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Why must we mock women before they are believed?
By Kurtis Condra — Written on Jun 01, 2022
In a world where all it takes is a few viral tweets or TikToks to sway public opinion, it should be no surprise to any of us that Johnny Depp's defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard has spilled far beyond the courtroom.
Online, Johnny Depp has become the central hero in enough TikTok montages and YouTube compilations for one to think that he has won the trial already. In many ways, he has.
Online Depp has garnered a cult-like fanbase who will defend him until their Twitter character limit runs out. But for his ex Amber Heard, things are very different.
A woman being harassed and demonized for speaking out against a beloved man is nothing new.
In fact, Heard is just the latest example of society's cruel habit of mercilessly mocking women who speak up against powerful men.
Amber Heard has become a modern-day Monica Lewinsky.
Monica Lewinsky became a public figure in 1998 after her affair with President Bill Clinton came to light. That she was an intern who had no power in a relationship with the leader of our country meant nothing to the public who crucified her for Clinton's wrongdoing.
The media pilloried her for everything, comedians made a mockery of her, and so-called feminists went straight for her jugular.
Heard, like Lewinsky, is now mocked and made fun of for everything she says and whatever she tries to tell. Under the guise of feminism, online hate campaigns against Heard have radicalized the world against women.
Lewinsky herself has weighed in on the trial, writing in a Vanity article, that the public has become the guilty party in the defamation trial, adding to the abuse detailed in court.
In a post-MeToo world, we now know Lewinsky was never the villain she was made to seem. Nor does anyone deserve to be harrassed to that degree regardless of what they are guilty of.
Amber Heard's redemption does not yet seem possible.
We are still committed to making sure Heard goes through the same trauma as Lewinsky.
Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and every other social outlet have all decided who they stand with. Depp fans have decided he is the winner, but for Heard, she is the public humiliation for everyone to mock.
Her story is now redone into TikToks and much more, and they garner laughs and mockery.
Why are women scapegoated for bad behavior?
When a woman comes forward about something serious, rape, assault, or domestic violence, questions are asked, how could her behavior have been different?
How could she have modified her actions and thinking to change the outcome and prevent the assault? What was she wearing? Was she drinking? Did she know the kind of place she was going to? How well did she know the people she was with?
There are no answers to the questions, and instead, the logic is absurd. Did this victim know that she would be called out for it because of what she wore? Today if you try to say something, will it be believed? Will anyone believe what you say?
Or will you be ridiculed when you try to tell your story?
Kurtis Condra is a writer at YourTango based in San Francisco, California. Covering celebrity and entertainment news, when he's not writing; he's lost in his journal writing short stories or poetry. You can keep up with his poetic journey on Instagram.