In Defense of Quen Blackwell’s Handstand on the Carpet of Billie Eilish’s Movie Premiere
Quenlin Blackwell is no stranger to the internet. She and her career have grown along with it, in all its phases, from her deeply unserious memes on Vine in the 2010s to her recent gig as an official red carpet correspondent for Vanity Fair’s Oscars after party. Quen and her cooking show, Feeding Starving Celebrities, both have a charming quality of being a little chaotic. So…why are people surprised she’s out here doing handstands on the red carpet of Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft movie premiere?On Wednesday, May 6, Quen hit the blue carpet to not only serve face for some Getty pics, but also show off her handstand like someone’s cousin at a pool party. To make matters even more hysterical, this all went down while Billie’s emotional guitar ballad, “Your Power,” played in the background.View full post on InstagramThe fun didn’t stop there, either. According to photos published by fan accounts on social media, she got in formation at the movie’s after party with help from Odessa A’zion:View full post on XAnd, way before she hit the position at Billie’s premiere, she did it on the purple carpet for the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special back in March:View full post on InstagramBecause the internet can’t be normal about much these days, Quen was criticized for pulling the move at an industry event (and the afters). “Time and place quen,” one person wrote on TikTok, while another tweeted, “so she was just in that position all night??” Others across the web claimed she was “doing the most” and exuding “pick-me” behavior with her handstand.But there was also support amid the criticism, with someone writing, “I love her idc she’s being herself, and that’s tea,” and another person chiming in, “This is what Hollywood should be about fr.”I can’t help but agree with the latter, because whether or not someone has celebrity status, people are ridiculously obsessed with looking cool and appearing nonchalant. So, not to quote that one diva from season 6, episode 18 of Sex and the City, but…whatever happened to fun?Savion Washington//Getty ImagesIt’s one thing if Quen did this on one of the biggest red carpets in the world, like the Met Gala (which is still in need of a little whimsy when it comes to themed parties and being playful with fashion, if you ask me!). But doing it at the premiere for her best friend’s concert film doesn’t seem so far-fetched—especially because Billie saw it on her social feeds the next day and reposted it to her own TikTok profile, along with thousands of other scrollers.Quen’s handstand is the farthest thing from “pick-me” behavior. It’s a healthy reminder to embrace silliness, tap into childlike wonder, and use our free will to make life feel less daunting as we grow older. So, in a world full of blandness disguised as demureness…be more like Quen.
