It’s a trite notion that fame in America is a double-edged sword. The masses want to build you up, just so they can tear you down. We’re once again seeing this stupid cycle play out with Haliey Welch, known in online circles as the “Hawk Tuah Girl.”
Last night, Welch, who rose to mega viral fame in June, was asked to throw out the opening pitch at the New York Mets game. Her performance was as you’d imagine for someone who doesn’t play baseball professionally. This video, like many of her appearances on camera, is spreading like wildfire across the social media sphere. And would you believe it, there’s a common theme in the retweets and the comments: vitriol.
Some of it is puritanical. Fathers pulling out the old “How do I explain who she is to my child?” routine. Some of it is misogynistic. Faceless profiles claiming how easy it is for women to achieve relevance, especially if they go blue. All of it—like most hate directed at Welch—is fucking stupid.
The Hawk Tuah Girl was invited to throw out the first pitch because of one reason: she’s relevant. Like it or not, she’s one of many personalities that shine on TikTok and Instagram. In these spaces, she has a combined 3.9 million followers. The tired concept of “15 minutes of fame” loses all meaning in the social media age. There’s a reason Welch went viral: she’s got it.
It’s not difficult to upstage Bill Maher, but she did it during her awkward and hilarious appearance on Club Random. Welch made equally entertaining appearances on Whitney Cummings’ Good for You and the massively popular The Joe Rogan Experience podcasts. Her catchphrase may have started her social media rise, but her natural—and I say this affectionately—yap talents will likely make her a mainstay in your TikTok feed for years to come.
What makes Welch worth defending is that aside from being engaging and hilarious, she’s got plenty of heart. She’s paying it forward, raising money for animal welfare charities including the Mt Juliet Animal Shelter. Her charm, talent, and heart had Rolling Stone dubbing her “Gen Z Dolly Parton.” It’s difficult to disagree.
It’s been more than two months since Hawk Tuah Girl skyrocketed to fame, in a world where it’s never been easier to do so. Regardless of the reasons, there are plenty more characters on the national stage worthy of your derision. You don’t hate Haliey because she rose to fame, you probably hate her because the very concept of fame has been devalued.
I consider that a net positive.