by Jade Diones
In the critical space of Twitter, anything goes. From overanalyzing red carpet looks, or replying “flop” under an artist’s one-week sales — Twitter users are unafraid to speak their minds. Thanks to the anonymity social media grants, offering the option to hide behind a profile picture and moniker, they are harsh to every public figure under the sun. It seems like no one is safe from a barrage of “Nicki outsold” replies or Tiffany Pollard reaction videos flooding their mentions. But, there are an unspoken set of individuals who are defended from such backlash.
What do Hatsune Miku, Ice Spice, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Chuu have in common? It is agreed upon in a viral tweet that these four pop culture icons are immune to online criticism.
On January 21, 2023; user @kzzrttt tweeted a set of photos featuring each figure, with the caption, “list of protected people that r universally loved by the internet.” The tweet gained heaps of attention for its relatability, amassing over four million views and 113.1 thousand likes after less than two weeks.
list of protected people that r universally loved by the internet pic.twitter.com/9zZuaXsbg4
— kio @ #KIO10kPARTY (@kzzrttt) January 21, 2023
When examining each of their respective careers, it is no surprise that they have gained unanimous support and admiration by even the most critical of audiences.
HATSUNE MIKU
For those that have grown to know and love this digital singer, the color turquoise has never been the same since. Known for her hit songs “Miku” and “World is Mine,” as well as her iconic leek-wielding character design, Hatsune Miku has been loved beyond our computer screens for over a decade.
Miku is able to achieve acclaim like no other, as “a singing voice synthesizer” — effectively allowing anyone with her software voicebank to instruct her to say any phrase or sing any song imaginable. Miku’s cultural impact in her home base of Japan is prevalent, in her first five years of being active, she accumulated over ten billion yen in profit — that’s approximately seventy-six million dollars here in the states. Recently, Miku garnered attention from Western audiences for her feature on a remix of Ashnikko’s “Daisy.”
The creative freedom Miku promotes refueled the artist space of Nico Nico Douga, a Japanese video site equivalent to YouTube. Miku’s road to popularity is thanks to independent artists who used her software to develop original songs and animated music videos. Multimedia content creation was flourishing with Miku as their muse.
In recent years, Miku made unexpected strides across the internet not only for her musical career. With controversy surrounding problematic statements made by popular creators such as Minecraft’s Markus “Notch” Persson and Harry Potter’s J.K. Rowling, avid fans of the series found a creative solution to “separate art from the artist.” It’s the notion that Miku created every series imaginable, most notably Minecraft. Creativity isn’t limited to producing art but allowing Miku to serve as a model of comfort and solidarity.
ICE SPICE
Affectionately crowned with the title of “Princess Diana” for how much she is adored by the public, this up-and-coming Bronx rapper has us saying “like” with more conviction than ever. On January 20, 2023, she dropped her EP Like..?, featuring new tracks alongside some of her recent hits. Her collaboration with fellow Bronx rapper, Lil Tjay, would earn her first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Ice Spice took off last summer with her infectious Tik-Tok hit, “Munch (Feelin’ U)” — sitting at over forty-million streams on Spotify and five-hundred thousand videos on TikTok. But what sets Ice Spice apart in the fiercely competitive rap industry?
Beyond her natural talent to coin new catchphrases, and clever use of sampling, many have fallen for her charms in interviews. In her “Ask Me Anything” interview with ELLE, she was able to convert casual listeners into fans with her self-confidence and down-to-earth personality. When asked which person she would want to switch places with, she affirmed with a small laugh that, “I really wouldn’t wanna be anyone but myself. I love being me.”
If you didn’t already have enough reasons to love Ice Spice, Complex recently published an article of “11 Fun Facts To Know About Ice Spice.” Since her EP drop, Ice Spice has been gracing major publications to no avail. At only twenty-three years old, her career trajectory has “Munchkins” wondering what else this new rap princess has to offer. Stream “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2!”
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
I, too, am a victim of using the phrase, “gotta go fast,” in more occassions than I would like to admit. Arguably the most famous hedgehog to exist, Sonic the Hedgehog has far surpassed just being a gaming franchise protagonist. Twenty-seven video games, six television series, twelve comic books, two full-length feature films, and a bright blue, limited edition package of curry later — Sonic has joined the hall of fame of famous anthropomorphic characters. Just by looking at Sonic’s spiky silhouette, children and adults alike can recognize his character design without hesitation.
Sonic’s design was purposely designed for simplicity, so that children could easily recreate the character on their own. The butterfly effect of it all leads us to a plethora of “Sonic OC’s,” or original characters that devoted fans create to be a part of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. If you Google your name with “the hedgehog” attached to the end, chances are you will find a unique, fan-designed character with that name — proving how extensive and dedicated the Sonic fanbase is.
Why do people love this character so much to insert themselves or create characters within this universe? Not only is it due to the customization of the character design, but also Sonic’s righteous personality, and drive to fight against injustice. According to Sonic’s official character profile, “the hedgehog believes people should ask what they can do for others rather than the other way around, and never asks for anything in return for his heroic deeds; to him, the smiles he brings to others is all the reward he needs…” We might have to learn a thing or two from this hedgehog for our new year’s resolutions!
CHUU
Chuu is everywhere. Member of K-pop girl group LOONA. Earth protecting YouTuber “Chuu Can Do It.” Advertisement model for multiple Korean brands. Television entertainer and panelist. The warrior inside the Trojan Horse. Well, that last part isn’t true… sort of.
Chuu was revealed as a member of LOONA on December 13, 2017, making her the third-to-last member to be announced for the debut lineup. Her solo, “Heart Attack,” would become the most successful out of the twelve solo projects leading up to LOONA’s full-group debut. Particularly, the music video for “Heart Attack” would garner interest due to its storyline seemingly portraying Chuu having a crush on a fellow member, Yves. This would be a crucial component in kickstarting LOONA’s large LGBTQIA+ fanbase, as this implied sapphic storyline was unlike what fans have seen in the realm of K-pop before.
Chuu is even loved by casual K-pop listeners due to her infectious, bright personality and innate cuteness. She has been the face of many memes, one of her most popular being “Trojan Horse Chuu,” playing on the idea that Chuu can be found everywhere. Beyond her adorable personality are vocals that earned her the nickname “Chuuriah Carey,” as her solid singing skills and high notes color LOONA’s discography.
With so many reasons to adore her, many have posted their support for Chuu due to her recent conflicts with her former company, Blockberry Entertainment. As of writing this post, Blockberry Entertainment petitioned to suspend her activities in the entertainment industry. #FREECHUU has flooded related posts and articles addressing the issue, in hopes that Chuu will continue to spread her positive energy across her many endeavors.