We bring you the following article — The Thirst Is Real, written by D.O.C, highlighting the reality of artists dating fans (HMI Love) in the Haitian Music Industry and how that is becoming problematic.
On the subject of HMI Love, we think of “Everyone Falls In Love Sometimes”, mega hit by Jamaican artists, Tanto Metro and Devonte. I am going out on a limb here – if you have heard the record – you loved it for its simplicity, its dance/club vibe. Regardless if you could understand the mumbling, seemingly indecipherable lyrics and the Jamaican patois in the verses, yet the hook was clear and comprehensible.
Some entertainers sometimes make us feel like they are directly talking to us through their craft and as fans we fall madly in love with them and build this crush in our heads even though there is no way it will ever manifest itself. Within our (HMI) community, there is a love (HMI Love) for many of the artists that I believe sometimes can lead to destruction. There is a line some fans are willing to cross. A key feature of celebrity culture is that some of the artists’ handlers know how to package and carefully control everything they want to divulge. Rarely do celebrities in our community acknowledges their wives/girlfriends because they fear it will endanger them due to para-social relationship, one-sided I might add, with their fans.
“Parasocial relationship” ( in our case, HMI Love), is an evolving term coined in the 1950’s that identifies the one-sided relationship between fan and celebrity. The fan puts in all the energy and emotion while the celebrity is unaware of the fan’s existence.
I have been fortunate enough to have met and spent time with many artists. Knowing your boundaries will go a long way in establishing mutual respect and maintain a working relationship. What I have come to realize is that the Haitian fans treat Haitian artists different than their foreign counterparts. For example, a young lady who is infatuated with Justin Bieber will not blast him on social media for not having replied to her countless messages, for refusing to acknowledge her dick hungry ways, and for not giving her his contact information. But when it comes to the Haitian artists, there is a double standard. They would first ask for a contact number and when the door is shut, they degrade the artist and act as if a crime had been committed.
One thing to note is that while Haitian artists working in the HMI may never amassed the billions of fans like a Justin Bieber, Drake or Ronaldo yet the level of respect must remain the same. How do you blast someone for not wanting to disclose his or her personal information? Mind you these are the same people who will openly blast a commoner who slide in her DM/private message requesting personal favors/information. Why the double standard? I have witnessed women on social media who would blast a guy for sending them a private message asking for her number yet these are the same women trashing the artists/entertainers for not wanting to give them their private numbers.
There is an illusion that these fans have this personal relationship with the artists because their comment on a post may have been liked by the artist or a reply was furnished in an effort to build momentum on a post. The blame doesn’t solely lie on these thirsty fans because some artists in the Haitian community will sleep with their fans which in turn propel these fans to blast other artists who doesn’t embrace that lifestyle. The actions of some of the bad apples lend itself to the creation of the more rabid fans, because they feel a sense of entitlement and cannot control being shut down.
I can guarantee you that if a celebrity is attracted to a fan, he will find a way to get to him/her. Keep in mind, celebrities do travel with an entourage so he most certainly sends someone to find you and express his desires. What I hope some people will focus on themselves and stop being thirsty and control your emotions when your thirst isn’t quenched. Celebrities are people too, and they must be treated with respect. You would never dare cussed Jay-Z or Drake for not respond to your sexual advances; you would never dare ask Ronaldo to add you to his WhatsAPP, so why act differently when it is a Haitian artist? Shouldn’t you treat these Haitian artists better because they are our own? Shouldn’t you be the one adding value to that person, but instead you tear him/her down for neglecting your messages and never reply to your post that he/he she may not have seen. The demands are aplenty when it comes to being an artist and I believe that the fans need to understand that.
You can’t tell an artist I want to be your friend and I want to hang out with you. That’s thirsty. People need to turn their thirst and celebrity worship on themselves. Your relationship with your favorite celebrity is an illusion. Fans pay to be entertained but that fee does not include a friendship.
D.O.C
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