(Trigger warning: Mentions of abuse, assault)
A year ago, while the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial was going on in court, there was a parallel trial happening on social media. It was more ugly, misogynistic, and what was really disturbing was the commodification and 'memeification' of the whole ordeal.
Social media became an unhinged battleground. It was Amber Heard who faced the most amount of wrath. Now, a Twitter user revisited a few very problematic TikTok videos that re-created Amber's testimony related to domestic abuse, and started a 'bruise-kit' trend.
During one of the hearings, Amber had claimed that Johnny had assaulted her to the extent that she would develop visible bruises, and in order to hide them, she had to carry a make-up kit with her at all times, which she mistakenly called a 'bruise-kit'. This slip-up was not forgiven by the 'social media police'.
Meme-ification of Abuse
Platforms like TikTok were filled with people re-creating and enacting Amber's testimony, which was not only extremely problematic but also very triggering.
They recreated her bruises with makeup, enacted scenarios of abuse and took a sarcastic jibe at her statements. There were even companies that joined in these trends and exploited them in order to cash in more profits. Starbucks, for example, asked customers to tip in separate jars with Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s names on it to show which actor they supported.
Why Was It Wrong?
The discourse that took place through the course of the trial was the most concerning part. Many took to social media to highlight the misogyny that was rampant.
It was also pointed out how an unfortunate discourse surfaced during the case, that when women don't look, act, or sound like a 'good' or 'perfect' victim, they are often discredited as real victims.
Years Pass, Trials End, but Misogyny Continues
Unfortunately, this was neither the first nor the last case where survivors of alleged abuse have been mocked or humiliated.
In a recent post that is going viral on Twitter, a Pakistani content-creator and his wife are being criticised for shooting a "fun" video of domestic abuse.
In the so-called 'prank' video, the husband tries to suffocate the wife with a pillow while she's sleeping, but as it turns out, her face was on the other side of the couch.
After the post was shared on Twitter, many users pointed out how dangerous and triggering this kind of content is, especially for domestic-abuse survivors.
In 2021, a report by WHO stated, "One in three women is subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner." Therefore, counter-arguments about how 'it's just a joke' or 'not everything should be taken seriously' hold no place here.
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