TwitterAbout that Twitter fight that Chris Brown had recently: Why are his fans so insane?
—Tamara E., via Twitter
You speak of the QWERTY riot that ensued after a comedian named Jenny Johnson pointed out that Chris Brown might not be the nicest guy in the world (though not as delicately put). He responded with a barrage of threats back at her, dotting them with the occasional "ho" accusation. Brown's fans then elevated the lofty banter with warnings of Johnson's imminent demise.
So why do Brown fans act so insane on Twitter, especially when even the most rabid Lady Gaga Twitter fan looks tame in comparison?
You may place the blame squarely on Brown, experts tell me.
"You're not going to see the same thing, not as broadly, with people who have a different kind of image," says USC professor and cultural historian Leo Braudy, author of The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and Its History.
"This isn't going to happen among fans of Brad Pitt or George Clooney."
Why? Well, look at what Breezy used to post before he went into a final snit and quit Twitter: "Bitches be crazy" was one of the final messages he treated us to before leaving. (Another gem: "Take them teeth out when u Sucking my d--k H-E.")
Trashy stars attract trashy fans and vice versa, experts say. However the star behaves, it tends to come back, like an echo chamber, from the fan, Braudy tells me. That's especially true on social media, where your more deluded fan may feel closer than ever to an idol and, therefore, a bigger need to defend a star.
"On Twitter, fans feel that celebrities are intimate relations, like members of the family," Braudy explains. "You hurt my brother, so I'm going to get you. And with fans of Chris Brown, their attacks and defenses are going to be extreme, because he's extreme."
Stay classy, Team Breezy.