Entertainment
The Post-Post-#MeToo Era: Johnny Depp & Amber Heard’s TikTok Trial
Published
11 months agoon
Recently, I spoke to a friend about Don’t Look Up and The Bubble, two star-studded COVID comedies that are, among other things, shockingly unfunny.
He brought up Bombshell, a 2019 movie about the exposure of Roger Ailes’ misconduct at Fox News. I, having seen it in theaters, considered it another example of a lukewarm, too-soon satire. He, who streamed it in 2021, found it a well-done reflection on the #MeToo movement.
This speaks to how brief the “#MeToo era” turned out to be. What was still too close for comfort in 2019 reads like a historical text today. By the time the pandemic came around, several figures whose time was supposedly “up” had already come back with a vengeance.
Today, we’re not even in the post-#MeToo world. We’re post-post-#MeToo, where the symbols and language of the movement are equally canonized (and perhaps weaponized) by the movement’s kin and its backlash.
Anyway, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp are in the news.
Depp v. Heard: a timeline
I intend to cover the history of this legal battle as impartially as I can. This article is not a condemnation of Amber Heard or Johnny Depp, just a reflection on the trial’s cultural significance.
With that being said, the progression and increased media coverage of their split is a fascinating case study. While Depp was never especially seen as a #MeToo mark, the movement against abuse in Hollywood is inseparable from the context of this story.
2016: Amber Heard files for divorce
In late May, sandwiched between the death of Depp’s mother and the release of Alice Through the Looking Glass, Amber Heard filed for divorce from the actor. Depp’s public image had already soured from a string of flops, and the pair’s 18-month romance was already full of odd chapters.
Days later, Heard was granted a restraining order against Depp. She alleged violent abuse from the actor, while Depp’s team argued she was “attempting to secure a premature financial resolution” with her claims.
By this point, stories of Dr. Luke and Bill Cosby had already drawn headlines. Heard’s accusations were scooped up by the press, with fans and friends coming to Depp’s defense, but preceding #MeToo by a few months, it stayed relatively under the radar.
2016-17: Depp and Heard reach a settlement, finalize divorce
Heard was awarded $7 million in a settlement in August of 2016, which she donated to the ACLU and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Alongside the settlement, the pair released a joint statement: “Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.”
Against the backdrop of Trump’s election and the ensuing Women’s March, Depp and Heard officially parted, seemingly on good terms, in January of 2017. Needless to say, it attracted little media attention.
2018: The Sun lawsuit
It shouldn’t surprise anyone too much to learn that J.K. Rowling found a way to make this about her. As a vocal champion for the #MeToo movement, she came under fire after Depp was cast to reprise his role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Rowling pointed to Heard and Depp’s settlement as evidence that their history ought to be left in the past, but critics doubled down. The Sun released a particularly scathing op-ed calling Rowling a hypocrite and Depp a “wife beater.” Depp sues the Sun for libel, claiming that Heard had lied about being abused and had, in fact, abused Depp.
This is probably the low point for Depp’s reputation. The Fantastic Beasts backlash implicated him in #MeToo, while reports of on-set abuse and erratic behavior started to pour out. Denying the allegations in an unrelated lawsuit two years later may seem strange, but in the height of the movement, Depp may have felt it necessary to save his career by any means necessary.
2018-19: War of the words
In October of 2018, for a GQ cover story, Depp formally denied Heard’s accusations, accusing her of physical and verbal abuse. He went on the offensive, and his devout online audience was happy to follow suit.
Heard published an op-ed in the Washington Post in December of 2018: “I spoke up against sexual violence – and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.” Without mentioning Depp by name, she claimed that her career suffered after she spoke out against sexual violence.
This editorial is the very same one that Depp sued Heard for defamation over in 2019, to the tune of $50 million. That trial, delayed extensively due to COVID, is the one happening right now.
Depp v. Heard: the TikTok trial
While this trial is technically about Heard’s op-ed, Depp’s case hinges on the idea that Heard’s accusations of abuse are false. This is tough for two reasons: first of all, Heard doesn’t specifically accuse Depp of anything in the op-ed. Second of all, 12 of 14 allegations against Depp were already found to be true in the aforementioned Sun case.
So, what is there to talk about here? Heard moved to have this case dismissed after the Sun ruling, but since the Sun case was in the UK and Heard was a witness rather than a defendant, that motion was denied.
Depp is trying to prove that Heard’s accusations of abuse are false, through the roundabout means of arguing that she was abusive to him and he was acting in defense. Heard, who countersued Depp for $100 million, is arguing that Depp influenced social media campaigns to harass her and destroy her career. Which brings us to the Depp fans.
