'Cancel Culture' and the War on Women

Introduction

Cancel Culture—the dreaded term that no celebrity wants to be associated with—is a modern-day trial by social media, where the jury is the online mob and the verdict is swift, public, and career-ending.

In essence, cancel culture is a modern phenomenon that has become more popular as a result of the development of media and social platforms, meaning that both journalists and social media users can spread their own perspectives on, or experiences with specific people. As a result, public figures' allegedly offensive or controversial behavior is debated in the online sphere, often by anonymous users. Oftentimes, it results in the ostracism of those subject to debate, impacting their careers in irrecoverable ways.

There have been plenty of prominent examples over the years in which public figures have met their demise thanks to cancel culture, with the severity of the resulting harm varying from case to case.

Nonetheless, different celebrities are often seen as ‘easier’ to cancel based on the depth and loyalty of their fan bases.

Throughout this research, we have unearthed an extremely obvious yet largely ‘silenced’ theme within ‘cancel culture', this theme being that misogyny pervades much of cancel culture and that women in the media often receive significantly disproportionate backlash for supposedly ‘canceable’ actions.

To consider this argument, we explore three case studies that highlight prevalent examples of disproportionate backlash based on gender. Hence, we will be comparing and contrasting different cases regarding Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, Ellen Degeneres and Jimmy Fallon, and Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake.

Johnny Depp & Amber Heard

It was the 2022 trial that took the world by storm—actor Johnny Depp, on trial against his ex-wife and actress Amber Heard, suing one another for defamation—although the case turned into more of a ‘she-said, he-said’ exposé of their marriage.

Depp was suing Heard for $50m, alleging that Heard implied he was an abuser in her 2018 Washington Post op-ed about domestic violence. Heard, on the other-hand, countersued for $100m, accusing Depp of cultivating a ‘smear campaign’ against her, a continuation of his abuse and harassment.

Throughout the trial, text messages between Depp and a friend were released, in which he ‘joked’ (as would be argued) that he would ‘drown her, burn her, then f*ck her corpse to make sure she was dead.’ The violent messages were not isolated; there were multiple instances in which Depp berated women.

In further messages presented to the jury, Depp described multiple women as "sluts" and "fat ugly whores." He referred to Heard as a "filthy whore" laughing that he would "smack the ugly c*nt around" before allowing her inside. In another instance, he described his former partner (and the mother of his children), Vanessa Paradis, as a "withering c*nt." He told people Heard was a "gold-digging, low-level, dime-a-dozen, mushy, pointless, dangling, overused flappy fish market."

Heard also accused him of physically beating her, smacking her, throwing things at her, and emotionally degrading her. Several photographs showed examples of her bruised face.

On the other hand, Depp accused Heard of attempting to ‘defame’ him. The site of her defamation was her accusations of physical and mental abuse, which Depp denied and, furthermore, laughed about during trial, regardless of the hard evidence that suggested otherwise.

The trial certainly gave way to raging examples of misogyny. While the case illustrated different occasions in which both parties were at fault for their marital issues (notably, Heard's defense did in fact have more literal, hard evidence against Depp), the pair have emerged from the trial in notably different lights, their lives impacted in starkly different ways.

Heard's testimonies were mocked and re-enacted through skits on social media. Internet users captured screenshots of her tearful expression and transformed them into memes. Numerous individuals engaged in scornful reenactments of her testimony, mimicking her words as she described her mistreatment. The sound of her crying even became a trending topic on TikTok. It is noteworthy that these ‘reenactments’ were based on recounts in which she describes Depp hitting her, manipulating and controlling her, surveilling her, and sexually assaulting her.

On the other hand, the hashtag #TeamJohnnyDepp garnered over 80 million interactions on TikTok.

While Heard was reprimanded as a ‘skank, ‘liar,’ and ‘whore’, a slew of high-profile celebrities took to social media, heart reacting Depp’s celebratory post on Instagram in which he praised the ‘support’ he received throughout the trial.

While Heard was the subject of petitions that garnered millions of signatures in order to remove her from film projects, Depp’s career has further skyrocketed. His latest movie opened the Cannes Film Festival, receiving a seven-minute standing ovation. He received a $20 million Dior fragrance deal, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has considered paying him a ‘fortune’ so that he will return.

Their case remains a prime example of the imbalances experienced by women within cases of ‘cancel culture.’ Depp fantasised about the torture and murder of his ex-wife, yet these pieces of evidence were dismissed. It really speaks to a much larger issue within the realm of cancel culture, in which we dismiss the abuse, the traumas, and the experiences of women, because it is something that is already so easily dismissed, ignored, and undermined in society. We can ‘accept that Johnny made jokes’, because misogyny is simply not taken seriously; it is expected.

