Drake and Rihanna. The saga has continued throughout millennials’ childhoods ever since Rihanna hit it big with “Pon de Replay.” Supposedly that was the music video where these two lovebirds met. Ever since then, it has been years in the making for Drake to profess his love to Rihanna at the 2016 MTV VMA Awards. Many were shocked. Rihanna was, of course, embarrassed. And a small number like myself were incredibly frustrated. Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly happy that they are finally together, but the whole charade and media coverage circling around the couple just hasn’t sat right with me.
Even back around 2005, when Rihanna was with Chris Brown, it was obvious that Drake was head over heels for her. They were incredibly close friends and attended plenty of events together; especially after the Chris Brown domestic abuse scandal hit the front page. It was no surprise that people wanted a relationship to end and a new one to begin. The two would continue for years with a rather flirty relationship paired up with some steamy duets that would make everyone question their relationship status. If you Google “Rihanna and Drake relationship,” there are articles that go all the way back to 2010 pleading for the friends to become an official couple. And now, after years of waiting, it seems that everyone has gotten their wish. Luckily, I believe that these two are truly happy together, and welcome the public to personal information like a mutual relationship, but I can’t help but think about the media and—even more toxic—the fans’ influences on celebrity relationships.
Has anyone ever thought of how incredibly pressured these two were to be together? Or the fact that during several years of friendship these two assured the media and their fans time and time again that they were just friends? Of course not, because when it comes to relationships—more prominently celebrity relationships—people forget that they exist in real life.
Sure, everyone loves a good rom-com, but I refuse to think that Drake and Rihanna are the new When Harry Met Sally, frankly because Harry and Sally aren’t real. Fans and media can speculate all they want about whether or not celebrities have feelings for each other, but in the end, there is no monologue or aside, no sleepover with the girls, no emotional voice-over to actually verify any of these theories. And more times than not, the vicious cycle only leads to more breakups than success stories.
If I had a nickel for every messy, failed relationship that basically imploded due to media and fan expectations, I could possibly be a celebrity myself. From Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber to Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris, the public has ruined many couples in one way or another.
The Rihanna/Drake duo is far superior to the previous examples, but they are not immune to the unrelenting touch of the media. Already, Drake’s VMA confession of love has been critically analyzed and spread rumors of Rihanna’s eye roll meaning she was not into Drake at all. Other media outlets spread rumors that Rihanna and Drake had planned the whole thing. Fans speculated that Rihanna was embarrassed at her boyfriend’s declaration of love. I thought nothing of it, other than, “good for them.”
Why can’t it be that simple? Perhaps the root of the problem is much deeper than we would all like to admit. We obsess over relationships outside of ourselves because we like the fantasy. Not everyone’s significant other can write a chart topping song about them, and then profess their love on national television. The fantasy sweeps us away from our own love lives and personal relationships, whether it is a friendship or a romantic connection. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can all stop tweeting about the loss of T-Swift and Calvin Harris. We can all stop commenting on Bieber’s Instagram to get back with Selena. We can all just stop obsessing about it, because those idealized, airbrushed, fan-inspired relationships are only real in the movies.