NY Times have the story
It’s Ariana Grande vs. Selena Gomez at the Oscars, at Least in Fans’ Minds
By Esther Zuckerman, Dec. 10, 2024 link
Pop music fans are notoriously ruthless — far more so than movie lovers. Their loyalty is unwavering to the point that they take aim at anyone who dares to criticize their beloved stars…
It’s not as if pop stars have never competed for movie prizes. Cher and Barbra Streisand might have something to say about that. More recently Lady Gaga was nominated in 2019 for her role in A Star Is Born.
Ariana and Selena are possibly going to attend pre-oscar events hosted by the academy, and the relationship between stars and the intricate power play of the entertainment industry is far more complicated than the polarized view of the stans. as noted by NY Times:
It’s not as if pop stars have never competed for movie prizes. Cher and Barbra Streisand might have something to say about that. More recently Lady Gaga was nominated in 2019 for her role in “A Star Is Born.”
The fights that usually erupt around Oscar time tend to be more cerebral than what’s going on here. …That is not the case here. These women’s actual work as well as their cordial overtures to each other are not taken into account. Instead, they are just figureheads for dedicated stans who see conspiracy at every turn.
As the season rolls on, Grande and Gomez will probably be in the same room together. Perhaps they’ll even make a show of friendship. After all, Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone, who competed against each other for best actress last year, ended up with matching rings. Will that be enough to quell stans? Probably not. Pop standom doesn’t abide by rational rules.
Today you can see pop artists doing everything—building artistic personality, expressive, making fuss on social networks, cloying to their stan audience, selling merch—but not focusing on delivering music itself. Contemporary pop music industry is scattered, hear my word.