You’ve probably heard this word circulate a thousand times in the media already at this point, and we’ll be the first to admit- it sounds incredibly complicated at first glance. But is queerbaiting really all that confusing? More than anything else, it’s a marketing ploy. And queer folks are more than used to marketing gimmicks (pride month has been reduced to a marketing strategy to attract queer customers in recent years). But what really is queerbaiting?
Queerbaiting is basically the practice of using queer representation to attract queer audiences but then not actually delivering on that brief hint. Why is that so harmful? Well, put yourself in the shoes of a young person just starting their journey into discovering their sexuality. They see their favourite singer practically seducing someone of the same sex in a music video. They begin to feel, ‘you know what, this resonates with me. My favourite singer sees me, and they have an experience that validates my attraction to a particular person.’ No, you don’t need that validation. But the feeling of seeing someone on screen fall in love the non-conventional way and finally feeling ‘normal’ and knowing others experience exactly what you feel is exhilarating, to say the least.
Billie Eilish is an icon and widely recognized as the trailblazing representative of Gen Z’s musical taste. But she fell in some hot water recently when she was accused of queerbaiting. One of her newest singles, “Lost Cause” (preceding her upcoming album), has a music video that has a playful, seductive sleepover set up featuring all girls. Now, the music video and the song itself received rave reviews and were well-received. But Billie then went on to post a picture from a set with her female colleagues from the video and suggestively captioned it ‘i like girls’. That is clear-cut queerbaiting. You shouldn’t suggest that you are attracted to women and then go on to reveal that you have a brand new boyfriend. The worst part? Billie refused to issue a clarification. ‘Billie Eilish is Gay and Coming Out And Not Queerbaiting’ – Netizens Hope Against Hope Seeing ‘Lovely’ Singer’s Latest Instagram Post.
Billie Eilish Queerbaiting?
She was accused of queerbaiting during pride month and she refuses to clarify and acknowledge her mistake. If that isn’t classic celebrity privilege, then I don’t know what is.
Billie isn’t the only guilty one. Gen-Z icon Olivia Rodrigo was called out by BTS stan after the 18-year-old posted some fun photos with BFF, Iris Apatow. Ariana Grande was also widely accused of queerbaiting for her Monopoly music video. So was 365 Days star Michele Morrone for his selfie with a cast member. Michele Morrone had the decency to clarify, however. Ariana Grande didn’t. Shakira and Rihanna used queerbaiting to the max for their 2014 collaboration. They never apologised.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Post That Raised Eyebrows
And This One by 365 Days Actor Turned Out to Be ‘Controversial’
We can only hope that celebrities learn about the impact of their careless actions. Till then, use the knowledge you gained in this article to recognize queerbaiting and hold offenders accountable. Yes, we are waiting for Billie’s apology too. There is a good chance it won’t come. *sigh*
(The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Jul 26, 2021 02:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).
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