#will fine tweak it

[selfishpresley]

When the infantilization of drivers fail: the case with lando norris

Personal watching of Formula One from my perspective started out with Michael Schumacher.

A man that embodied the Ferrari ideal driver. Someone with a very strong mind. A great talent with a fast car that created a combination within the sport that was only replicated with the Mercedes dominance that he had a hand in creating.

This was more than twenty years ago, and when a lot of young motorsports fans were kids.

This was the first wave to the rising popularity of the sport.

Sebastian Vettel, people could argue, contributed to the second. Daniel Ricciardo had a hand in the next coming waves. Lewis Hamilton moreso.

In the past five years, we've seen an exponential increase in spectators for formula one. Mostly to do with the popularity of 'Drive to Survive'.

From the casual fan to the most obsessed, the way that fans view drivers range from a deep love to the most ardent hate.

No matter what the opinion might be with Lando Norris, he is a victim to a kind of thinking that has affected the younger drivers from the 2019 lineup.

Victim might be too sympathetic of a word. Especially given that his media presence has helped create the kind of under-dog characterization that his fans have held onto.

You could say that this was because of the younger fans coming into Formula 1 are leaving their previous 'fandoms' of K-Pop or Taylor Swift or Sherlock or Doctor Who.

They do have a hand in perpetrating a kind of; infantilization of drivers.

Although, they are not to blame when it comes to Lando Norris.

This video by Dakota Sage, titled "The Babygirl-ification of Formula One", reminded me of the kind of online perspective that many recent fans have of certain drivers. (the video is very anti-RPF)

Baby-girlification or infantilization has been around for a long time, mostly affecting women to fetishize their already young age. It is just a recent thing that began to affect fully grown men. The term 'this *insert grown man here* is so baby girl!', has been a recent development in the broader issue of fan behaviour.

A lot of men in these fan-sports spaces like to make fun of, a mostly female kind of comments of certain drivers.

Lauding themselves as a superior sports fan because 'they aren't like these girls that only like a driver because he's physically attractive'. Or they take the sport seriously.

This kind of thinking is not only hypocritical but it causes a further alienation of new audiences that formula one is so desperate to get.

It's not just 'women know nothing about sports', it's evolved to 'these women don't know enough and they just like to see a pretty face'.

It creates a kind of 'men-women' rivalry that is very reductive to the general atmosphere that motorsports brings. Especially with the modernization of sports in general.

I will say that this is not just exclusive to online spaces. It's seen rarely in real life events. Mostly people waiting outside hotels of certain drivers (parasocial) or others giving out friendship bracelets (kind/normal some could say) or the obsession with WAGs (parasocial and psychotic when it becomes harmful).

In the case of infantilization, we will focus on one driver. (Note: there are many that are baby-girlified. Mostly white males.)

One 'under-dog'.

Lando Norris.

Lando Norris began his career at the young age of nineteen. Joining a large team that had been struck by cheating scandals and weak engines, McLaren had fostered Norris' talent two years prior. It took little time for people to fantasize that Lando could be the next great british racing champion.

The next Lewis Hamilton...

He was this young driver that started off strongly, showed great promise with more experience.

In the early years, Lando was at the forefront of people's minds.

"Little Lando Norris' was the young boyish British darling. And that has not changed as of the Mexican GP in 2024. A far cry from the 'golden days' of Michael Schumacher, Lando Norris was seen as everybody's son.

The only thing that has changed is how he is viewed within online spaces.

During the Max Verstappen dominance last year, during the Silverstone Grand Prix, Lando Norris was looking like a real contender to be the one of the other few drivers to win a race that season that weren't Max or Checo.

Lando qualified 2nd, and the majority of the people that didn't want to see Max win. Including fans of Lewis Hamilton. Some Checo fans. Charles fans. From one corner of the world to another, people were rooting for Lando to win.

What could have been his first win was taken by Max, he was about three seconds behind. He led a lap for a second it seemed.

And people had hope that the Red Bull dominance was going to end, especially in a season where things 'started getting boring'.

The online reception to Lando was at its best.

It looked like the set of recording 'we are the world' on Twitter before it started getting popular on Tumblr. Tiktoks were made supporting the British driver. Instagram videos and post coming out to support him.

Today, if we exclude the loyal Lando fans, online reception to Lando Norris has taken a nosedive.

Many could attribute this to his backhanded comments about certain drivers, his attitude with fans, his behavior with certain drivers.

