Celebrity phases
Is Jojo Siwa being serious?
Photo credit: Special
Alexandra Gray, Staff Writer
As people grow up, certain aspects of their personalities are bound to change. When I was younger, I didn’t dress the same, have the same taste in music, or have the same interests as I do now. I grew up. I changed. Nobody expects me to be the same as I was five years ago. However, for people who grew up in the public eye, change is often looked down upon.
If you have been on TikTok recently, you have most likely seen the memes about Jojo Siwa. Her recent transformation has left many puzzled about where this came from. Has she always wanted to dress up like a sea monster and wear face paint? We may never know. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of her song “Karma,” and I don’t view her new sense of style as inspiration for my own, but that is not to say that I don’t understand her sudden desire to change.
When we first saw Jojo Siwa, she was just 9 years old on the show “Dance Moms”. She is now 20. Over the past 11 years, she has been loved by many, but also hated by many. She faced hate for her time on the show “Dance Moms,” got bullied for dressing “too young,” and we have all seen (and possibly laughed) at that video of her singing “Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo. 11 years is a long time for someone to have the same style.
As Taylor Swift said, in the entertainment industry, women are often expected to “reinvent” themselves to stay relevant. While yes, Taylor Swift has completed this task a bit more gradually over her career than Jojo Siwa’s sudden shift, her shift in music genres and style has helped her become one of the most influential voices in pop music history. She has managed to maintain her fan base and relevancy for over 10 years. Jojo is most likely trying to emulate this.
Maybe Jojo Siwa took less influence from Taylor Swift, however. Maybe she is trying to be like childhood Disney star turned rockstar, Miley Cyrus. Miley Cyrus seemingly overnight traded her Hannah Montana wig in for a wrecking ball and received even more of an uproar from her fans.
While Jojo Siwa is most likely playing this newfound phase up in order to get a reaction on social media, is it worth the hate she is receiving? Is she really so passionate about her new music and “bad girl era” that it is worth completely reinventing herself? I hope she is.