Johnny Depp’s insatiable fanbase
It may be unfair to say that Depp’s fans are the only reason you’re hearing so much about this trial. Celebrity trials are a time-honored pastime, and this one’s especially star-studded, with expected cameos by Ellen Barkin, James Franco, Paul Bettany, and Elon Musk.
Still, Depp fans have been relentless in pushing his case on social media. They constantly promote Tweets and TikToks espousing Depp’s innocence and obsessive theories about Heard. On the scene, they pack the courtroom by the dozens, while viewers at home turn CNN’s livestream into a Twitch chat for stans.
How it reflects on #MeToo
Yes, Johnny Depp fans have always been especially… energetic. They proved that at this year’s Oscars, when they got him a mention in one of the Twitter-voted categories for a movie that doesn’t exist. But Depp’s narrative of the silenced victim has brought that passion to new heights. His base is a frothy mix of pro- and anti-#MeToo sentiments, galvanized to support a cause that just so happens to involve their favorite actor.
More broadly, Depp may be a case study in what can happen if a #MeToo accusee fights back. People catastrophized over the impact of a false claim, but this, regardless of who’s telling the truth, is a test of the public’s credulity. Can they flip to the other side in the case of a counter-accusation?
The problem is, this is far from a cut-and-dry case. 12 acts of violence by Depp have been proven in a court of law. At least 1 act of violence by Heard was admitted to in an audio recording. “Mutual abuse” is often used to silence victims, but Depp and Heard’s former couples’ therapist called their relationship mutual.
A foundational idea of #MeToo was that victims wouldn’t get justice from corrupt institutions. Collective justice through social media was a means of finally speaking truth to power. This is a case where one side already got their justice in a court of law, and the other side is now turning to social media for theirs. None of this is to compare Depp or Heard to figures like Weinstein, Cosby, and Trump, but the language of a powerful abuser brought down has been applied both ways.
Conclusion: Is this justice?
If this case correctly rules on who abused whom in this relationship, then a certain kind of justice might be served. But in the court of public opinion, neither party is getting off scot free.
Could fans be persistent enough to get another Pirates movie made? Is Warner Bros. desperate enough to try bringing Depp back to Fantastic Beasts? Maybe, but the sentiment that got him fired in the first place hasn’t gone anywhere. Heard is as likely to get dropped by DC as Evangeline Lilly is by Marvel; it’s not impossible, but wouldn’t they have done it already?
To the extent that this battle could have any effect, it’s hard to see it as a positive one. Just like Time’s Up came out of hibernation to protect Andrew Cuomo, the language of #MeToo has been completely stripped of ideology.
Whether Heard or Depp started the fire isn’t for me to decide. What is clear, however, is that Heard isn’t controlling the narrative right now. Whatever their intentions, Depp fans have set a blueprint for combating abuse allegations with social media astroturfing.
Maybe #MeToo itself set that blueprint. Maybe Heard leveraged the #MeToo movement the same way Depp is leveraging his fans. Both sides participated in mudslinging and narrative-spinning, but what happens if the next Weinstein has a fanbase like Depp’s? Whatever the outcome of this case, it points to trouble for the next victim to speak out. The limit of collective justice has been found, and it’s our short attention spans.
Entertainment
FN Meka, the world’s first AI rapper, gets booted out by record label
Published
5 months agoon
October 21, 2022By
Carmen DayIt’s not unusual for companies to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create artist personas. In the 2022 VMAs, Eminem and Snoop Dogg performed in the metaverse with their digital alter egos. And AI rappers are no different. In April 2019, FN Meka debuted as the world’s first AI-powered rapper.
Soon enough, he gained a huge following on Tiktok for his Hypebeast aesthetic and larger-than-life personality. In 2021, his Tiktok ballooned to 10 million followers. His popularity prompted Capital Records to sign him on August 14 this year. But, internet users began pulling up records of his questionable online behavior. Ten days later, his label booted him out.
Here’s how it happened.
Apparently, AI rappers exist.
FN Meka’s concept isn’t a true original. In fact, when it comes to virtual rap avatars, you’d probably think of British rap group Gorillaz first.
Brandon Le created the AI rapper avatar to sell non-fungible tokens. However, executive Anthony Martini led the avatar to new heights. Martini signed the rapper to Factory New, a record label he made for virtual artists.
His first single, “Florida Water,” features Gunna and Cody “Cix” Conrod, a Fortnite player. On the day FN Meka signed the deal, the single was released.
