Recently, the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial has grabbed much more spotlight on social media than Virginia’s Fairfax County Circuit Court, where the trial is underway. And this is not the first instance, the Will Smith-Chris Rock slapping incident was also subjected to a lot of memes and viral videos. Actor Ashoka Thackur feels that wherever a celebrity goes controversy follows and social media grabs the opportunity.
“There is no doubt that being a public figure one is constantly judged. The judgment can go to the next level and take the form of trolling, memes, and even reels. Celebrities grab the limelight wherever they go and it doubles up when there is a controversy. With everyone having access to social media, it is very natural that the controversies not only become a topic of discussion but also get converted to memes and videos. So I feel social media knows how to use a controversy to its benefit because these days it’s all about the likes and views and people don’t feel bad in using it as an opportunity to get more hits,” he said.
Though the actor has never faced any controversy in his career so far, he feels that celebrities should maintain their calm when a controversy happens. “If controversies like these happen then celebrities must keep patience and seek it out. Social media exaggerates everything and I don’t think they should take it too seriously,” he said.
The young actor emphasised that a celebrity is always in the public’s eye and they should take their responsibility seriously.
“Fame is not easy. You get it after a lot of struggles and ups and downs and it involves a lot of hard work. People follow you because of your fame so celebrities must be responsible enough to not lose this achieved fame,” Ashoka concluded.
