Earlier today, Olivia Munn shared an essay delving into the challenges of celebrity life, public scrutiny, and coping with criticism from fans and the media. In her piece, she specifically called out Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, the duo behind the popular fashion blog Go Fug Yourself. Olivia expressed her concerns about outlets like Go Fug Yourself, which, according to her, seem to thrive on delivering public critiques.
In Olivia’s words, “For years, fashion-policing celebrity has been an accepted form of mainstream media critique, even though it mainly focuses on females and not men, which ultimately contributes to the perpetual minimization of women and propagates the idea that our worth is predominantly (or singularly) tied to our looks.” She singled out blogs like Go Fug Yourself, claiming that they position themselves as the arbiters of fashion judgment.
Referencing a recent post on Go Fug Yourself where Olivia’s striped, multicolored Peter Pilotto suit was discussed, she contested the legitimacy of the bloggers as critics. Olivia used this as an example to question their role as “legitimate critics.”
In the essay, Olivia drew a parallel between the criticism she faces and the experiences of students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland who confronted boys ranking and rating girls based on appearance. Olivia praised the girls for refusing to accept the excuse of “boys will be boys” and for educating their peers about the harm caused by objectifying women. She asserted that she, too, rejects the “blogs will be blogs” mentality that she believes permeates social consciousness.
The essay sparked varied reactions, with some feeling that Olivia’s comparison of criticism to harassment faced by high school students was inappropriate. Critics argued that “punching down” at her detractors was irresponsible. On the other hand, some pointed out that while The Fug Girls critique celebrity fashion choices, they refrain from mocking someone’s looks or weight.
