Safe Hate Spaces

Haters are no longer an internet force to contend with. Otherwise known as trolls or keyboard warriors, those who were once controversial characters in digital culture are now being embraced by creators – see the ‘reacting to my haters’ trend that has boomed on YouTube in the past few years. Even subversive brands like Liquid Death are giving haters a purpose. In 2023, the water specialist released an album with lyrics made from hateful comments, while Oatly launched F*ck Oatly, a site devoted to helping fans and ‘the thousands of people who hate’ the brand to better understand everything that’s ‘wrong’ with the company.

Having confronted provocative voices like Andrew Tate and Joe Rogan by embodying precisely the opposite tone – one of joyfulness and taking the high road – joyscrolling has been accused of turning social media into sugary-sweet spaces, where terms like ‘spread positivity’ have become essentially meaningless. That’s why ‘hater’ doesn’t even have to be a dirty word any more, according to Vox. The concept does not have to be managed; it has been reclaimed.

Gen Z, always the antagonists, are shifting the dial. One only needs to look to the Mean Girls reboot or Charli XCX’s new album Brat to see how this energy is permeating youth culture. According to youth culture strategist Fiona O’Grady, women are ‘entering their villain era as a means to regain control, signalling you are prioritising yourself’. 

This is also a time of hyper-devoted fandoms, from the Swifties to the BTS Army, and Gen Z are rallying against the saccharine adoration that has become obligatory to participate in pop culture. Inspired by the LGBTQ+ culture of throwing shade, the time has come to be celebrated for your icks, pet peeves and everyday gripes.

TikTok haters

Gen Z are taking to TikTok to embrace the ‘hater’ lifestyle. In 2023, the song Haters Anthem by rock band Infinity Song went viral on the platform, giving creators a backing track to reveal their personal critiques of modern culture. 

One such TikToker who has become a professional hater is Talia Lichtstein, a 25-year-old New Yorker whose biography reads ‘spread negativity’. In her no-frills videos she talks to her 1.3m followers about the things she hates about the city, whether social conventions or dating culture. Her grievances range from ‘people who, instead of clapping with their hands, clap by hitting a part of their body’; red and white Converse sneakers, and men with dogs.

Over the past year, Lichtstein has attracted a loyal following and started a Snapchat show. She’s operating in an online arena where women are expected to be upbeat, likeable and inoffensive. ‘We need to overcorrect a little,’ she told Vox. ‘The solution is not to have everyone walking around shouting: ’I’m allowed to be a hater!’ But there needs to be a couple.’

I’ve Had It podcast 

The petty irritations that make up everyday life are the subject of the American comedy podcast I’ve Had It, which has gone viral since launching in 2022. The podcast signals a cultural shift away from ‘good vibes only’, recognising the cathartic nature of complaining and the intimacy that can be forged from mutual dislikes. Eyebrow-raising complaints range from the political to the mundane, and even, simply, ‘pregnant people’.

Hosted by Oklahoma best friends and former Bravo stars Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan, the podcast has tapped into – and indulged in – the hilarious bitchiness of its Gen X blonde hosts. In April, US Vice-President Kamala Harris guest-starred on the podcast, using it as an opportunity to connect with Americans over her hatred of bare feet on aeroplanes and counter-productive group chats.

Hate Reads by Deez Links

Harking back to the juicy blogging of the 2010s, Hate Reads is a newsletter-within-a-newsletter where contributing writers have an anonymous safe space to bad-mouth their least favourite things. Recent additions include Taylor Swift’s outfits, Goldendoodles, and ironically, Hate Reads itself. 

Launched within Delia Cai’s popular newsletter Deez Links in 2024 as a limited-edition ‘experiment’, the series was such a success that Substack hosted a party to celebrate Hate Reads. Attendees were given name tags and Sharpies to label themselves with something they hate, while a number of media essayists unmasked themselves and read excerpts from the newsletter. 

Writer Mary HK Choi delivered a monologue about how she hates herself for loving the musician Post Malone. ‘It’s like this cancer inside me,’ she explained. ‘There’s just something about a particular breed of white dude scumbag that just does it for me.’

Reclaiming hate is part of a broader push away from neutral communication and towards cynicism, dark humour and online rebellion. As seen in Subversive Sustainability Ads, finding the right tone and comedy can help Post-purpose Brands like Oatly and Liquid Death cut through the noise of the advertising industry to reach new consumers.

But it’s not just about getting one up on your brand’s haters. The rise of scathing voices shows that the critic in media is no longer limited to an exclusive few, but one that anyone has the right to embody. In an age when influencers, taste-makers and fandoms are guiding people’s value systems, the act of claiming one’s own opinions, no matter how unpopular these might be, provides a cultural breath of fresh air. 

Expect to see less binary messages of joy and doom and more nuance in young people’s digital and real-life spaces as many begin to question the herd mentality of fandoms and celebrity cults. Consider not just the social benefits of hating together, but the inner rebellion against consumerism that comes with it. 

As Anne Gilbert writes in her book Anti-Fandom: Dislike and Hate in the Digital Age: ‘As active, engaged viewers, we are not supposed to dislike, and we are meant to treat dislike with suspicion in others because liking has been characterised as a progressive effort to champion the underdog in popular media.’