For over a year, I’ve watched the search term “Johnny Depp is a Victim.”
I’ve read over 10,000 tweets and can reasonably well predict how an article called “Johnny Depp is NOT a Victim” will be received.
That person will be outraged at my victim-sanctity taboo violation. They will attempt every emotional and illogical argument to cast me as an ignorant, moral pervert.
Here are some indisputable facts:
Johnny Depp was one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. He commanded tens of thousands of dollars in endorsements and millions of dollars for roles. His participation in a movie project ensured both artistic and box office success.
Regardless of whatever people think of him now, he’s been widely considered one of the sexiest and most desirable men alive for decades.
Amber Heard is a lot of things. She is very attractive, she’s confident in her persuasive abilities, and she’s ambitious. She’s been able to attract the attention and affections of both men and Women in Hollywood and Tech.
One thing Amber Heard is not, is stupid. She has an incredibly keen insight into human behavior.
“Tell the world Johnny, tell them I, Johnny Depp, a man, I’m a victim too of domestic violence & see how many people believe or side with you,” she said in the now famous video.
She’s 100% right about human nature. Not only will people immediately not believe a man like Johnny, even reporting physical abuse makes him a suspect of being an abuser himself.
No matter how many facts, no matter how much evidence, no matter how much logic you try to use to shoehorn that square peg into a round hole, you will never change their minds because:
Johnny Depp is not a victim.
Morality is a very complex topic, made up of many diverse opinions, perspectives, and academic theories. The simplest of these, and in my mind most effective, is the Theory of Dyadic Morality by Dr. Kurt Gray.
Gray’s research suggests that highly agentic people can very easily switch in moral perception between “Heroes and Villains” and similarly between “Victims and Beneficiaries. (like orphans, puppies or kittens)
Moral Agents, especially men, can never be perceived as Moral Patients deserving care.
It’s easier to imagine a hero becoming a villain who deserves punishment and vice versa, than to tolerate a villain or a hero being perceived as a victim or a beneficiary.
Johnny Depp helped produce the documentary series that freed the West Memphis Three. He risked his reputation, exposure of his personal flaws, embarrassment, and millions of dollars to bring this trial and these false accusations to the public forum.
Johnny Depp isn’t a victim, Johnny Depp is a fucking hero.
