Solange Knowles &Amp; Jay Z Fight: Why Instagram Users Are Pretending To Be The Singer Following The Met Gala Brawl

Solange Knowles &Amp; Jay Z Fight: Why Instagram Users Are Pretending To Be The Singer Following The Met Gala Brawl
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This week a now-infamous video emerged of Solange Knowles "attacking" brother-in-law Jay Z in a lift at the Met Gala. Four days on and the internet is still rife with speculation over what could have possibly gone on between the two.

From allegations claiming Jay wanted to go party with Rihanna to theories he was getting cosy with designer Rachel Roy and even Twitter talk suggesting Beyonce's sister is "a mental bitch", it seems none of us can leave the story alone.

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I've found myself scanning the sisters' retrospective social media accounts for clues and have Googled "Why did Solange attack Jay Z?" more times than I'd care to mention.

I thought I'd made a breakthrough when I spotted a comment from Solange on one of the many photos of the pair Beyonce's posted on Instagram following the ordeal. "Love you forever and always," it read.

Awww, bless them I'm glad it all worked out for the best," I thought, before catching sight of another comment from another Solange.

"I love you! I'm glad we finally managed to work things out I guess that's what family is for," said the user. "You are my heart don't you ever forget that."

So it turns out people are pretending to be Solange Knowles on Instagram. Not exactly breaking news, social media is flooded with fake accounts, and after all that verified tick exists for a reason.

But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked by these users' attempts to fix Beyonce and her sister's allegedly fraught relationship.

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In what a bid to convince people they are the real Solange another user - going by the handle @solangepknowles - wrote in the "about" section of their profile: "I be taking pictures. I'm not cray cray. Fresh Start."

This mimicry seems to be a bizarre new take on traditional fandom and trust me, I understand what it is to be a fan. I grew up with Spice Girls posters bluetacked to my bedroom walls. I dressed head-to-toe in Spice Girls branded clothes. I ate my packed lunch out of a Spice Girls lunch box. However, would I have have pretended to be Mel C if social media and 50 meg broadband existed then? I don't think so.

Although strange, psycologist and counsellor Karin Sieger believes this behavior is not new. "The difference today is greater access to celebs via social media, the immediacy of acting out a fantasy, re-experiencing it via social media and experiencing responses to it," she explains.

According to a web forum on the matter, it can be "fun" pretending to be a celeb online and seeing how much attention you can get is immensely gratifying. As one commenter noted: "It's like feeling famous for ounce in your life when you fool people over the internet."

It may simply by fun for some super fans but Sieger highlights this urge to pretend can stem from something darker for others.

"While we all have dreams, desires and fantasies, taking on and acting out of an impersonation can suggest that the person is not always able to separate reality from wishful thinking."

She adds: "The example [with Solange] brings to my mind someone's attempt at healing a rift, saving a relationship, making peace. Sometimes people have an overwhelming desire to 'save' others, and this kind of impersonation can be part of that desire."

In sum, we're all invested in what happened in that lift, just some more than others. Slightly concerned about how much you care? As long as your not joining Instagram under the guise of a Knowles sister, it's probably okay.