there’s enough social commentary on it already. Instead, this is meant to address the fact that too many hate from beyond their station. You (usually) shouldn’t bully people, but it’s especially ridiculous if you’re a Plain Jane with a soft build from Ohio telling a Brazilian model to lose weight.

Now, there have been legitimate things to criticize about the VSFS, including the lack of racial diversity and the fact that founder Les Wexner was in the Epstein Files. I want to be clear: anything related to social and/or political issues will always be fair game for anyone. I’m talking about people who get on Reddit or TikTok from whatever suburb they reside in and complain about models being larger than a size 0 or having tattoos.

Normally, this stuff doesn’t come across my FYP, but I admit to loving r/LAinfluencersnark and the discourse managed to make it there. The latest scandal surrounding the VSFS: they hired Gabriela Moura to walk the show, and…. she’s a size 8. I know, right? How will we move on as a society?? /s

For reference, the average US women’s clothing size is a 16.

I can’t stand mean people. But I especially can’t stand mean people when they’re batting below average, but feel the need to comment on those in the big leagues. The VSFS is the premier Hot Girl Event. Whoever is chosen will always conform to the highest and most widely accepted beauty standard. And, as a prestigious event, anyone getting that phone call is saying yes. So, rest assured, these aren’t just the available hot girls; they’re just the hottest girls available.

This is part of a greater thing that I, personally, refer to as the Scalabrine Phenomenon, named after Brian Scalabrine. If you don’t know who that is, Brian Scalabrine was a power forward for the Boston Celtics. He was infamously declared a shit player, so, fed up, he challenged four haters to try to beat him in a game, four to one.

He beat them 44-6.

Brian Scalabrine is important because he demonstrates that the worst of the best is still infinitely better than the average. And he’s always who I think of when ordinary people doing ordinary things with their ordinary abilities feel the need to hurl needless insults at those doing bigger and better things.

You can’t just be a hater. If you’re going to criticize the person on the job for the job, then you should be on a comparable level, in my opinion. Otherwise, why would we care about what you have to say? And if you’re the kind of person that delights in punching up and bullying people for the wrong things, please remind yourself that you’re hating on someone living a life you’ve never experienced. You’re criticizing how they do things that you’ve never done. Like, you literally do not know what you are talking about.

Unless you have experience that surpasses someone else’s, chances are they don’t want to hear from you. People are interested in improving, not regressing. Why would they take the advice of someone who’s, let’s be honest, beneath them? They wouldn’t. That’s silly.

Respect your position as a fan and/or an observer.