Most people think acquiring books is an exercise that takes place gradually over the years and anyone who breaks this norm is often dismissed by book lovers.
Something similar happened to actor Ashley Tisdale, of High School Musical fame, who attracted the ire of many netizens after she admitted in an interview that she got 400 books in one go for decorative purposes.
In the house tour video posted by Architecture Digest (AD) on Wednesday, Tisdale shows around her spacious house in Los Angeles. As she shows a shelf filled with books, she admits it was filled only recently. “These bookshelves, I have to be honest, actually did not have books in them a couple of days ago. I had my husband go to a book store and I was like ‘you need to get 400 books’. Obviously, my husband was like we should be collecting books over time and putting them on the shelves. And I was like no, no, no, not when AD comes.”
This confession has prompted many people to point out how affluent people use books for purely aesthetic purposes without having any interest in reading or collecting them.
I… am speechless. pic.twitter.com/sF5wPAARSv
— Sarah Caldwell (@sarahccaldwell) March 29, 2022
“To be honest, these frames didn’t have pictures in them, so I sent my husband to Getty Images, and I said you need to buy 400 pictures of other peoples’ families.”
— Mayowulf (@DavidFaragalli) March 30, 2022
giving this energy pic.twitter.com/75slERR5CR
— an empath (@Arial12_) March 30, 2022
I remember people coming into my house and asking me if I had read all these books and I was like why else would I have them. Lol, now I know.
— FoxgloveFarms (@FarmsFoxglove) March 30, 2022
Yeah but actually people can literally just by books in bulk for the sole purpose of putting them in their library and flexing and thats just crazy to me. Instead of reading a library of books and flexing true knowledge, people want to flex that they know nothing while having all
— yeah 🧱 (@big_chillings) March 30, 2022
At the same time, many people defended Tisdale and argued that the issue was being blown out of proportion.
Let’s clear this up. There are some of my books from over the years in there but yea 36 shelves that hold 22 books I did not have and any interior designer would have done the same. They do it all the time, I was just honest about it.
— Ashley Tisdale (@ashleytisdale) March 30, 2022
I genuinely don’t understand why this is upsetting y’all https://t.co/Na4FEAo3NK
— Elmira. (@pinkmixiana) March 31, 2022
The woman who gave us Sharpay Evans is exhibiting Sharpay Evans behavior and y’all are angry at her for it?? https://t.co/gEVCiZF3gR
— Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) March 31, 2022
some people are genuinely upset by this and the former retail employee in me is just thinking about how happy that sale must’ve made someone. also, it’s money in authors pockets. WHO CARES https://t.co/fVZobT9aQu
— that’s so reeven (@starniite) March 31, 2022
i’m sorry but you guys get mad for the dumbest reasons 😭 https://t.co/zM9QFaquUH
— rasha 🗡 PARIS DAY (@anakinstarlight) March 31, 2022
Tisdale also commented on the ongoing debate and wrote on Twitter, “Let’s clear this up. There are some of my books from over the years in there but yea 36 shelves that hold 22 books I did not have and any interior designer would have done the same. They do it all the time, I was just honest about it.”
