If You Find Drew Barrymore 'Cringe,' It Says More About You Than Her
What does the hate say about the haters themselves?
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock Drew Barrymore has spent her entire life in the spotlight. Born to Hollywood royalty, she filmed her first commercial at 11 months old, an age when most people are learning how to say their first words.
Barrymore appears to be bright and bubbly. She seems like someone who isn’t afraid to open up.
Despite these positive characteristics, many people seem to strongly dislike the 49-year-old actress, both for aspects of her personality and for actions she’s taken in the past.
There are 4 reasons you find Drew Barrymore ‘cringe,’ and it says more about you than it does about her:
1. Her warmth and kindness seem fake
Barrymore’s most recent brush with internet hate comes after an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.
The two sat close together on a couch as Barrymore exclaimed, “I’ve been thinking in my head we all really need a mom. I’ve been thinking that we really all need a tremendous hug in the world right now. But in our country, we need you to be Mamala of the country.”
Vice President Harris is called “Mamala” by her stepchildren, Cole and Emma Emhoff. The nickname is a combination of her name, the word “Mama,” and the Yiddish diminutive, which is used to convey deep affection.
After her declaration, Barrymore leaned in and took Harris’ hands in her own.
“When we lift each other up, we all rise,” she exclaimed.
Barrymore mentioned a very real truth: everyone benefits from being centered, and we all lose when others are held down.
After the interview, it didn’t take long for people to express their extreme distaste for how Barrymore conducted herself with Vice President Harris.
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock
Yet it’s possible that hating Barrymore for how nice she is tells us something important about ourselves: That we have an extreme discomfort for kindness.
It’s easy to watch Barrymore and think about how earnest she is and how saccharine she seems. But maybe she’s just being herself. We’re so uncomfortable with people showing their softer side that it’s easier to tease them for it than accept it.
2. She’s too touchy-feely
Many content creators have remarked that Barrymore’s interview style makes her seem like she has no concept of personal space.
She sits with her legs tucked up under her to show how cool and casual she is. She’s a close-talker who touches her guests often, sometimes even getting on the floor and hugging them.
“This is the worst girl at the party type of behavior,” commented Jack Mac.
Yet Barrymore’s touchiness and her intentions seem rooted in a genuine desire for connection with other people, something we’re all seeking yet don’t often admit to.
It’s not okay to cross people’s personal boundaries, especially when it comes to physical space. Yet people’s distaste for Barrymore’s eagerness reflects that we, as a society, aren’t cool with getting close enough to let someone fully and completely in.
Barrymore herself commented on her interview style in a conversation with Jimmy Fallon, noting that her fascination with people is what drives her.
“I love people,” she said. “I love every human being on the planet. I’m fascinated and everyone has a story, and every person is exceptional and interesting.”
Again, Barrymore is expressing an earnestness with her wish to know people for who they truly are. It’s not a common sentiment, especially now, when cultural divisions seem to hold us back from really listening to strangers' truths.
Maybe Barrymore’s attitude makes people feel weird because they don’t know how to let people in, and the very idea of someone seeing through to their true selves is a terrifying prospect.
3. She brought her show back during the writer’s strikes
During the height of the Writer’s Guild of America strikes, Barrymore essentially crossed the picket line to bring her talk show back into production without its writers. This act left many people confused, angry, and disappointed.
In her explanation for why she resumed filming, she said that the show “may have my name on it, but this is bigger than just me.”
It was a statement that gave off a major sense of grandiosity, along with Barrymore seeming to miss the larger point of what solidarity means.
Barrymore went on to tearfully apologize, yet many people felt that their trust was lost and that, in the end, actions speak louder than words.
Everyone makes mistakes, yet it takes a certain kind of strength, humility, and insight to own up to them.
There are times that we ignore what’s right and act in our own interest, as it seems Barrymore did during the writer’s strikes. Perhaps seeing Barrymore center herself over others touched a nerve because it reminded us of just how common it is to do so.
For those who can’t seem to forgive Barrymore for making such a major misstep, it’s valuable to remember that everyone messes up: It’s an inherent part of being human, of being fallible.
4. She shows consistent vulnerability
The biggest "ick" Barrymore seems to give is how vulnerable, earnest, and open she is. It’s a personality trait that we’re not totally accustomed to seeing so often. Most people keep their guard up. Most of us only let very few people into our inner worlds.
Yet Barrymore tells the world about who she is and what she cares about. She lets people know her own self-loathing and how she sometimes hates herself, a move that most of us aren’t willing to make.
Barrymore comes from undeniable privilege, yet part of her very public battle with addiction in her teens was rooted in not feeling worthy, in searching for herself.
While people might not love the way Barrymore presents herself, it’s worth showing her grace, if only because she’s traveled far in her lifetime and is doing the hard work of learning to accept and love herself, cringe and all.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.