While Heard has since relocated to Spain, attempting to hide from the onslaught of media that continues to harass her, Depp has emerged above the abuse charges with an intact career and millions of dollars in his pocket. Perhaps he remains a subject of controversy and therefore has not gone entirely unscathed himself. But it is fair to say that his position throughout the trial as an adored public figure has trumped the comparative image of Heard in plenty of ways. Her life continues to be consumed by hatred, backlash, and minimal public support, and her overall ‘cancellation’ as a public figure continues to fuel the 'Heard hate train'.

Jimmy Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres

Over the last few years there have been instances of people who worked on talk shows coming forward to share stories of bullying and the toxic workplaces that exist behind the scenes.

In September 2023 an article published by Rolling Stone detailed new allegations made about the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon which detailed incidents on the show and the toxic workplace that could occur on the show.

In July 2020, accusations against The Ellen DeGeneres Show of bullying and a toxic work environment by senior staff. The show ended in May 2022 and over the course of those two years Ellen herself faced harsh criticism by the media and people online.

On the 7th of September 2023 an article published on the Rolling Stone website shared the views of sixteen employees that were involved with The Tonight Show, 14 of these employees no longer worker the show. They detailed specific instances of Fallon’s behaviour and the toxic work environment that was on set.

They said that Fallon's behaviour had a negative impact on senior staff. They shared how it was common knowledge that there would be good or bad “Jimmy days.” Examples were also shared of how he would often appear drunk and easily irritable. Once example shared by a former staff member said how Fallon crossed out jokes from a script and began talking with the audience. When he looked at his script he was confused and could not remember that he had crossed the jokes out himself.

“Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No.’ Everybody walked on eggshells, especially show runners. You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit.”

Seven of the former employees shared that due to their experiences working on the show that their mental health was impacted with many joking about wanting to commit suicide and using dressing rooms as places to cry. Former employees developed anxiety, felt physical impacts of deteriorating mental health, started therapy and had suicidal thoughts.

Back in 2020 a Buzzfeed article was published online which discussed the toxic work environment that was experienced by staff on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In the midst of the global pandemic DeGeneres' personal and shows mantra “be kind” was called into question when ten former and one current staff shared stories of bullying and discrimination by senior staff and producers.

While many of the experiences shared about the workplace environment were to do with the comments and actions of senior staff

Some of the experiences shared by former staff included racist comments against staff who were people of colour and some staff being fired after using sick and bereavement leave.

One employee shared that they had used medical leave to check into a mental health facility following a suicide attempt, only for them to come back and learn that their role at the show was being cut.

Most of the former employees blamed executive producers and other senior managers for the day-to-day toxicity, but one former employee said that, ultimately, it’s Ellen’s name on the show and “she really needs to take more responsibility” for the workplace environment.

Following the allegations against the two shows, there were apologies made in response from both Fallon and DeGeneres, as well as senior staff from the respective shows. Social media had a big impact in both cases, with many users taking to their keyboards to discuss and share views and opinions. However, the reaction to both of these publications was drastically different.

The story published by Rolling Stone quickly garnered attention from new outlets and the public with many sharing the article and discussing the accusations made on various social media outlets and comment sections. Many thought that Fallon was a kind and funny person from their knowledge of the show and how he presents himself to the media.

Fallon has yet to make any public apology due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes meaning that the Tonight Show is not currently filming. He has also made no acknowledgement of the allegations on his social media.

However, on the same day as the Rolling Stone article was published, he apologized to staff via a brief Zoom call, stating:

“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends. I feel so bad, I can’t even tell you. I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people.”

While these allegations have come out very recently many of the events details occurred a few years ago. Some staff at the show have said the it is a more stable work environment under the current showrunner after there had by nine previous showrunners within eight years.

When the article came out, there was an immediate outcry, with people calling DeGeneres out for not being aware of what was happening on her show. A multitude of stories followed, calling Ellen out for being 'mean' and 'neglectful'.

She apologized during the premiere of Season 18 in July 2020, saying, “I’m so sorry to the people it affected. I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”

“As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show, and then there was an investigation. I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously, and I want to say that I am so sorry to the people that were affected. I know that I am in a position of privilege and power, and with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.”

An investigation occurred following the allegations, which resulted in three senior staff members losing their jobs.

In the eyes of the public DeGeneres would never be viewed the same as she was seen to have failed at practising what she preached

It is very clear that there was a drastic difference in the ways in which the media and the public reacted.