The rapper is the first artist to sign in Factory New.
The downfall
A few days after his new record deal, Industry Blackout, an online activist group, called out FN Meka over his questionable actions.
For one, the AI rapper had used the N-word in several of his songs, including his first single. He also mocked police brutality and posted a picture of himself being beaten up by the police.
Plus, FN Meka was criticized for racially stereotyping Black people because of his appearance and aesthetic. Furthermore, rumors began circulating that no actual Black people were involved in his creation in the first place.
Other news outlets also criticized the AI rapper for collaborating with Gunna, who is in jail for racketeering.
The record company has since dropped him. In a statement, the record label offered “their deepest apologies to the Black community.” Because of FN Meka’s actions, the label has cut ties with him “effective immediately.”
More and more problems
It doesn’t end there.
Kyle the Hooligan has come forward as the voice behind FN Meka. And the rapper has dropped new information on the issue. He alleges that the company did not pay him for the first three songs he made for the AI rapper. He also claims to have been ghosted by the creators at around 2021, when FN Meka just started gaining traction.
Of course, this comes as a surprise. Factory New claims that the AI writes the song while the humans only perform it.
Kyle doesn’t know who currently voices FN Meka, and he hasn’t probed it. What we know for sure, though, is that the rapper is based on other trendy rappers like Ice Narco, Lil Pump, and 6ix9ine.
On August 28, Kyle the Hooligan announced that he would file a lawsuit against Brandon Le and Factory New.
There’s a sort of irony in FN Meka. The AI rapper, voiced by a Black artist, is the product of white creators. And some activists and critics even call the AI rapper a new form of blackface. Here, critics argue that anyone can use and adopt Blackness without being Black. Today, a majority of FN Meka’s music and videos have been deleted from TikTok. Martini has also walked away from Factory New and FN Meka, leaving the rapper’s fate hanging in the air.
You remember the early 2000s, right? All about the flip phones, rented tapes from Blockbuster, those low-rise jeans I could never pull off, and of course, a music revolution.
Pretty much every decade had its unique flavor of popular music. But from 2000 to 2010, while garage rock was making a comeback, we also saw the uprise in amazing hip-hop tracks. One of the big artists from that era was Sean Combs. Better known as P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Love, or whatever you wanna call him.
Diddy; you’ve probably heard of him. He’s responsible for the hit tracks such as Bad Boys for Life, I’ll Be Missing You, and I Need A Girl (Parts 1 and 2). He’s also known for being the face of a well-known vodka company. Although Ciroc is one of the most coveted beverage brands, things weren’t always so easy for them. You might be surprised to learn that Diddy is the sole reason you know the name in the first place.
About Ciroc
Ciroc is a French brand that produces alcoholic beverages. Established in 2003, it mainly creates different flavors of vodka. But it also sells brandy as well. Ciroc is different from other vodkas in that it sources its alcohol from grapes rather than grain or potatoes. Its quality is, well, questionable. Well, it generally has good reviews some have claimed otherwise. According to Wine experts, the fruit used for Ciroc and many other beverages is Trebbiano grapes. They’re known as an unsophisticated grape; the type that doesn’t cost much and tends to produce undistinguished alcohol.
Well, wine experts, I hate to break it to you, but most people don’t care. As long as the alcohol tastes good and does its job, then people will buy it. The success of alcohol depends mainly on marketing. And nothing is better proof of this than Ciroc.
At first, Ciroc had a stupidly tough time establishing itself within the American markets. For a while, they collaborated with some no-name athletes. Earl Little was one of the first to promote it. They soon introduced Ciroc to various nightclubs with minimal success. Still, they were the 50th-ranked premium vodka. They were struggling just to sell 40000 cases. Something needed to change; they needed to do something drastic in order to become a success.
How Diddy Elevated It
In 2007, Diddy was recruited to be a spokesperson for Ciroc. He was sort of a last resort, as the company decided they didn’t have much to lose. In typical Diddy fashion, he took this unknown brand and made it really cool. He took over Ciroc’s marketing in the United States, applying his unique salesmanship to it. And by that I mean, he was shocking.
Here’s a good example. In the early 2000s, one of the key events of the decade was Obama’s run for president. Meanwhile, Diddy began calling himself “Ciroc Obama,” basing much of his promotion on that one pun.
