Blog #1

 Everyone who has spent as many hours watching TV as I have develops a preference toward certain shows and certain characters specifically. Shows can be a great escape from the divisive reality we trudge through on a daily basis, but sometimes we grow so infatuated by characters it becomes harder to acknowledge some of the actors we come to cherish so much are not good or even depraved individuals. Although thrust into positions of notoriety and influence, as a society we must be wary to mistake talent/entertainment value for a genuine reason to look up to someone. Millions of Americans such as myself grew up watching that 70s show, millions more watched in an effort to relive parts of their youth growing up in a time that’s now harder and harder to remember. As an atheist and someone who has been in his share of familial trouble a character such as Hyde spoke to me, sadly for me Danny Masterson played that character of Hyde. If you have never watched that 70s show but are currently thinking “man does that name sound familiar”, it is most likely because he is all over the news right now after being sentenced to 30 years in prison following reports of past unspeakable actions of his coming to light just a few years ago. Examples like this, albeit extremes, can push society to evaluate which figures they believe are worth their admiration. Essentially an infinite amount of news sources have tackled this specific issue already, but I believe the article done by Vox discussing how other celebrities are missing the point when it comes to why cases like this are specifically important. Their focus on the insincere apology video sent by Danny Masterson’s former coworkers, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis allowed them to expand the story to more than one single focus, rather a culture perpetuated by the Hollywood elite and a trend of irresponsibility committed on behalf of those same elite as a means to protect personal interests over societal ones. 

     The second you open the article by Vox you see the picture taken from the “apology” video sent by Aston Kutcher and Mila Kunis in response to their character letters to Danny Masterson. It’s clear and obvious from the start they look disgruntled and uncomfortable, this sets the tone for the entire article on an issue that is very uncomfortable. They do a great job of later including a picture of the couple at an award gala to show just how impactful an incident like that can be. The highest irony pointed out by the writer is these are both trained actors who have spent their lives trying to make dialogue sincere, yet when it came to an apology video for the pain their character letters could have caused potential victims, all that sincerity disappeared. Vox also does a great job explaining the purpose of character letters in our criminal Justice system, stating they aren’t necessarily about potential innocence rather lenience. Although one still has ability to decline to write character letters they have become commonplace, the content of the letters written on behalf of Masterson themselves though are incredibly disturbing, distasteful and counterproductive to society. The fact they decided to write anything in support of a convicted rapist struck people the wrong way, but their continual praise of him and his character was far more shocking. There’s a wide difference between telling a judge there should be a shorter sentence Vs writing a letter stating you think a rapist was a good person at the time those acts were committed. Kunis and Kutcher went as far to say Masterson was an excellent “role model” and had a very strong moral compass when it came to drugs and alcohol, that statement alone being a blatant tell they didn’t take time to even look at the facts of the given case as Masterson used several illicit substances while committing his acts of sexual assault. The insinuation that he should get more lenient sentencing due to his lack of drug use seems rooted in hateful sentiment directed at those actually going through addiction as well. Why on earth would the fact that he committed those acts while under no influence mean he deserves more leniency than someone who committed acts in part due to a mental disorder like addiction ? The article does a brilliant job of not dismissing the idea of character letters entirely, just their use in this specific way, the authors points out there is a place for character letters and they can be incredible impactful at times, specifically for marginalized individuals. 

     The content of the apology video posted by Kunis and Kutcher was shocking to many due to its rushed nature and poor quality. These are people who have incredible means and resources/ experience making and producing videos in the past as well. The fact they couldn’t take some time out of their undeniably privileged lives to write a decent apology and commit it to memory, than have the common decency to convey the apology in a sincere and meaningful way that doesn’t look like your agent called you in a panic and begged you to phone something in is appalling. As pointed in the article an insincere apology video can be worse than the lack of an apology video at all, instead of the public assuming you are simply not apologetic for your actions they can now see it firsthand through the hollowed apologies. Comments were not allowed on the video either, neither Kunis nor Kutcher had been known to turn their comments off on posts prior to this incident showing how seemingly aware they were of the upcoming negative blackish from their below sub par apology. Not only are both actors clearly reading from a script, but they look disgruntled and downright unhappy to be there, their words were also cliche and insincere and more of a way to justify their actions rather than apologize for them. No one needs to hear why you did it or what pushed you to do it once you have hurt people, if you feel like sharing that than that can be fine, but once you caused that type of pain and upset such a wide base of people, it’s less about justifying your actions than just apologizing for their effects and working on a way to make up for it. 

     Vox points out there were ways to go about writing a potential character letter to Masterson that would have been far less problematic, even if people would have still been a degree of upset regardless. If Kutcher and Kunis stuck with the intended purposes of a character letter and came up with a list of factors that may of lead to Masterson’s criminal conviction rather than attempting to prove he was a good person. The judge does not care if you think he’s a good person regardless, but Kunis and Kutcher stuck with their narrative that Masterson was genuinely a good guy rather than a sick troubled man who was lead down a dark path due to lack of mental help and addiction related issues. This points to the hollow nature of Hollywood in general, it’s as if these are no longer real people with real human characteristics rather figures who are unable to see a bigger picture beyond simple black and white. Life is far more complex than tv shows and movies good and bad is not black and white, the goal of proving Vs bad in reality is nearly an impossible task, sadly Hollywood elite have often proven to be to shallow to get the point; which is where you get people calling rapists “good citizens” in letters to judges.