Problematic Reactions to the 2014 Celeb Scandals

2014 was quite a ride, wasn't it? We saw a lot of good, but we also saw a lot of bad. Let us all rejoice that this new year will (sort of) wipe the slate clean so we can all move on and hopefully be better people in the foreseeable future. This universal New Year's resolution of bettering ourselves goes for celebrities as well. Like the rest of the world, they are not immune to making some major mistakes or committing heinous crimes. Hollywood controversies from the inconsequential to positively horrific were plastered across headlines in 2014, and so were the general public's reactions to the celebrity scandals.

While social media has enabled us "normal" un-famous people to voice our opinions on issues we were previously unable to comment on in such a public way, that's not always a good thing. As they say, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." And, yeah, Twitter should probably have a "Did you think about this first?" button, so that we could all save ourselves from tweeting things we may later regret.

Unfortunately though, that button does not yet exist, so here are some of the most problematic reactions to celebrity scandals in 2014:

On Justin Bieber (The Arrests, Selena, In General...)

After getting arrested, showing complete disrespect during a deposition, and vandalizing a neighbor's house, perhaps we shouldn't support him so blindly. No matter how cute or talented you think he is, Bieber continually committed crimes and that isn't negated by a successful career and a rabid following. And, if you've been paying any attention at all to the tumultuous relationship he's had with Selena Gomez, you know people probably shouldn't aspire to be in a relationship as unsteady and drama-filled as this one.

Solange, Jay Z, & Elevatorgate

As you may recall, the world was exposed to footage of Solange Knowles and Jay Z getting into a heated fight in an elevator after the Met Ball back in May. The fight was so controversial not just because we got an unwarranted inside peak into a celebrity family feud, but because Soange physically attacked her brother-in-law as well. The reasons why these particular reactions are so problematic, is that they undermine the seriousness of what happened that day and the day of the Ray and Janay Rice abuse scandal. Solange's violent altercation with Jay Z shouldn't be taken lightly and the Rice attack shouldn't be joke fodder, either.

The Taylor Swift & Katy Perry "Feud" Over Swift's Song, "Bad Blood"

Name calling and body shaming is the most basic of all insults in the book. It's what children resort to when they can't articulate a real, justifiable reason for bullying another person. This situation is a bit different as it involves a fellow celeb, Diplo, reacting to the celeb "feud" between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, but tweets like the one above are problematic not only in their apparent immaturity, but because by telling Taylor Swift she needs to get a "booty," he's completely disregarding all of the actual important and real accomplishments she's made in her 24 years. For instance, Grammys, breaking major records, endless charitable acts, that have nothing to do with the arbitrary and senseless jab about her behind being not as well endowed as some hater would like.

Celebrity Nude Photo Hack

I fail to see what Jennifer Lawrence consciously taking nude photos she feels comfortable with has to do with her stolen, intimate pictures that were meant for her boyfriend's eyes only? There's no shame in her sharing her body as she pleases, but there is shame in thinking that you have some sort of a right to it because photos were stolen. It should be noted that there were also various refreshing responses on Twitter to go along with the less than desirable ones.

Cosby & Collins' Sexual Abuse Allegations

Both of these scandals are positively heinous, but when public figures try and seek an out for these people through dragging down the victims it's made even worse. The second tweet follows a pattern of one with uncomfortable sarcasm that unfortunately rings true. These tweets echo a sad, but prevalent line of thinking that's centered on self-involvement and denial. No matter what was happening before the abuse or how they got there, no one, under any circumstances, deserves what befell them.

Here's hoping 2015 brings not only less scandals, but some better responses when they do happen.