by Kat Littfin
Editorial Editor
As a JoJo Siwa aficionado and the self-proclaimed El Gato Siwa correspondent, I am excited to share that the pop star continued her eccentric antics and rage-baiting behaviors over the summer while LGHS was on break. I am a hate-watcher when it comes to JoJo Siwa, but her recent plays have frankly left me speechless and confused. I have even considered blocking her, but am so glad that I didn’t; how else could I continue to update the masses about the former Dance Moms star, child entertainer turned “bad-girl” that no one needs to know about?
Siwa’s most meme-able moments are from her clearly performative bad girl era. If you are unfamiliar with said era (do you live under a rock?), drop everything, go to YouTube, and watch her music video for Karma, her magnum opus. Now go look up her recent cover of Bette Davis Eyes and tell me that her bad girl arc was not performative. Once a self-proclaimed rebel, Siwa has changed her aesthetic into a pseudo-trad wife and watered-down version of her former self. Her shift has given me whiplash, but it has a story behind it, full of the cringe and controversy fans and haters know Siwa for.
It all started when UK Celebrity Big Brother announced that she would be a contestant on the show. “Celebrity” is a strong word to describe JoJo Siwa. But, I’ll be honest, I couldn’t name the majority of the so-called “celebrities” on the show anyway. You would think that Siwa would learn to avoid reality television after her traumatic Dance Moms years. In the words of her former mentor, Abby Lee Miller, I ask Siwa: “JoJo! Have you learned nothing?”
While on the show, Siwa grew closer to former Love Islander Chris Hughes. Although from afar, this friendship turned situationship turned relationship seems wholesome, it has many cringey layers, just like many of Siwa’s music videos. The pair has a ten-year difference between them. While Hughes was finding “love” on his season of Love Island, Siwa was wearing neon bows and singing about being “a kid in a candy store.” Generally, if someone is in a relationship, it is common courtesy not to pursue other partners. Siwa clearly does not have that courtesy, as she was dating Australian influencer Kath Ebbs while on Big Brother. Siwa had also stated several times that she was a lesbian, even calling herself the C.E.O. of gay pop (as if she could not get even more delusional), so proceeding to date a man after building a platform off of the queer community was a bit of a surprise. This was especially the case when, after officially announcing her relationship with Hughes, Siwa denied ever claiming to be a lesbian and adopted a whole new persona, donning more neutral colors, the occasional red lip (Ok, Marylin Monroe wannabe), and telling people to call her Joelle.
JoJo Siwa will not escape her past (just like she will never escape the demonic force of Abby Lee Miller) with a simple name change and new partner. At least Siwa connoisseurs like me will always remember her rainbow-clad, Claire’s shopping, pop-star era and her attempt at being a bad girl in a rhinestone-covered Gene Simmons costume, talking about the dream guest on her podcast.