Someone needs to explain this to me. Because I really don’t understand. Why the hell are celebrities so eager to rally around Johnny Depp in the wake of the Amber Heard trial?
Sure, sexism. Heard was ridiculed and villainized endlessly all over social media, which made the coverage of the trial problematic, to say the least. The case was complex, but the coverage was pretty one-sided. And it wasn’t good for women. Out came all the old tropes, and slowly I saw the progress of the Me-Too era vanish before my eyes. The urge to “Believe Women” seemed to be dead in the water.
But it is beyond your normal sexism. A large part of this tumultuous trial was the meme-ification of Amber Heard during the trial — which millions streamed live for weeks. Social media, especially TikTok, and media outlets participated in this unique form of villainization of Heard. Soundbites and memes of Heard proliferated around the internet, painting her as a manipulative liar or a ridiculous actress. And Depp and his team were celebrated for their “gotcha” moments and impressive story-spinning that inevitably led to a victory for Depp.
“Because the US trial was before a jury, it allowed Depp’s lawyers to focus on Heard,” a well-worn tactic of defendants in domestic abuse cases, an experienced lawyer told The Guardian. “Heard’s team also made tactical mistakes and were outdone by a more experienced set of lawyers, Stephens added. “Heard’s team were not predominantly trained libel lawyers, and they were outgunned at every corner. They were up against a very strong team for Depp,” he said.
We’ll be reckoning with that in about 20 years when a Free Britney-style documentary comes out, and people wonder how we, the media, could have treated a woman like that. A tragic reckoning of the post-Me Too era, the whole debacle.
But ever since Depp was, for reasons still unclear to me, declared innocent, everyone has lost their damn minds. Depp has somehow become painted as the symbol of male survivors of domestic abuse … which is a questionable narrative, to say the least.
Why does this man still have such a hold on the culture? Willy Wonka? Pirates of the Caribbean? I need it to make sense. Because the lengths people are going not just to forgive him, but to absolve him of any wrongdoing, is mind-boggling to me.
So imagine my shock, horror, and, honestly, disgust when the news was announced: Johnny Depp will make a guest appearance at Rihanna’s “Savage X Fenty Vol. 4” as the first male star to be featured.
“Our sources say Rihanna and her team invited Johnny to be a part of it, and both sides were super excited to make it happen,” TMZ reported.
Depp won’t be walking the runway in the show, but he will be featured center stage in one of the show’s “star” moments, as Cindy Crawford and Erykah Badu previously have done. Wearing items from the men’s collection, Depp will be the first male in the history of Savage x Fenty to take this role.
However, unlike other stars featured in this section, Depp has never been known for fashion — his Sauvage commercials are probably the closest he’s ever come to the fashion world. So it’s a strange collaboration that doesn’t really make sense on paper. Especially in light of Depp’s divisive image.
Rihanna … what the hell, bestie?
I love Rihanna. I have bought Fenty makeup. I have ritualistically applied the Fenty skincare. I even splurged on the goddamn Savage x Fenty pieces — and this is what I get in return?
The internet is divided. Some are calling this a collaboration of two domestic abuse survivors. This narrative stems directly from the manipulative genius of Depp’s PR team, which managed to paint him as the victim of his relationship with Heard. This narrative has now been parroted by Depp defenders, despite the murkiness of the trial and the former trials which found him guilty of domestic abuse.
Others are critical of Rihanna’s choice. After last year’s Savage x Fenty show garnered claims of cultural appropriation, Rihanna issued an earnest statement pledging to do better.
Girl, this is definitely not better.
Much of the commentary is anti-Depp. My favorite tweet: “Gross! Rihanna entering her Fenty Flop era?”
I am decidedly disappointed by this development. Especially since this comes right after Rihanna made her triumphant return to music. Suddenly, I am not feeling so triumphant about it. Even our faves make mistakes, but this one will take a minute to get over.
The general consensus seems to be disappointment — not just in Rihanna, but the overall cultural narrative around Depp that has allowed him to emerge from his trial better than ever.
Anyway, here’s what Twitter is saying:
Popdust
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