For my money, Bella Thorne is the new Lindsay Lohan. I don’t mean that Bella is a cracked-out trainwreck. I mean that Bella, who turned 18 years old last October, reminds me strongly of Lindsay when Lindsay was that age. And yes, Bella is gingery and thirsty and she loves it when she’s photographed in various stages of undress, so there is that Lohan vibe to her too. Bella also has a knack for talking sh-t and giving pretty good interviews, so there’s that too. Bella covers the new issue of Galore Magazine, and she talks about real-life mean girls, #AskHerMore and beyond. Some highlights:
Girls are so mean: “I don’t get offended because girls are really mean. I will say — no matter where you go in life, it’s high school everywhere. I’m sure in the work office, for you, there’s high school [drama], and there’s one girl who’s bitchier than everybody. Girls are just mean and so competitive — it’s so crazy.”
She prefers hanging out with guys: “I’m very chill in that way. Other girls sometimes get really, really like, competitive and catty and ‘Who likes who? You like him? Too bad. I like him. We’re going to have a problem now.’”
She is friendly with Mae Whitman & Chloë Grace Moretz though: “They’re all just such homeys. When somebody has a lower vocal range, it’s great because then I’m not the only one that sounds like a man. It’s the girls that are tomboys that I’m so down, any time of day, because I like to get my hands dirty. Germs don’t freak me out, and so I’m really just down to chill, you know, and watch movies. Anybody that can do that, any girls who can do that, you’d be surprised that like, everybody just wants to chill. But it’s not all the time. Girls ask me, ‘Let’s go out? Let’s go to this party? My friend’s famous and we should totally go there.’ And I’m always just like, ‘No! I’m tired, dude. I’m so tired. I just want to go home, watch a movie, sit on Netflix, and eat Top Ramen or order food.’”
She works out all the time: “I work out every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. I only really work out my core, abs, and legs, and butt is included in that. I don’t really work out my chest or shoulders all that often because I personally don’t love that look. But what’s really good is jumping squats—really good.”She doesn’t diet: “I eat whatever I want all day long. I eat anything spicy, greasy, fried, with carbs, literally, everything. My skin doctor told me, ‘You need to cut out this, this, this, this.’ I’m like, ‘Shut up! No, I don’t. You just want to make me miserable and dependent on you, and I’m not going to because I’ll eat whatever I want.”
She doesn’t believe in #AskHerMore: “When I watch The Oscars, my boyfriend and I have an Oscar party, and they’re like, ‘Okay, we need to record the first part since everyone won’t be here till later.’ And he’s like, ‘Why do you need to see the carpet? You do that all the time.’ And I’m like, ‘OMG bitch, I’m not on the Oscars carpet!’”
[From The Daily Mail & Page Six]
Of course I was rolling my eyes throughout this piece, but I’d like to say… I think there are many teenagers just like this. This self-absorbed and self-aware, this obsessed with telling you what they’re like and how cool and how chill they are and who’s in their clique and what they think about gender politics because OMG that girl was so bitchy to me. Maybe many of you know some great, amazing, inspiring 18-year-olds, but from what I’ve seen, a lot of them are like this. All I’ll say is that I’m really “over” young women telling people that they’re more of a hang-with-the-guys kind of girl, that all girls are so mean and catty, etc. You don’t sound cool. You sound like the mean, catty person.
Photos courtesy of Galore.
I’ve been wondering, is she any good at acting because all I ever see is jail bait?
I read a few months back that Hollywood “insiders” think she will eventually be the new “it” girl (like in Jennifer Lawrence “it” girl). That remains to be seen. The only thing I’ve seen her in is that Disney “Shake It Up” show a few years ago, because my kids were watching it.
She’s still a kid, so I’ll give her a pass on her “I’m so cool” interviews.
I really hope she doesn’t become another Lindsey Lohan. I feel for Lindsey, because she had no family support and was basically thrown to the wolves at a very young age. Being born into that family was the worst thing that could have happened to her. Her parents are a disaster.
God, I hope not. We don’t need antoher “I’m so cool I eat all the time” it girl. JLaw is more than enough.
I hate when women say this. Women are the best, like she’s never cried in a bathroom and had 7 immediate best friends in there? I’m sorry, but women are cool.
Her comments are fine and seem quite normal for an 18 year old who will mature with time as we all do. I see no point in kicking her to the curb for her interview.
@Sabrine
I agree.
Also, I’ve met more women OLDER than teens/20s that are insufferable and everything Bella describes. High school IS everywhere. And yes, it’s true….most women are pretty mean and catty.
Yup.agree from personal experience I’d say this is spot on even tho in teen lingo
OF COURSE she prefers hanging out with guys. She’s in that “cool girl” phase. I can’t snark, though. I went through that phase too when I was around 18-22.
