Carrie Underwood is standing firm in her beliefs, and she has no time for haters.
The 42-year-old country singer is approaching the 20th anniversary of winning the American Idol title. The date was May 25, 2005, and while that moment changed her life, Underwood was always going to stay true to her Oklahoma roots. So, when criticism came her way in January after accepting Donald Trump’s invitation to sing at his inauguration, she took a page from a controversial podcast host.
Related story
Dolly Parton’s Reason for Skipping ‘American Idol’ & ‘The Voice’ Proves She’s a True Southern Belle
Underwood takes the “post and ghost” approach to social media. She’s happy to share snapshots and video clips with her fans, but she’s not interested in engaging with any of the commentary on the post.
AMERICAN IDOL – 0811 (Songs of Faith) – American Idol celebrates Easter!
Disney/Eric McCandless.
“I stole that from Joe Rogan,” Underwood explained to E! News on April 29. “It’s really important when you think about social media that you realize it’s not the real world.”
That doesn’t mean Underwood has always been immune to the online criticism, it’s a realization that she came to gradually. “It took me a long time to realize that, and a long time to be secure enough in myself to be like, ‘Do I care if somebody doesn’t like my hair today, or this thing I sang or how I sang it? I don’t,’” she added. “I got a lot going on in my life.”
In addition to her successful career, she is enjoying her life with her husband, Mike Fisher, and their two sons, Isaiah, 10, and Jacob, 6. Still, her “post and ghost” strategy is advice she’s also doling out to this season’s American Idol contestants.
On the April 28 episode, contestant Breanna Nix revealed she was struggling with the criticism from trolls, and it was affecting her performance.
“Thank you for being strong and I want to tell you all an important trick. It’s called the ‘post and ghost.’ You put your stuff out on social media, and you don’t look at the comments,” Underwood advised, per Just Jared. “That’s how I live my life, man. And anytime anybody thinks they’re yelling at me, or insulting me, or telling me I look a certain way, or I’m not enough this, or I’m too much that, they’re just yelling at the clouds. I don’t hear it or see any of it. Post and ghost, people!”
Still, Underwood’s support of the divisive president ruffled a few feathers amongst her fanbase earlier this year, particularly for the administration’s lack of support for the LGBTQIA community. The “Before He Cheats” singer must have been aware of the online debate because she never posted a photo from the inauguration either. Instead, Underwood let her rendition of “America the Beautiful” — with a few technical hiccups beyond her control — speak for itself.
Before you go, click here to see our favorite country music couples.
