TheQuartering [7/4/2022]
What the heck is Brie Larson’s deal? I find myself asking this question whenever one of her bizarre Twitter posts crosses my feed, or when I look up from my phone long enough to catch one of her Nissan commercials on TV. Larson is an undeniably talented actress — she won an Oscar age of 26 — and notable public figure/role model. But, for whatever reason, she insists on maintaining a public persona akin to that of a Mormon-adjacent lifestyle influencer who peaked in 2016.
The Captain Marvel star’s social feeds are full of posts like the one above: fake candid photos of Larson reading, working out, and just standing around, paired with captions carefully crafted to make her seem like your average 32-year-old. The problem is that we all know she is a very wealthy and beautiful celebrity, so a photo of her quirkily perched on a swing with a caption that reads “See a swing, ride a swing ✨” feels cloying. Who is she trying to relate to? Me? I am very aware that we are not the same; is she?
Among celebrities, Larson has a truly singular social media persona. Other stars at her level take different paths: Some people have a real personality that comes through in their weird posts (Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Garner), some people use their Instagram mostly to share work-related posts (Natalie Portman). Several prominent members of Larson’s generational cohort (Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Olsen) don’t even have an internet presence. Larson, on the other hand, has chosen to post all the time. She posts photos of herself alone, of herself with her boyfriend (the actor Elijah Allan-Blitz), of herself with books and gym equipment and food — but one thing she does not post is any evidence that she has friends.
This raises the question: Does Brie Larson have friends? Does she have people in her life that give it meaning, or who could, at the very least, roast her for being mega-corny on the internet?