Within hours of her latest movie premier, Ashley Judd was in the news once again claiming to be a victim of misogyny and harassment. Evidently, there was a twitter exchange regarding a college basketball game which involved threats, profanity and vulgarity directed at Judd. One that she must have known would take place after accusing one team of 'playing dirty', a claim that was not substantiated by any referee, and inviting them to 'kiss her ass'. I'm not making excuses for those who responded to Judd with threats of violence or physical violation. Any that actually took place were uncalled for. Well, sort of. For Judd's very intention was to make herself a target. In fact, I believe that she deliberately provoked the exchange with full knowledge and forsight. After all, it has been well known for many years that within every crowd or audiance of sports fans, some individuals are very easy to provoke.
Within hours of the exchange and the premier of her new movie, Judd was threatening to file charges. Shortly after, she was being praised all over the media for an essay in which she pretended to feel violated. Within the essay, for the third time that I know of, she made herself out to be a victim still recovering from rape and incest. This, in addition to misogyny and harassment.
The timing is a dead giveaway. It was the last time as well. And the time before that. Ashley Judd has made a habit of playing the victim whenever she has a new product to sell. The last time, it was a TV show. The time before that, a book.
Once again, Ashley Judd has created a situatiation in which her repeated claims of rape and incest seem relevant. As usual, it's done with an ulterior commercial motive. After all, she is promoting a new movie. By timing her little rant to coincide with the promotion of that movie, she gets free publicity thereby making more people aware of that movie resulting in higher ticket sales. The same will be true when the DVD is released. All of this makes Ashley Judd richer. That's the idea. I'll remind those of you who doubt this that she has pulled these sorts of stunts several times within the last few years. Each and every time, they were planned to coincide perfectly with the promotion of a new movie, TV show or book.
Publicity stunts like this are more effective and FAR less expensive than traditional advertising. They have become the norm. The problem I have with it, aside from the Earth shattering greed of celebrities, is that it makes America stupid. Seriously. It's always, always, ALWAYS something with big celebrities whenever they have new movies, shows, albums, tours, book, scents, makeup or fashion lines to promote. After so many hundreds of carefully timed publicity stunts ranging from 'wardrobe malfunctions' to 'trips' onstage to 'life savings' to controversial statements to 'powerful essays' like Judd's most recent in which she has the gall to ask that others 'join her' (not the other way around, as if she invented the concept of speaking out), I find it truly astonishing that EVERYONE isn't aware of it by now. It's ALWAYS SOMETHING.
Judd's latest publicity stunt may be wrapped in more sophisticated packaging then a 'nip slip' or a panty flash but it's every bit as calculated. Timed perfectly as usual to coincide with the promotion of her new movie.
Seriously, America. Wake up already. Once again, you are being played for fools.
I'll believe Judd's melodramatic claims of rape and incest when she names her violators (they better be alive to respond) and charges are filed. In the meantime, I'm calling her a liar. After all, if she truly has the courage she claims to have, then she can drop a few names and file a police report. Not for the online crap which MANY of us male and female have dealt with MANY times but for the RAPE and INCEST she has the GALL to allege without making it official in the name of justice.
I'm calling Ashley Judd a liar.
This IS NOT a bash on actual victims of abuse, women, or ANYONE but Judd and the HUNDREDS of celebrities who always pull some sort of publicity stunt in order to save millions over the cost of traditional advertising whenever they have new movies, shows, albums, tours, books, scents, fashion or makeup lines to promote.
