Don’t-Cross-Country Flight

Beyonce sporting a jumpsuit from new British designer Osman Yousefzada at the 2013 Grammys.

Sunday night I bid good-bye to New York Fashion Week, Jslow and Nemo and boarded a Virgin flight home to San Francisco. Lucky for me, the Grammys were on, which is perfect airplane entertainment to help pass the time. Lately, I’ve been “live” drawing the awards shows, and thought it would be fun to draw the Grammys too.

Florence is a fashion machine as she slithered in a Lizard-like Givenchy gown. She is the ultimate fashion risk-taker and we love her for it.

Big mistake.

Do not, ladies, ever mess with country artists and the fans who love them. I recently checked my Instagram feed only to be bombarded with really nasty, bordering on threatening comments from super fan-girls of Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood (“Care Bears”, apparently) and Taylor Swift. I had drawn each with color commentary (check our Facebook page) and really upset quite a few of their super-fans. This should not bother me, but it does. It was one thing to get into some Facebook scrapes around the NRA with women my age whom I know, but this? Completely new territory. I immediately took down the Instragram drawings.

Adele blooms in Valentino at the Grammys.

Did my pen cross a line? Poking light fun at celebrities? Or was I being too sensitive as I’ve only had four hours sleep?

I’m sure it’s a little bit of both.

I always love reading the nasty comments on the Huffington Post and other blogs; I’d just never had any directed at me. When you put yourself out there, you run the risk of negative comments. I can’t begin to imagine what actual celebrities go through who are picked apart all day, every day.

So with the Oscars looming, I know I will be more careful with my comments. And avoid drawing anybody who remotely looks like a Country singer. I can’t bear to have my ass-kicked by any more tweens.