Aside from the jokes, Diddy would also give the company free product placement and his music videos. He went on to create endless flavors for Ciroc Vodka, promoting it whenever he had the chance. His advertisements emphasized the “sexiness” of using grapes as the source of alcohol. He made it clear that no other vodka was like it. Over time, Diddy’s name became intrinsically tied to the brand. Within a few years, Ciroc skyrocketed to #2 on the premium vodka listings.
Nowadays, Diddy still creates flavors and promotes Ciroc in his own unorthodox way.
Featured image from Rolling Stone
Guys, I have bad news. On July 25, 2022, Klondike made a devastating announcement:
“Over the past two years, we have experienced an unprecedented spike in demand across our portfolio and have had to make very tough decisions to ensure availability of our full portfolio nationwide.
“A necessary part of this process is that we sometimes must discontinue products,
“even a beloved item like Choco Taco.
“We know this may be very disappointing, but we hope you’ll try one of our other great products, including–”
Shut up! I don’t care about your other lame products! We want Choco Taco!
I don’t get it, Klondike. You’ll drop Choco Taco but keep Klondike Shakes?! This is the saddest ice cream news since Coldstone Creamery insisted on making their employees sing as a means to distract consumers from their inadequate business model.
But I digress…
This Doesn’t Make Sense
What’s this about, Klondike? Why discontinue an ice cream truck staple? Were sales really lagging that much? Why do you have to make room for other products? You have, like, four other things. You can’t hang onto the iconic Choco Taco?
None of this makes sense. Unless, of course, it’s all a marketing scheme.
After the announcement, Twitter had an eruption of expletives (what’s new?).
Wait??? The choco taco is gone???? ?? pic.twitter.com/qZm8KNHomx
— Surprise Doe~ (@Surprise_Doe) July 26, 2022
You can't make this shit up. #eBay #ChocoTaco pic.twitter.com/51kQ1kxJUw
— ChadLindberg (@ChadLindberg) July 27, 2022
me finding out the choco taco is being discontinued even though i can’t remember the last time i had one pic.twitter.com/xq7MXvIcZa
— kathleen (@kathleen_hanley) July 25, 2022
brb getting the last #chocotaco ever. pic.twitter.com/X2HeBhB711
— #Minions (@Minions) July 26, 2022
Why would the Klondike brand make a decision like this? Either this is a marketing scheme to create surge profits down the line. Or Klondike is being run by a bunch of morons.
The Klondike brand is owned by Good Humor-Breyers Corp. which is owned by Unilever, a British multinational consumer goods company. Fun fact: Unilever is the largest producer of soap in the world.
We have ice cream decisions being made by a bunch of limey soap-hawking suits.
Unilever’s YTD stock is down, though they’ve had a teeny tiny upward trend in the last month. Could this giant international conglomerate be faking the discontinuation of a beloved summer treat in order to regain profit? Unlikely.
Still, one has to wonder whether the discontinuation of Choco Taco is a simple marketing ploy to increase sales. Why not?
There’s a Precedent for Bringing Back Discontinued Products
Plenty of products have been discontinued only for them to later return. Notable products include Dunkaroos, Waffle Crisp, 3D Doritos, and Crystal Pepsi. Planters, known for their immortal mascot, brought back their Cheez Balls after a public campaign for their return.
Perhaps the most famous of these is the McDonald’s McRib. The irresistible boneless pork sandwich molded into the shape of ribs was first introduced in 1981 but discontinued in 1985 only to be brought back later that year and discontinued again in 2005. Now the McRib is available here and there as a limited edition option.
It’s the “limited edition” that makes consumers salivate the most, isn’t it? The very idea that something could only be available only for a short while increases desire. A sudden sense of exclusivity or rarity makes something immediately valuable. It’s a classic supply-and-demand tactic. We want what we cannot have.
We see you, Klondike/Good Humor-Breyers/Unilever.
Will Choco Taco Return?
Maybe one day. For now, there will be ice cream fiends hoarding and rationing out Choco Tacos, trading them like currency in an increasingly dystopian society.
Reddit user FilthyGunger eloquently wrote:
“I thought it would be here forever, and I always told myself I’ll have one later but later is here and a choco taco is not.
“It’s [sic] like losing a dog, but instead of a loving animal, it’s an ice cream-filled taco topped with chocolate and nuts.
“Honestly, if there was anything I could say about its passing, I would say that the world didn’t just lose an ice cream taco, it lost its way.”
RIP Choco Taco. For now.
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Patti Fitzgerald Hartley
November 16, 2022 at 7:45 pm
I think the MeToo movement is a bunch of hypocrites. You heard the tapes Amber heard was definitely the aggressor she said so many times that she hit