Several outlets have reported that the memes are actually being created and posted by LGBTQ people Vox speculated that "for some, laughing at homophobia in such a ridiculous scenario is a way to undermine and cope with the very real homophobia in the world today." The same Vox article also warns that the joke could turn all too real, like how Pepe the Frog went from "an ironic joke about an awkward frog" to a mascot for actual anti-Semites. Lately, the homophobic bent on the meme has experienced a resurgence, just in time for LGBTQ Pride Month. It all started in November, according to Know Your Meme, when a Twitter user tweeted a patently absurd story that claimed Brown tore a hijab off of her head and "stamped on it." The account has since been suspended, but not before multiple users started responding with their own ridiculous claims about fictional run-ins with the actor, eventually spawning the aforementioned hashtag. So why would anyone try to make a such sweet young woman seem like a raging, violent bigot? Apparently, that's the joke. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images Brown's rep did not immediately respond to Romper's request for comment. Her Instagram account is still active, as well, but she recently disabled the comment section. And although her personal account has been deactivated, she still has her second account, which is dedicated to anti-bullying advocacy, although she hasn't posted anything since December. In reality, Brown is an LGBTQ ally who proudly supports GLAAD's Together campaign, which encourages intersectional solidarity. To be clear, there is absolutely no evidence that Brown has a shred of ill will for anyone, and the memes are so over-the-top, a reasonable person might immediately infer that they're fake. Others are creating Photoshopped screenshots of violent, offensive messages purported to be from the young actor, and fabricating outrageously defamatory and false stories about being victimized by Brown. Trolls are "jokingly" posting photos of Brown featuring homophobic, racist, Islamophobic, and ableist captions, according to The Wrap, sometimes accompanied by the hashtag #TakeDownMillieBobbyBrown. She was scheduled to get $25,000 per episode for Season 3, according to TMZ, but has negotiated a pay hike to $250,000 for each of the nine episodes.īut rumours circulating mean that Brown might be getting paid as much as $350,000 per episode, meaning her salary matches that of Hollywood actress and castmate Winona Ryder.Stranger Things star and innocent 14-year-old Millie Bobby Brown quit Twitter this week, and while she hasn't shared the reasoning behind her decision, it's widely assumed that it was in response to a particularly cruel and unfunny meme centered around her that recently gained popularity on the social media platform.
In April New York Post reported Brown was set to earn an eye-watering A$3.2 million (A$4.23 million) for the next season of Netflix’s hugely popular Stranger Things. Last year she wore an LGBT pin to the MTV awards and began another Twitter account in a bid to stop bullying, including cyberbullying. In reality, Brown is an active supporter of gay rights and an anti-bullying advocate.
Some of the memes have been attributed to members of the gay community who found them amusing.īrown’s official Twitter page comes up with an error message saying “sorry, that page doesn’t exist” when users attempt to access it. June is celebrated as Pride month in the US, to coincide with the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.