When it came to media outlets, there were far more articles published about DeGeneres and her show. It remained hard to be online and not see something new or hear about someone else sharing a negative experience, despite the fact that it was mostly issues surrounding senior staff on the show.

In comparison, there has not been as much written or discussed about Fallon, who was at the centre of the majority of accusations.

It is very obvious that men and women are held to different standards when it comes to their work environments. People did not seem as surprised when Fallon, a man, was exposed for a bad work environment as opposed to Ellen, a woman. Many emphasis that an overarching, idealistic outlook on women is that they are 'nurturing' and 'kind'' - hence, the work environment that they create should reflect this.

Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake

The 2004 SuperBowl Halftime Show is perhaps one of the most infamous performances to have taken place at the nationally renowned sports event. Dubbed "Nipplegate" by the press, the scandal caused worldwide controversy.

The performance saw Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake—two of the biggest music stars at the time—on stage together. As part of their choreography, and as he sang the lyrics: "I bet I'll have you naked by the end of this song,' Justin was meant to rip off part of Janet's leather harness. Instead, he ripped off the breast cup of her bra, exposing her right breast in front of hundreds of thousands of people and, furthermore, the millions of people at home watching on TV.

The unfortunate yet entirely accidental wardrobe malfunction was the beginning of a total media and legal fiasco that arguably ended Janet’s career. ViacomCBS, the owner of the TV network CBS where the SuperBowl aired, was fined by the Federal Communications Commission $550,000 USD on grounds of indecency.

Les Moonves, one of the channel's head executives, blacklisted Janet from all of ViacomCBS's networks and radio stations, including MTV and VH1. This came as a massive blow to Janet's career, as this was the primary way to advertise music at this time. The inability to play her music through avenues such as MTV and commercial radio stations completely crippled Janet's potential earnings, exposure, and music industry relevance. She was disinvited from that years Grammy Awards, while Timberlake was not only invited - but performed.

A Washington Post article shortly afterwards wrote, "What Janet Jackson did was bizarre, deliberately flopping out of her costume like that." While Justin, the source of exposure, was entirely erased from the scene.

Her career undoubtably suffered at the time, and itsafe to say that her relevance and the level of success that she once held became irrecoverable. Since the "Nipplegate" scandal, her prominence as a pop star has been the same.

Furthermore, Les Mooves reasoned his decisions by perpetuating the idea that Janet "planned" her reveal. This idea further impacted Janet's career, with members of the public ruthlessly attacking Janet and her 'calculated' move.

At the time, Janet released an 'apology', although in 2006 she retracted this during an sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, noting that it was "an accident. Why was I having to apologize for an accident?" In a range of later interviews, she mentioned that it was "tough" for her to talk about that time. "All of the emphasis was put on me."

The backlash was so ridiculously disproportionate that it's almost hard to believe. While Justin's career continued to flourish, Janet's next several albums flopped, a result of her being blacklisted from music video channels and the radio. While Justin went on to perform on SNL and eventually started gracing the big screen as a movie star, Janet only began to make chart-topping music again in 2017. The lack of backlash garnered by Justin Timberlake in comparison to Janet Jackson almost makes it seem as if he had nothing to do with it whatsoever.

According to American Journalist, Johnny Harris, more than 2 thirds of newspapers published in the week following the controversy only mention Justin in passing or not at all. This is puzzling given the fact that albeit an accident, he was the one to rip the clothing off, but not given share of the blame.

“It was difficult at times being a woman and being told, ‘No, you can’t.’ Why? ‘Because women don’t do that'."

-Janet Jackson, 2022

This shows that both Janet and Justin were held to different standards in this incident and it is no surprise that their gender was at play here. Janet was unfairly cancelled and given the level of fall out it was like Justin was not even there. The fact of the matter is their treatment was not the same and it shows how cancel culture puts women to a higher standard than it holds men; it speaks to the deep-rooted misogyny of the world we live in. It shows that the world would rather see women fail than see a man held accountable for his actions.

Conclusion

Through our three examples it is clear to see that 'cancel culture' is impactful in many ways. While it certainly can play a role in how it effects public figures, both female and male, there are a variety of reoccurring instances in which women become easier targets. This can largely be attributed to how we as a society view women, how women are 'supposed' to be - how they should act, look, and respond to situations in which they are seen to be in the wrong. Misogyny continues to pervade many facets of our society, and as we conclude, its role within cancel culture has certainly not fallen short. It has however cannot be denied that it has been used a new way to control women in the public eye, and people treat them as public property.

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