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I always feel so icky whenever I'm on any social media and it's non-stop ads and "influencers" talking about mental health and childhood trauma and "healing your inner child" and whatever the fuck. I was never able to convey why it seems so wrong to me. This is an incredible article, you should be proud.

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“Dr. LePera’s group of “self-healers” are no different from Swifties; they’re fucking stans, a group of consumers easily manipulated because of the emotional relationship they have to the person-as-brand. At least Taylor gave us a few good songs to cathartically cry to before shoving her red scarf down our throats.“

I find this an interesting comparison. Do these self healers gather in droves in stadiums, clubs, coffee shops, cinemas, in the streets, and swap handmade friendship bracelets while they sing and scream to music with lyrical content about doing exactly that? Music about big and ugly and messy and inconvenient emotions, about pain and pleasure and loss and love and fun and childhood and family. Music that itself is a shameless and public expression of the full range of human emotions and experiences? Somehow I doubt it.

I also think it’s interesting that you think these Swifties, that you view with such derision, must be mindless consumers driven by a parasocial relationship with a person-as-brand, rather than a vast and non-monolithic group of mostly women of all ages who have connected deeply to art made by another woman about their universally relatable emotions and the inner world of a girl and then woman (not usually a topic of any respect or value), and connected with each other over a shared interest. I suppose I’m curious as to why you feel this way.

“Please picture me

In the weeds

Before I learned civility

I used to scream ferociously

Any time I wanted”

Swift’s own lyrics came to mind while I was reading and enjoying this piece. The obligatory Swift jab soured it, though. Is it only men who are artists whose work can inspire and connect fans? Can women only be brands, with consumerist stans? Or is this only true for Taylor Swift? Also I would love to know why the scarf irks you so.

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absolutely brilliant. thank you 🦋

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Terrific piece! I especially related to the part about the holistic psychologist and screaming. I’ve followed her on instagram but mostly scroll past her videos because I really don’t need to be thinking about whatever she’s posting during a lunch break on a weekday. I don’t find it helpful to be hyperaware about everything bad that’s happened throughout my day. Also, I agree, screaming in the car can be very cathartic.

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Ahhhh, an honour to have read this. Well written and informative on a variety of topics that connect to the main point. Especially loved the ending, “ And in the space where we could be letting love in, we are being told all the reasons we should turn away from it”

The internet is a place full of contradictions- from one people persuading others for revenge, love, do this and do that. A place where one post contradicts the other- opinions shared and unconsciously makes followers even though it isn’t on par with their morals and beliefs. Constant changes in trends and influencers that share and promote a false reality. It’s refreshing to have read this - makes it so valuable to have one’s own opinion and view and not be swayed by the paths of the internet that people continuously create.

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I’m a hundred years late to reading this but I’m so happy I found your words - they are beautiful and true and so poetically encapsulate something I’ve been contemplating about relationships and why we need them. Thank you so much. I’m a fan! ⭐️

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This is so so good!!! I need to watch Waking Life so bad now. Loved this ❤️

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