I was just thinking something similar. The ‘I’m so chill, I’m more of a guys’ girl’ phase.
I did too! Mine was probably 16-20.
I know adult women with this same kind of mentality.
Of course, guys are not competitive with girls, they are chill and cool because they just want to have sex.
Whenever I hear ‘ I get along better with guys’ from a hot girl, all I can think is:
They forgive you for your terrible personality because you are hot. Women won’t because they don’t all want to bang you.
Female Chauvinist Pigs (Ariel Levy) is an interesting book about ‘the cool girl’ and female sexuality. I’d love to read more if anyone else has recs.
LOVED THAT BOOK. I’ve been trying to get it for my kindle off and on for years but haven’t been able to up until now. Should check again.
Hopefully there are better interviews of her out there, because this was not it. Also what projects is she doing? Why is she getting pushed so hard? I wonder how she feels about Zendaya’s success. Seriously what is she doing??
I feel like there’s another celebrity she reminds me so much of, but their name is slipping my tongue so Lohan will have to do.
She is very pretty though, maybe she should model
Something nice, I like what she says about #AskHerMore. As for everything else…she’s young, so I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. People can grow, learn and change (or not).
Yeah, I could eat whatever I wanted, too at your age. Shut up, it goes away, smug face.
In my opinion, girls who think all other girls are mean are usually a$$holes. I know some nice women who are just more comfortable with men, but most women who are hated by all other women think it’s because they are pretty, but it’s really because they are obnoxious.
Totally this.
I absolutely do not like stuck ups. And I go attack for it all the time when I say some thing about Taylor Swift. Don’t get me wrong, Taylor Swift is a sweet girl but she can be smug, catty and stuck up at same time while all nice and daisy. Bella Thorne is just like the rest of young Hollywood, rich and self-entitled.
Can be smug Taylor is extremely smug and the nice girl is only one side to her she also very passive aggressive and mean.
I’m one of those women that are a lot more comfortable with men and believe it’s because growing up I had 3 brothers and the neighborhood was full of boys. So my playmates were always boys. Nothing wrong with it. I find her a little thirsty for attention lately – just from articles and pics that have been posted.
No nothing wrong with that at all. I just don’t like the “girls are mean, boys are nice” line. It depends.
GNAT, I’m not a fan of what Bella is saying here and the way she is acting, but I had similar experiences in high school and it really doesn’t stop as you get older. Beauty is a gift just like anything else, you have it or you don’t, and Bella IS beautiful. What she doesn’t yet realize is you have to work extra hard to make people see what’s inside you.
Sometimes people still don’t care, especially women, and they will be catty and jealous. Screw them. That’s when you know who your real friends are, and I am still fiercely loyal to women. Good women. Someone needs to tell Bella guys just want to get in her pants. These guys she’s hanging around, I guarantee they would be like “what boyfriend?” and be down to shag and even take it further.
The way she’s dressing now though, holy shi. What is she thinking. I don’t understand wanting to be looked at or sexually objectified by anyone other than by my man.
I’m afraid she’s headed down the wrong road.
Reverse! Put it in reverse! She won’t though. We are who we are.
I guess I grew up in a different time and place. People weren’t mean to pretty women. They were more nice to them. Maybe things have changed since my youth.
GNAT- that movie Mean Girls is an example.
If Regina George were actually a nice girl.
Ani DiFranco has a great line in her song 32 Flavors: “God help you if you are an ugly girl/ but too pretty is also your doom/for everyone harbors a secret hatred/for the prettiest girl in the room”
You must have been raised in a eutopia! Some women can be brutal! No matter how nice and smart you are.
I’ve been heavy and I’ve been slim.
When I wear more makeup, dress fancier and am thinner, people in general are nicer. Its dramatic. I get more free stuff, I get exceptions to the rules and I get so many open doors. Both men and women. Conforming to the social ideal of female presentation has its benefits.
“The way she’s dressing now though, holy shi. What is she thinking. I don’t understand wanting to be looked at or sexually objectified by anyone other than by my man.”
Maybe she’s thinking (like many do) that now that she’s 18, she’s going to wear things she wouldn’t have gotten away with at 13 or 14? Either way, not every woman feels the need to make sure they only person who ever thinks of her in a sexual way is Her Man, and that’s fine. I don’t agree with what she says about us being ‘meaner’ or more shallow/judgy than men though.
Yeah, can’t we change this narrative? The “girls are so mean to each other” thing is played out. Bella, look at your contemporary, Zendaya…she’ll give you some pretty big clues on how to do it.
“All I’ll say is that I’m really “over” young women telling people that they’re more of a hang-with-the-guys kind of girl, that all girls are so mean and catty, etc. You don’t sound cool. You sound like the mean, catty person.”
YAAASSSSS! Preach. I always want to make a fake vomit noise when I hear women say this. She’s very young though, she’s got a lot to learn.
