What's with all the hate?

It started in January this year, when singer Lana Del Rey (real name: Lizzy Grant) became a worldwide phenomenon for all the wrong reasons. After an initial lovefest, the public turned on her, taking issue with anything and everything to do with Lana – her voice; her album, Born to Die; her lips; her appearance; her new, fame-appropriate name – and she cancelled her first Aussie tour.

Now today it has been widely reported that Charlotte Dawson, former Australia's Next Top Model host and TV personality, was admitted to hospital in the early hours of this morning after hours of abuse from strangers on Twitter compelling her to kill herself in response to Dawson starting a Twitter campaign to stamp out online bullying.

If you’ve noticed a common thread with these three women, it’s because there is one: Lana, Charlotte and many other celebrities targeted online are all very beautiful, seemingly sweet and successful in their own rights – not to mention disliked. It seems kind of obvious that envy might be to blame, but could all the negative attention, abuse on social media and ridiculing really stem from jealousy?

"We can actually dislike strangers for a number of reasons," explains clinical psychologist Gemma Cribb (equilibriumpsychology.com.au). "One reason is that we tend to be attracted to people who represent similar values and priorities, and we dislike those whose lifestyles seem ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’. Of course, another reason is jealousy. We can hate someone we’re jealous of, or who we feel is more superior. To counteract our feelings, we cut them down. It’s tall poppy syndrome."

Ah, tall poppy syndrome, that uniquely Australian trait that many of us sadly share. Why is it in our nature to dislike those we deem successful or high-achieving?
 
According to analytical therapist Peter Richard-Herbert (northshoretherapy.com.au), it comes down to some really old-school beliefs.
 
"It stems from our country’s British influence, and their cultural norm was that you don’t show off," he explains. "You wouldn’t ever put your head above the crowd, because it attracted problems. That’s the basis of tall poppy syndrome, so people who become celebs… well, it’s almost like they’re showing off, and the public are waiting to chop them down." 

By Genevieve Rota

To read the full story, pick up the September issue of CLEO, on sale now.

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