The Hater Epidemic

Yesterday, I signed onto facebook and the first status I see is this:

If you're grown I'm [going to] need you to take the term "hater" out of your serious vocab. Joking with friends is cool, but if you're serious and every other status has "hater" in it you need to grow up and focus on more important things, like what YOU are doing with your adult life.

If you aren't grown, disregard this message ...and continue with your day. Lol

 I couldn't agree any more. It's like she took the thoughts right out of my head. I really thought I was the only who felt that way.

For a while now I've  been wondering why the use of the term "hater" has been so prevalent. Seriously, why are people so concerned about their "haters?" And why are they a topic of discussion if they're hating on you? The whole topic just seems so elementary to me.

 

One of my biggest issues with the use of the word hater comes more so by the use of it in music. One or two lines of a song? OK, pass. But a whole entire song dedicated to people who supposedly hate you?? That baffles me.

Kelly Rowland is my prime example. She is an artist who we can (kinda..( I'm stretching)) say is still looking to be taken seriously as solo artist.* Earlier this year she put out a song called "Shake the Haters Off." Some of the lyrics:

Wake up in the morning
Turn off my alarm and
Get a stretch and yawn in
Start shaking haters off
Start shaking haters off
Yeah

Go and brush my teeth and
Get something to eat get
Fly as I can be and
Start shaking haters off
Start shaking haters off

No, Kelly, I will not begin my morning thinking about shaking my haters off. I WILL shake my head at you for thinking this song is OK. sigh. I could barely get past the first few bars of the song and I can't take her seriously with a song like that.

Oh, and do you remember that song by Maino called "Hi, Hater?" And Rihanna's "Dem Haters," Jay-Z's "Hate" featuring Kanye West**, and the list goes on.

I DO understand that these songs are intended to be motivational or uplifting or whatever, but I still can't get down with them. You will never catch me bumping a song about anyone's "hater," and I sure won't be talking about my own.

Can we leave the hater talk to the youngins?? Like, say, Willow Smith?

Hop up out the bed turn my swag on
Pay no attention to them haters 'cause we whip em off
...
Don't let haters keep me off my grind
Keep my head up and I know I'll be fine..

 She can talk about and whip off all the haters she wants to without bothering me. She's 9 and has the right to.





*I say this only because her first two album didn't do well. I still like her!!! I'm not hating! HA!
** Two artists I love!