Industry Insights: Barbz: A Commentary on Parasocial Relationships in 2021

“Super Bass” rapper Nicki Minaj has been in the media as of late for her actions regarding her husband, Kenneth Petty, who is a registered sex offender. The fandom is split on this issue, with some defending Minaj at every turn.

Industry Insights explores the inner workings of the greater music industry, and what they mean for artists and fans alike.

Written by Adam Cherian

Photo courtesy of Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj has been at the top of the list of famous rappers for over a decade now. This is no small feat; she is the most awarded female rapper in history, has multiple platinum records, and is one of the best-selling rappers of all time. Not only has she made strides in the rap industry, but she has also broken barriers for women, being that she was the first female artist in Billboard history to reach 100 entries on their chart. Taking all of her achievements into consideration, she has remained one of the most influential public figures of today. For all intents and purposes, she is the current reigning queen of rap.

All career acknowledgements aside, however, heavy is the head that bears the crown. 

Minaj has been in the public eye recently for defending her husband, Kenneth Petty, in a serious sexual assault case. Petty was convicted on multiple charges in 1995, including first-degree rape. The victim, Jennifer Hough, recently did an interview on “The Real”, revealing that she is now suing Minaj and Petty for “attempting to intimidate her into recanting her rape accusation.” These are serious allegations, and were it any other celebrity there would be far more outrage than there currently is. But Nicki Minaj has something that most other celebrities do not have: an extremely devoted fan-base — some teetering on the edge of obsession — lovingly named “the Barbz,” that come to her defense upon even the slightest criticism of their idol. In the age of the internet, a fan of any celebrity can aggressively defend them, but even now, Barbz are a special case of parasocial relationships.

Photo courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Parasocial relationships are a psychological phenomena in which an audience feels as if they have a real and personal connection with a popular mass media celebrity. This phenomenon is not new; in the ‘60s and ‘70s, “Beatlemania” took America by storm with the international debut of the Beatles. The wave of Beatles fans during this time became one of the first examples of a “crazed fan-base,” and set a precedent for other celebrities like Elvis Presely to utilize this fan-base for popularity. Soon followed the archetype of “fan-girls” and the “stan,” who were fanatics that felt the celebrity they idolized was specifically making music for them and them only. In the eyes of musicians and record labels, having a strong, passionate fan-base is good because that means guaranteed sales. Given that the internet did not exist when Beatlemania onset, having a loyal fan base was necessary to be successful.

The internet has made way for fandom culture to flourish. Nicki Minaj has created a community of people with a common love of her using the internet. Now Barbz from all over the world are able to freely communicate with other Barbz. This has been positive, for example: the use of the hashtag “Barbz4Bernie,” to rally for the political candidate in 2020 sparked a movement of getting younger people involved in politics. Despite the positive impact Barbz have had at points, their influence, however, has also made way for some serious negative consequences.

Barbz are known for harassing “rivals” of Minaj. Her feud with Cardi B is a perfect example of this harassment. Since Cardi B’s debut in 2017 with her breakout hit, “Bodak Yellow,” Barbz have been continuously attacking her as they feel she is trying to replace Minaj as the queen of rap. This harassment is still seen today, with the comments and replies on anything Cardi does is filled with hate from Barbz. This harrassment extends past Cardi; even music reviewers who gave positive critiques to her 2018 album Invasion of Privacy received harassment, doxxing, and even death threats. This highlights the dangerous aspects of stan culture, demonstrating the very real consequences of when fandom involvement starts having negative real world effects.

The Jennifer Hough case is a testament to the overzealousness that Barbz have. Jennifer Hough, 43, was sexually assaulted by Minaj’s husband in 1994. The details of the case are chilling: Petty forcibly assaulted Hough at knifepoint after picking her up on the street. Hough immediately ran to school, 16 at the time, and reported what Petty had done to her. He was convicted and sentenced to jail time that he served. As a result of the incident, Petty is a registered sex offender in the state of New York. Though this case is over 20 years old, it has resurfaced in the media because of Petty’s high-profile relationship with Minaj.

Minaj has not remained silent on this situation. Time and time again, she has gone on record to defend her husband. In multiple interviews and instances, Minaj has blatantly lied about the details of this case. Some of these include Minaj falsely stating that Hough and Petty were in a relationship, and that Hough was actually a white woman. Both of these are untrue, and reveal a sinister attempt to try to paint Hough as the “lying white woman” stereotype that has led to numerous Black men being killed for false accusations. Not only that, but the implication that being in a relationship means that consent is always given in sexual encounters is not only rooted in misogyny, but also a common defense of domestic rapists that is upheld in court to this day.

