IF YOU’VE EVER wondered how readily social media users will criticise high-profile individuals online, the longevity of the Celebrities Read Mean Tweets segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live! should answer that.

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As long as we have celebrities, they will have their critics, and to assume anything else is wholly naive.

And while debating their politics or questioning their ethics when it comes to specific behaviour is to be expected, I often wonder what is to be gained from openly deriding a celebrity on their appearance.

Yesterday, Chrissy Teigen shared an image of a cover shoot she did for Glamour magazine.

She wrote that she was honoured to be one of Glamour’s Women of the Year, and paid tribute to the other women recognised by the publication.

I PROMISE I am going to do what I can to live up to this title and live up to the bar set by incredible women like Kamala, Viola, Janelle.

I saw Chrissy’s post, decided that the shoot’s aesthetic didn’t happen to be among my favourites of the ones she has participated in over the course of the last decade, and got on with my day.

However, for some of Chrissy’s followers, this simply wasn’t an option, and like millions of other social media users who feel damn near obliged to openly criticise another person’s appearance, one woman named Heidi really went for it.

This photo of you is quite frankly, awful. At first glance I didn’t recognize you. I know you don’t give a damn, but girl if you’re going to be magazine cover material, make it worth it.

There’s little doubt that Chrissy regularly receives criticism – it goes with the territory – but in this instance Chrissy chose to share the remarks, and respond to Heidi on her Twitter page.

Thank you, Heidi. In the future I will try harder to be the best cover model. If you could please send me specific tips and tricks (or past covers you’ve shot for reference!) that would be so awesome.

So far, so Chrissy Teigen.

thank you, Heidi. in the future I will try harder to be the best cover model. if you could please send me specific tips and tricks (or past covers you've shot for reference!) that would be so awesome https://t.co/UAvwS71lg2

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) October 30, 2018

But it did get me thinking; what is to be gained from openly denigrating a celebrity’s image?

Does it engender a feeling of empowerment? Is it born of a desire to belittle an individual you’re vaguely jealous of or utterly incensed by?

Or perhaps it’s just a desperate bid to get their attention; a move arguably most deserving of pity.

If it’s the latter, Heidi has succeeded.

As a result of Chrissy’s engagement with her remark, Heidi has gotten her very own Glamour cover courtesy of a Chrissy supporter who did a little photoshopping, and superimposed Heidi’s face onto Chrissy’s cover.

And that’s not all; this image now takes pride of place on Heidi’s Twitter profile.

Job done.

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