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While some celebrities incur the wrath of the public due to problematic things they have said or done, others inspire vitriol for no obvious reason at all. Actress Anne Hathaway is one such star.
Hating on Anne Hathaway practically became an international sport in the 2010s, with the hashtag #Hathahate first trending on social media in 2013. Apparently her 'theater kid' exuberance was enough to fire people up.
Comedian and talk show host James Corden is another star who frequently generates an unfavorable response from the public. The British star may have a solid fan base, but many viewers take offense at his interview technique.
Actress and wellness mogul Gwyneth Paltrow is another star who has seemingly made a career of irritating the public. But why do people love to hate stars such as Anne Hathaway, James Corden, and Gwyneth Paltrow?
Speaking to USA Today, Kaston Anderson-Carpenter, assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University, said: "A lot of the strong dislike can be traced back–at least partially–to our tendency to prefer those who share similar characteristics to us over those who are different." Kardashian-level wealth may be off-putting, for instance.
It's perhaps no coincidence that frequently-smiling stars such as Dwayne Johnson consistently rank among the most popular celebrities. "Facial mimicry" means that many people subconsciously 'catch' the feelings of the person they are looking at.
Science of People compared several photographs of popular star Jennifer Lawrence, and hate-inspiring Anne Hathaway. Lawrence's pictures were seen as sending out friendly, happy, and confident vibes.
A raised chin has been shown to negatively affect people's perceived attractiveness in photos. The angle could appear condescending, particularly in conjunction with a partial smile.
According to The Science of People, "Humans are incredibly adept at picking up social cues–especially non-verbally." Could this be a reason that smiley stars such as Will Smith win the public's affection? (That is, before the infamous slap at the Oscars.)
Some celebrities, such as Lindsay Lohan, have angered the public through their less-than-model behavior. Anderson-Carpenter added: "In our collective mind, we set up certain (often unrealistic) expectations of how celebrities should behave."
A miserable or tense-looking expression in photographs can provoke a similarly negative response. A wide, genuine smile such as Steve Carrell's can make people feel happier just by looking at it!
Actor Robert Pattinson is another star who gets a lot of hate from the public. Could his body language be a contributing factor? According to Science of People, most individuals make judgements about others in less than a second, and ask themselves, "Are you an ally or an enemy?"
Marcus told USA Today that female celebrities are held to "different standards" than their male counterparts, and have to battle to come across as neither too vain nor too self-deprecating. Popular stars such as Sandra Bullock may be deemed by the public as getting the balance right.
Fan culture inspires strong feelings, both negative and positive. Many celeb-watchers say they 'love' Kristen Bell, for example, but 'hate' other stars. "In fantasy, what we love and what we hate can get very close," says Marcus.
Angelina Jolie tends to inspire admiration and hatred in equal measure, with much of the dislike tracing back to her apparent involvement in the breakup of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's marriage. Anderson-Carpenter says that the public tends to judge celebrities more harshly than non-celebs.
Jennifer Aniston herself is a star the public loves to love, rather than loves to hate. But why are some stars so much more popular than others?
Something as simple as the angle of a photo and the intensity of a smile can make a difference to perceptions of a star, with "trust signaling" a major non-verbal social cue. If somebody looks trustworthy in an image, we may feel more warmly towards them.
By contrast, actor Ben Affleck–someone who frequently crops up on 'most hated celebs' lists–frequently has a partial smile, which can look like a smirk.
Research suggests that feelings–both negative and positive–can be 'contagious.' Popular star John Krasinski has a wide smile, which could inspire positive feelings in those looking at his pictures.
Some celebs, such as Justin Bieber, are both widely loved and widely hated. Sharon Marcus, Columbia University professor and author of 'The Drama of Celebrity,' says that celebrities are objects of fantasy for the public. "And fantasies are notoriously contradictory and polarized and kind of messy."
Some celebrities have found unpopularity through actions, as well as appearances. Shia LaBeouf, for example, can come across as aggressive in photos, and has a history of run-ins with the law. The combination has done little to endear him to the public.
A Buddy TV poll noted a "strong case for gender-based discrimination in the comedy world." Why? Well did you know that after the disgraced Bill Cosby, the three most-hated comedians were Amy Schumer, Ellen DeGeneres, and Roseanne Barr?
Many stars, such as John Mayer, inspire widespread criticism from the public because of a reputation for dating around, or other behavior that might not align with our values. But Marcus adds: "Even when we know a lot abut their private lives, we don't know them the way we know people we've actually met."
Comedians tend to be divisive by the very nature of their jobs, but some inspire more hatred than others. A 2021 study showed Roseanne Barr–twice 'canceled' for publicly unpalatable behavior including racist tweets–is among America's most-hated comedians.
Buddy TV surveyed 1,124 people (mainly millennial men), and found that even 'canceled' Louis C.K., was less disliked than the three women in the top five.
Writing in Psychology Today, Pamela B. Rutledge points out that hating on celebrities can have real-life effects. She says: "When you have a large number of followers, even a small percentage of haters create an avalanche of negative comments." As much as people may resent reality TV stars such as Kim Kardashian for apparently unearned success, online vitriol is uncalled for.
Gwyneth Paltrow is a woman who has it all–except public popularity. Her smile can come off as condescending, particularly in conjunction with the privileged and preachy attitude of her Goop wellness platform.
Jeffrey Brown, professor and chair of Popular Culture at Bowling Green State University, says: "Sitting and fuming about a celebrity you hate is the definition of futile. It's not going to make that celebrity go away." So maybe it's time to stop hating and start sharing the love!
Sources: (USA Today) (Psychology Today)
See also: Celebrities who tragically lost their best friends
There are certain celebrities who inspire warm and fuzzy feelings from the public at large, and then there are some stars who draw vitriol due to problematic things they have said or done. And then there are the famous figures who just tend to grate on people's nerves, often without doing anything that's tangibly 'wrong.'
But why do we have these extreme reactions to celebrities? Why do people get irked by Anne Hathaway but love Paul Rudd? Click through this gallery to find out!
The psychology behind why people hate certain celebrities
Why does Anne Hathaway get so much hate?
CELEBRITY Unpopular celebs
There are certain celebrities who inspire warm and fuzzy feelings from the public at large, and then there are some stars who draw vitriol due to problematic things they have said or done. And then there are the famous figures who just tend to grate on people's nerves, often without doing anything that's tangibly 'wrong.'
But why do we have these extreme reactions to celebrities? Why do people get irked by Anne Hathaway but love Paul Rudd? Click through this gallery to find out!