I’ll be the first to admit I’ve idolized many celebrities throughout my life. From One Direction to Justin Bieber, from Ariana Grande to various social media influencers, I’ve spent a lot of my precious time, money, and energy worshiping people who don’t even know I exist. I have many fond memories of these phases, but over time I’ve learned how dangerous it can be to idolize someone you don’t know personally. Celebrities are put on a pedestal that leads everyone to believe they can do no wrong, which is rarely the case. Our society has become extremely fascinated with the lives of these people, from their workout routines to their dining habits to their personalities. Whether these public figures like it or not, they are seen as role models and therefore gain the responsibility of setting a good example. When these celebrities mess up, which is inevitable since humans are imperfect, fans feel betrayed and confused. David Dobrik’s recent loss of supporters is a great example of the disappointment that comes with idolizing someone who isn’t who you thought they were.
David and the rest of his “Vlog Squad” are currently under extreme scrutiny and various members are being called out for alleged sexual assault. David has also been accused of pressuring his employees to do things they were uncomfortable with and encouraging and assisting various instances of sexual assault. Not only did David commit horrible, disgusting crimes, but he also let down his large fanbase. David built his brand around the foundation of him being a kind, easygoing, funny guy, so it’s no surprise fans are shocked and hurt to find out they’ve been lied to.
Hearing this news was tough for me. My friends and I have been watching David’s videos for years, and I had so much respect for him and his content. Knowing that I spent so much time supporting someone who committed such heinous crimes was frustrating and a bit scary. I felt stupid for blindly supporting him all these years thinking I knew so much about him. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for the victims who came forward to watch the continuous growth of David’s platform and the lack of repercussions he has faced thus far. Frankly, I’m glad to see that he’s finally receiving backlash and being forced to take accountability for his actions. However, I still fear that his platform will grow back eventually because he is a wealthy, young, white man with a lot of power. All I can hope for is that he and other public figures are no longer placed on a pedestal.
With cancel culture being extremely prevalent right now, fans are constantly disappointed by celebrities and struggle a lot with who to trust. In my opinion, we shouldn’t fully put our trust in any celebrity, especially because we have no idea what we might be subliminally supporting without even realizing it. When I was a huge fan of David Dobrik, I supported every aspect of his character without realizing that by doing this I was supporting the unfavorable aspects of who he is. There’s no way we can know for sure whether a celebrity is as perfect as they’re made out to be, so the most logical solution is to stop treating them like they’re perfect!
Feature Image Credit: Tubefilter
