With millions of social media followers, as well as music, movie and campaign deals galore, Addison Rae has been quickly and surely growing in her fame. She might not be a tried and true celebrity, yet, but there is definitely the potential for that to happen. However, when Addison Rae recently compared her stardom to the likes of pop icon Britney Spears, the Internet was quick to shut her down.
To be fair, Addison Rae’s comments seem to be coming from a place of being specifically asked about the similar circumstances in upbringing between her and Britney Spears, the Framing Britney Spears documentary and tabloid fame. In her interview with Bustle, she said:
I definitely can see how that is an overwhelming life. People do come up with narratives around you that aren’t necessarily true. I’ve kind of dealt with that a lot, people being involved in really personal aspects of your life. In the early 2000s, the press controlled what people saw of you. Now we can have that chance to do it ourselves.
The overall message behind Addison Rae’s words read more like an acknowledgment of how public life can be overwhelming for herself now and for Britney Spears in the past. But the Internet and some of the legions of Spears’ fans descended on Addison Rae. They accused her of overstepping the mark with the “audacity” of her comments and that it was “embarrassing.”
Fans were quick to point out that, firstly, Addison Rae is no way anywhere near or close to Britney Spears in terms of notoriety and fame. In fact, one user hilariously wrote, “The difference is I could show my mom a pic of Addison Rae and tell her that she’s my friend who works at Jamba Juice and she’d have no idea.” Many others were amazed at the “comparison” in question as well, as seen here:
It is 100 percent true that Addison Rae, who is best known for TikTok dance challenges, has nothing on the queen of pop herself. But it is also true that Addison Rae didn’t necessarily say she had more or less fame than Spears. No matter how you slice it, though, it is apples and oranges in terms of how they are truly similar.
A lot of fans are reacting to Addison Rae’s claim that untrue narratives have been put upon her and is something she’s “dealt with a lot,” much like Britney Spears. Some have pointed out the fact that Addison Rae puts her own self out there quite frequently, implying that she encourages paparazzi to bolster her fame. This is a direct contrast to Spears who must actively avoid the pandemonium from fans and paparazzi. See this fan’s tweet here:
Still, a lot of the backlash for Addison Rae’s comments appears to stem from the recent mess from her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She was accused of not crediting Black creatives and watering down their original dances, meanwhile getting money and recognition for doing so. For some, this means to fame is nothing compared to Britney Spears “who worked tirelessly” over the years. Check out this one user’s tweet:
The Addison Rae-Britney Spears comparison isn’t really one at all, as every celeb has their own unique journey to where they get in life. To me, though, it seems more like a generational clash between Gen-Z kids and everyone born before 1997 who grew up listening to “Baby…One More Time” or “Oops!...I Did It Again.” It’s a hard pill to swallow but fame comes in all ways and sizes, and viral TikTokers and social media influencers are obviously becoming a huge part of that. We can’t exactly hate their game, but at the same time, all TikTokers should take heed: you still aren’t Britney.