This is not Minaj’s first time in this position: she has been criticized before for her public approval of abusive men. Brooklyn rapper, Tekashi 6ix9ine, is one of these men that Minaj has worked with on multiple occasions. In 2015, Tekashi, real name Daniel Hernandez, pleaded guilty to use of a child in a sexual performance, but did not serve jail time. This is public record on Tekashi, and has been well known about him. Minaj, however, did not see an issue with this, and collaborated with Tekashi on viral hits “FEFE” and “Trollz,” publicly co-signing him. Minaj has publicly stated that she does not find issue working with and promoting Tekashi. The public admonishment of a known child predator is morally reprehensible enough, but Minaj actively chooses to put herself in these situations.

Nicki Minaj is no stranger to other types of controversy as well. In a tweet posted Sep. 13, Minaj sent the Twitterverse into chaos by announcing that the reason she did not attend the Met Gala was because she did not want to get vaccinated without her own prior research. Following this Tweet, she details an alleged incident where her cousin’s friend in Trinidad had testicular swelling due to the vaccine. This storm of chaos brought up conversations on vaccine safety. Political commentator Hasan Piker replied to Minaj, creating a storm of fighting and harassment. Criticism of Minaj ensued; some felt it was dangerous to bring so much hesitancy during a time where COVID-19 deaths were spiking. The spike in vaccine hesitancy from this cannot be measured, but considering how influential Minaj is, it is dangerous during these times to spread such misinformation.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

In her most recent controversy, Minaj defended collaborator and former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson against allegations of cultural appropriation and “blackfishing,” which is the act of white people using makeup or tanner to give the appearance of being Black. They have been thrown at Nelson with the release of her debut solo single, “Boys.” Nelson has been criticized for the obvious and purposeful darkening of her skin, as well as co-opting African-American aesthetics like wearing a bandana for hair protection. Minaj is a collaborator on this track, and went on Instagram live on Oct. 7 to defend Nelson. She also went on to attack members of Little Mix for being “jealous” of Nelson’s solo career. One member, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, was the specific target of Minaj’s rant, given that there were fake screenshots of Pinnock confronting Nelson on the blackfishing allegations. This encounter struck fans the wrong way, given that Minaj knows how vicious her fans can be. Leigh-Anne Pinnock and, subsequently, Little Mix, were attacked online by Barbz, showing how dangerous an apparent “slight” on Minaj could be.

The Barbz have been behind some of the abusive social media bullying campaigns. They are famous online for being particularly vicious with anything involving Minaj. As of recently, their bullying is becoming increasingly dangerous, with the fandom dramatically affecting peoples’ lives. Jennifer Hough’s life has been turned upside down, causing her to fear for her life and moving to different locations three separate times in order to feel some semblance of safety. Given that she is a new mother, these moves have made her life a living hell, going as far as to stop working due to the mental and emotional abuse the Barbz have afflicted on her.

Nicki Minaj’s influence is astounding, and, no matter what she says, the Barbz follow. For example: following her COVID-19 vaccine Tweets, Barbz started to protest outside of the CDC in Atlanta. In a Tweet from CBS reporter Tori Cooper, you see Barbz yelling “Fauci lied to me,” at cars leaving the CDC. This has disturbing parallels to the countless protests over COVID-19 restrictions from far-right groups. Even with the information that is available to the public, the Barbz still took Nicki’s word over science.

The Barbz are the perfect example of a parasocial relationship gone wrong. They encapsulate the state of parasocial relationships in 2021; unlimited access to their “fave,” constant validation from their peers, and unchecked internet access has led Nicki Minaj to the status of “uncancelable.” No human is perfect, but in the eyes of a Barb, Minaj is their savior that can do no wrong. The moral implications of letting celebrities escape accountability sets a dangerous precedent. Big musicians, like Minaj, are able to remain successful with no ramifications despite their wrong-doing. It is seen all the time with other abusive men in Hollywood being able to get away with their abuse for long periods with no repercussions. But the increase in fandom culture is setting a dangerous precedent for celebrities in the future. 

Utilizing harassment within your own fans is the best way to shield yourself from criticism, and Nick Minaj has perfected that.

This article was added to Industry Insights after its publication, upon the creation of the Industry Insights series.