Despite the support the Merediths received, Magnolia Network temporarily pulled the plug on their show, stating they were conducting an investigation into the homeowners’ claims. A week later Magnolia announced it would put the show back on the air, declaring, “We do not believe there was ill or malicious intent.” According to a Magnolia Network press release, the network didn’t exactly suffer from any of this “bad” press: More than 3 million viewers tuned in to watch programming on Magnolia’s premiere night, and the network has continued to thrive, with the second episode of the Gaineses’ Fixer Upper: Welcome HomeThe second film attracted 9% more viewers than its predecessor.
Followers, fans, trolls, and allegations aside: Despite the Merediths’ seeming win with the network, it’s hard to say there are any real “winners” in this story. Despite the overwhelming amount of evidence in this argument to the contrary, it appears that everyone has experienced some level of pain. What can we do about that? As humans, we’re wired to thrive off drama and intrigue, but this isn’t a soap opera we’re watching play out—these are real people whose real lives and livelihoods are on the line. Is schadenfreude the right response when there are so many stakes? Or is all of this—the show, the fame, the trust, the destruction—constructed on a faulty foundation?
The premise many of us have bought into is that anyone or anything affiliated with brands and names we’ve sunk our faith into must, by extension, be worthy of unmitigated confidence. Most of us are guilty of this unconditional loyalty to some degree—whether it’s the allegiance of wearing a beloved brand’s logo or the well-intentioned but ultimately disastrous investment in a business model built on manipulation (see: Amazon’s LuLaRich docuseries). We now live in a world where we all have the power to use our phones and keyboards to unleash a devastating amount of power. What may have, a decade ago, solely served as fodder on Yelp or a niche community message board, now has the potential to level a person’s career and social standing. In a culture that has historically silenced so much voice, it is vital to have the opportunity to express concerns and critiques. However, there is also the possibility of backfire and fallout if anything is posted into the ether. Although we might not be able remove the influencers who are on the same platforms that we praise, question and condemn, we can choose how to participate in this ecosystem. And that’s a sentiment all parties involved have echoed in one way or another.
“I used my platform to tell the truth,” Bennion says. “I used a platform where so often so many things are untruthful, or are bigger or smaller than they appear. I just wanted to tell the truth after all of the times that I knew that people were trying to silence it.”
Candis spoke two days later Glamour, “It’s okay to support people online, [but]When that support means you’re tearing down somebody else, you should take a moment to pause. Just think that there might be two sides to every story.”
Michelle Konstantinovsky is a San Francisco–based freelance journalist who has written for a number of publications includingVogue, Shape, Vanity Fair Teen Vogue, andO: The Oprah Magazine.
Source: Glamour