I’ve always found that there are two types of women that make these statements:
1) Women that aren’t conventionally “acceptable” and have had to deal with bullying.
OR
2) Women that are rude and do the bullying (oddly enough). Essentially, they can’t deal with themselves.
I would add- Or women looking for constant validation from men.
The whole “Oh I’m so cool, I’m not like the other women” “look at me be sexy while one of the guys-guys” which really in translation means- I’m not like the stereotypes society builds for us women- i.e. Naggy, self absorbed,gossipy, bitchy….
I mean, I used to be a girl that primarily hung out with boys, but the older I’ve grown, the more I appreciate the females in my life. We aren’t all catty, dramatic bitches, even though that’s fun sometimes, too. Takes all kinds ✌
1. nothing wrong with being mean (or whatever your definition of “mean” is) and competitive.
2. Who is this person?
She seems rather thirsty and kind of…what’s the word I’m looking for…cheapish. Like she’d gladly pose half naked than try and work on her acting skills.
I literally have no idea who this girl is. I don’t even recall ever seeing her face anywhere. But I’ll cut her some slack because I think a lot of girls go through that ‘I’m cool and love hanging out with dudes’ phase. I know I did. And it wasn’t until I was a bit older that I realized female friendships were amazing and irreplaceable.
Disney channel and a Lifetime movie about teens getting into heroin. Plus Neutrogena, if I’m not mistaken.
Lol I’m in the same boat I’ve heard her name before and I still have no idea who she is and what she does.
I guess I my experience is unique then, if most teenagers were like that because I never was. I was a fat nerd, but I LOVED high school. People were really nice. Maybe my school was the exception. And I never really felt truly comfortable around guys.
And in my experience, guys are way cattier and judgemental than girls.
She desperately wants to be the “cool” girl.
I hate how boys are perceived to be “perfect”. Like they aren’t judgemental or catty? Teenaged boys are probably some of the meanest creatures alive !
She’s willing to be objectified, and she’s attractive. Guys are going to approve of her, so she feels they accept her. Where is the Parker Posey for this generation!?
Yeah me too. I remember making friends with a group of girls when I was 10 who were always in-fighting and catty and I thought ‘nope, not for me’ and went and found new friends. I’m 35 now and still friends with the second bunch, plus I made a heap of new and great friends along the way both male and female. Cattiness and drama is easy to avoid if you don’t indulge it, I’ve had wonderfully solid friendships my whole life since.
Calling her boyfriend a “bitch” bodes will for her relationship. I think they moved in together recently. Good luck!
Yeah. “Bitch” to your man = bad sign.
For her AND her relationship and likely future relationships.
It’s Disney. She got in so young. I’m not surprised.
Hahaha her overly talking about how “chill” she is isnt what a chill person does. She’s THAT girl that is truly catty and doesnt realize it. The whole interview was cattyAF lol
So, I forget she is 18. When I first read this, I thought wow this woman sounds really obnoxious, superficial, self absorbed and a bit stupid. Until I stopped skimming and read she was 18 and it all made sense.
Reminds me of the cool gir reference in “gone girl”… She is so pretend and try hard – it’s tiring.
Yes to the comment about how being a guy’s girl because all girls are catty and means makes her cool. No wonder she doesn’t have much to say. Sure, she’s pretty, but so are loads of others in Hollywood. She doesn’t stand out with witty comments or burning intelligence. No wonder she’s name dropping Chloe Moretz. Zendaya makes intelligent comments, can engage in repartee without losing her cool or her views, and isn’t objectifying herself; maybe that’s what’s bugging this girl.
We know that the way she (Bella) is dressing and presenting herself isn’t in a modest way, and because of sexism, that automatically gets read by some people as a woman ‘degrading herself to the status of an object’.
I don’t really know anything about her, so it’s hard to say whether or not she’s the real mean girl and doesn’t know it. But sometimes when women and girls make this type of comment it’s really about which gender they’ve personally experienced the most bullying/nasty/mean-spirited/shitty behavior from personally. So it could be that she’s the asshole, it could be that growing up in Hollywood- a place full of snobby, gossipy diva assholes- most of the celebrities and celeb-friends she noticed that behavior from were people who were of the same sex- or it could be a combination of both. Either way, it’s a dumb thing to say.
Otaku- I think she’s a sweet, nice girl, not a mean girl. I really do. DEFINITELY.
I think she is being judged by how she dresses and before that she was judged and girls were mean to her because she is so SO pretty. So she’s probably just thinking “fk it” either way.
As for my comment re being objectified: I stand by what I say, I know most women are not like me, but that is ME. I’m certainly no prude, I just have my own style. It’s far from Amish, but it isn’t close to her clothing choices lately. Not when I was 18, and not 20 years later either.
