Borkowski Weekly Media Trends of the Year: 2022 - A year in Cancel Culture
Will Smith, Johnny Depp and other Celeb controversies from Kim K to Molly Mae
For as long as people have been able to publicly voice their disapproval, some version of cancel culture has existed. Today, cancel culture is firmly embedded in mainstream consciousness and has remained a hot topic for 2022. But to what extent does being ‘cancelled’ actually stick to the rich and famous?
When Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock on global television during the Academy Awards just 30 minutes before winning his first Oscar, his future as one of Hollywood’s most-loved actors was called into question. Despite delivering a clever acceptance speech for best actor filled with rhetoric, the incident sent shockwaves across the internet, and he received a 10-year ban from the Oscars for the outburst. After many an apology and accountability measures such as his resignation from the Academy, it seems Smith has seemingly begun his comeback as the public moves on from his questionable behaviour. In his new movie Emancipation, Smith plays an honourable and courageous hero as he looks to provide a path to his redemption in Hollywood.
For Johnny Depp, the possibility of losing out on major movie roles became a stark reality after he was branded a ‘wife beater’ by the media following an explosive op-ed written for The Washington Post by his ex-wife, Amber Herd. Some may suggest that his career had long been on the downturn, but this was a pivotal moment which led to a six-week trial of nasty allegations to defend his reputation. Whilst dealing with the legal drama, Depp was outspoken about cancel culture and his utmost refusal to apologise appealed to his fans. Although Depp has commercially moved on, there is still time for him to make an impact in this next venture. After appearing on tour with veteran guitarist Jeff Beck, Depp made a surprise cameo at Rihanna' Savage X Fenty fashion show, and the news that he is set to direct his first film in 25 years called ‘'Modigliani’, Depp is in the midst of making a career revival.
The Kardashians have had their fair share of controversies over the years, but when Kim Kardashian made comments in an interview with Variety offering advice for women to “Get your f**king a** up and work,” it sparked outrage and triggered a discussion on work ethic and privilege, with many branding her advice as tone-deaf.
“I have the best advice for women in business, “Get your f****** ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.”
Despite later explaining that her comments were “taken out of context,” it transpired that Kim is not as self-aware as her PR team wants us to believe. However, controversy is central to the Kardashian’s success – see also the their use of private jets for short journeys while bragging about the ‘sustainability’ of their brands- and relationships, fights, and scandal, only work to drive interest in their new Hulu show which has given the family unprecedented control over their narrative as they continue to build and shape their empire.
Continuing the theme of tone-deaf comments, Love Island influencer Molly Mae was heavily criticised this year for her lack of self-awareness after a clip of her comments in relation to wealth inequality on The Diary of a CEO podcast, went viral. She candidly stated that we all have the same “24 hours in a day” when answering how she reached the height of her success. Despite failing to acknowledge her privilege and her Wikipedia page briefly changing to Molly-Mae Thatcher, her fans remain loyal and supportive as she continues to share her lavish lifestyle on social media. Mae has made no attempt to slow down her jet-set influencer lifestyle with blatant displays of affluence and recently giving her fans a glimpse into her lavish baby nursery and 193k “dream car”.
2022 saw an uncomfortable stream of news around The Flash actor Ezra Miller which included accusations of grooming, violence, and manipulation of minors – crimes not easily digested by the public or his employers at Warner Bros. Despite an apology and revealing that they have begun treatment for complex mental health issues, the accusations led to serious backlash for their credibility in Hollywood. While Miller gained worldwide attention for their performances, their future as the DC Comics character and in playing other roles remains murky. After their fall from grace, Miller’s public admission of personal issues is the beginning of their redemption story but there is no guarantee that they will come out shining at the other end.
Tennis legend Novak Djokovic experienced a season like no other after he was banned from two Grand Slams and found himself in a government detention hotel instead of the Australian Open at the start of the year. Publicly voicing his stance on anti-vax beliefs at a time when covid cases were escalating and isolation rules were in place, it was decided that he could be a threat to Australia’s public health and was deported on the eve of the Aussie Open. Despite his behaviour dividing fans and his decisions being deemed by many as irresponsible and unsportsmanlike, the noticeable urge from the public to move on from the pandemic appears to have left Djokovic unscathed by the fallout with stable high-yielding off-court earnings. Following his three-year ban being revoked by the immigration minister, it remains to be seen how the nine-time champion’s time under the microscope as a hero (and martyr) will affect his legacy as he heads into a new year that could cement his legacy as the greatest tennis player of all-time.
A late entry to cancellation station 2022 is Jeremy Clarkson, a one time Top Gear host who is now rebranded as the slightly cuddlier face of Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime. No stranger to controversy, Clarkson has edged closer than ever to true cancellation after his most recent rant in his Sun column about Meghan Markle. Following the release of the rather grandly named “Volume II” of the Sussex’s Netflix documentary, Clarkson wrote:
“I hate her. Not like I hate Nicola Sturgeon or Rose West. I hate her on a cellular level. At night, I’m unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her.”
This graphic description of violence against a woman who has already spoken openly about her poor treatment at the hands of the media, unsurprisingly did not win him much public sympathy. Ipso received a record-breaking number of complaints, and more than 60 cross-party MPs signed a letter to the Sun’s editor Victoria Newton demanding an apology and repercussions for Clarkson. Even Jeremy’s own daughter, body positivity campaigner and social media influencer Emily Clarkson spoke out against her dad’s comments.
Whilst at the time of writing Clarkson’s job still seems secure, the debacle did result in a rare, if less than grovelling apology via Twitter claiming the brutal imagery was a “clumsy reference” to Game of Thrones. Only time will tell if the lumps of excrement continuing to be hurled at Clarkson and his employer will stick.
If there’s a pattern to be observed in this disparate and colourful array of celebrity scandals, it’s that most ‘cancellations’ are recoverable for the celebrity involved. As long as they don’t end up bankrupt or behind bars, the chances are that that today’s front page villain will be tomorrow’s puff piece…