All of that could be forgiven.

Lando is a wealthy, white, attractive by european standards, successful young male.

Worse people have been forgiven and defended for much worse things.

Now why is this now not being forgiven? Why is this not working now?

What happened to everybody's under-dog?

What happened to Pookie or babygirl Lando?

The infantilization of Lando at the beginning of his career has attributed in the negative public opinion.

It has failed him.

It is the reason that people in many online spaces don't like him anymore.

The fans have been convinced that Lando was just a kid. A boy that was so good, that he was racing in the highest series of motorsports because of his talent at a very young age. In our minds Lando was our little brother.

A child, one could argue.

If you see a driver as a child, or worse yet, a babyish man; you will attribute each one of his flaws to childishness.

He complains? or he whines like a baby? Is he sassy or rude? Is he reporting broken rules or snitching?

Lando fans would just see it normally, the rest less so. Most would see it as a young man with negative attributes. Moreso now that Lando has gained confidence in the sport. Has gained experience. Has a competitive car now that is competing with Ferrari and Red Bull. Two teams that have dominated the sports for eras at a time.

Now... Where did it all change?

There was no watershed moment.

More attention, more time in the sport, more success; comes with more 'hate'.

Especially when Lando Norris doesn't do much to help with the accusations against him.

He's whiny? Then you see a video of him complaining about a racing incident.

He's annoying? His particular brand of humor is put on display.

His team is definitely not helping.

McLaren has turned into a once great team that housed the likes of Senna to a team that stole documents from Ferrari to a team that likes to toe the line of being likeable.

And it's not Lando's fault in this case.

Lando is up against everybody else.

His public image is against everybody else's.

He isn't the young talent anymore, but in people's minds he is still so young. He's 'little lando norris', he's the streamer that plays with his friends online like most boys do.

Lando Norris is still seen with Lolita colored glasses. And it's not helping his recent success and his popular 'hate'.

A thing to note, there are valid criticisms to the decline in Lando's image.

His comments on someone's favorite driver. His behaviour with certain fans and drivers.

His poorly hidden following tab which includes the likes of Andrew Tate.

His lucky charm in the form of former president Donald Trump.

These are things that need to be brought up more often and in conjunction with criticism of other drivers. Including favorite drivers.

Infantilization of drivers could be innocuous, if it didn't continue past the age where they should be seen as a baby girl.

[claitea]

as a kid i really liked the little minigames you could do at hotel richissime in xy, so i tried to make something up for hotel z! i'm thinking theres a set amount of these logic puzzles and when completed, the trainers included in it might appear in the lobby :)

[vulturemask]

so how about that one and only true god huh

[vozart]

they all bite

[yunmaobao]

NINJAGO DRAGONS RISING SEASON 2 SPOILERS

dramatic recreation of the worst/best scene this season. no im not okay.

[artistdove]

It's done!! Oswald edition of the song "Young Girl A" covered by Will Stetson.

Been listening to this song again and couldn't help but think some of the lyrics fit Ozzy

[aerimaexo]

seeing red

[7lizardsinacoat]

"Run, dudes. Run!"

A digital painting of Grace Chasity from Nerdy Prudes Must Die! I love this deranged character so much. One of the most characters of all time.

(Yes I did post this and delete it and repost it I wanted to tweak the art some)

[kaisollisto]

🫨🥰

[grotesquehydra]

tweaking vs nonchalant

[exocaliii]

i'm genuinely a changed woman idek what to say like there's not much i can say i just need to share this with the world.... she too fine im in genuine disbelief and she BETTER BE ALRIGHT IN THE SECOND PICTURE OMG😭😭😭

[joe-bidens-alt-account]

This one is for the TruCoop truthers out there

[creativity-deficient]

I don’t trust people that hate these two

Like tf are y’all hating on?? True love?? Happiness??? Stability?????

[sboochi]

"I loathe you!"

Another snippet, this time ~in motion~

Sorry for the giant ass watermark, I didn’t realize it would show up until I exported the first draft *siiigh*

[bicholsdrarrysideblog]

I had the honour of participating in a Drarry Secret Santa and this is it!! @matredaen it was a JOY to draw for you and im really glad you liked it and aaaaa this was so fun!!!!!!! been wanting to do an 8th year something for a while uwu

look at it on ao3 here!

[insane-dinosaur]

SILLY DUDES (why are they both doing the same pose?)