Where is Kathleen Hanna to talk some sense into this girl? I don’t care what she wears, but making sure she is papped in revealing clothing (i.e. shorts that expose her rear) or constantly being photographed in revealing clothes or come hither expressions means she is relying on her appearance. She never deviates from that. Sinead O’Connor may be a nutter, but what she said to Miley Cyrus some time back still rings true. And the idiotic comments about how all females are mean and spiteful and she *has* to be a guys’ girl because guys are better than girls ? Yes, because all guys are so awesome. The way you present yourself is the way people are going to perceive you.
“The way you present yourself is the way people are going to perceive you.”
And the way we perceive people (in this case, women who dress or present themselves in a way that’s unapologetically immodest) is a side-effect of the sexist society we and our ancestors were born and raised in and the beliefs that have been taught- even if when we think we’re too feminist, liberal, libertarian, agnostic, or atheist to be effected by those messages. As for Sinead O’Connor, since you brought her up, her words (which had nothing to do with her being mentally ill) were not an example of feminism, they were a perfect example of how even someone who’s liberal, non-religious, and possibly feminist can internalize discriminatory, misogynistic, victim-blaming messages about female modesty and male behavior.
That said, I still think this girl’s comments about women are a dumb generalization, (even if Kiliki’s comment about the reason why she’s saying it is true) because it’s not like men and boys are all kind, empathetic, tolerant people and it’s just women and girls, or even all women and girls, who are the ‘catty, uptight, discriminating bullies’ or anything like that.
i want to throw a bucket of water on this one…
Her interview gave me a headache.
But is she wrong? Have you been to a PTA meeting?
This ^^^^^ was, hands down, the best comment. But have you sat at a bar or a ball game? *People* are just generally pains in the collective butt.
For my life, I could never understand these girls who rather hang out with boys. When I was in high school, two kind of girls had this mentalitly: the tomboyish ones and the pretty ones. And I naively thought that boys were only nice with the pretty or the “equal” ones, but I was so dead wrong. They were like horny, evil animals, bullying the hell out of any of us whenever they had the chance (when none of us were around). In my opinion, it’s stupid to think that, in a society based on misogyny so many guys will like you for who you are, when in fact the nice ones are the exception.
About her interview, she sounds stupid even for a 18 year old.
I so agree. Boys are mean and behave like out of control unruly cows. My brother once damaged the flower bed just to spite me. I attended the all-girls school, where majority of the girls were mean and aggressively competitive but at the same time very girlish, we threw little parties when we got our first periods and have long philosophical discussions over petty things. God, i miss them! When i entered college, it was so awkward, i thought i could die. Boys dislike brainy girls, in my experience. Boys are vulgar as hell. I have seen misogyny at its best. During dissection class, i heard some of the boys say things which made me blush with anger. As for my little brother, i pity the girl who falls for him because he is a brat.
Even with their cattiness and meanness, girls make better friends than boys. Bella whats-her-face lives in a bubble world with her Hollywood mentality, they never grow up.
Exactly. She doesn’t know what these “chill out” boys talk the moment she goes away. Plus, the “catty” and “mean” girls are usually the ones who like to hang out with boys, or dream to do so.
Generalizations apart, I’m aware that there are nice girls who hang out with nice boys, just in case someone comes up saying it.
There are catty and judgemenal people and there are nice people. I am going to believe my own experiences and say that at an average school has at least 30% of girls whi are competitive and catty. But maybe Hollywood is self- selecting and the percentage is higher.
Women are not perfect beings, there are some bad and toxic women, just like there are some bad and toxic men. It can happen that for a woman it is easier to make connection with men in her life than with women, it all depends on personalities.
I am always baffled by people who make broad generalizations about huge segments about the population. Like, women are 50%+ percentage of the planet. That’s 3.5+ billion plus people. Maybe you should reconsider the likelihood that the problem lies with them and not you.
I give her “youth pass”. She doesn’t realize yet that people are just people – some cool, some not cool, in every career, race, age bracket, locale….you just can’t glom them into any one category.
I love being a woman and I love my women friends. I love how we can be emotional with one-another, hug, hold hands, stroke eachothers hair, laugh our freakin’ butts off, and bitch about everythiing together. I can’t stand women who judge me w/out knowing me because they have issues – not me. There are very competitive women out there and there is an element of junior high drama with some women their entire lives. Buts that’s on them. So, we avoid that kind and make an ernest attempt to align with the women who raise us up.
I just went to my husband’s class reunion last Saturday night. 99% of the women there were friendly, scooped me right up into the conversations and circles and I had a blast. There was one woman there who was not particularly friendly, pretty much avoided me and my husband, but would talk to him when I wasn’t at his side. She seemed very uncomfortable around me. No surprise, she was the “pretty popular girl” from their class. But she was the 1% – not the norm. Don’t let a handful of jealous insecure women define women as a whole. Just weed those ones out.