If the recent controversies over Johnny Depp’s legal trouble and departure from the Fantastic Beasts and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises weren’t enough, the Animaniacs reboot has also managed to upset fans with an inadvertent reference to the case through a background gag. As can perhaps be expected, Depp fans have roundly criticized the sight gag on Twitter, and have even called for a boycott of Animaniacs‘ parent studio Warner Bros. What are the reasons, then, behind the boycott?
The first episode of the new series on Hulu features the actor in a throwaway joke whereby a poster shows him promoting Johnny 2: Telling Lies. Although the animation was actually created back in 2018, it seems to be in poor taste that the producers left it into the finished product, considering the amount of tensions caused by the Depp-Heard story in recent weeks. Indeed, given WB’s apparent past caution over taking sides in the dispute, it’s a surprise that something that could easily be misinterpreted would be left in as part of a high-profile show.
The particular implication that the performer is “Telling Lies” doesn’t chime very well with a libel accusation, even if the context behind it apparently appears to be riffing on the “Johny Johny Yes Papa” viral video from a few years ago, which contains these lyrics:
Johny, Johny,
Yes papa?
Eating sugar?
No papa.
Telling lies?
No papa.
Open your mouth
Ha ha ha!
Indeed, to the right of the criticized poster is another promo seemingly showing the baby from the video holding a bag. The “telling lies” tagline is therefore most likely picking up on the lyrics above, albeit without the unintended consequence of being very topical. For online commentators, though, this isn’t enough to justify what could easily be seen as a direct dig against Depp, resulting in the calls to boycott Warner Bros. products. In this context, the outrage appears to reflect a continuation of condemnation by some corners of the Internet over how the company has handled recent events.
With various petitions and other protests surrounding Aquaman 2 and anything Amber Heard-related also still a big topic on social media, WB have another PR headache on their hands. Still, as we’ve noted before in looking at the legal realities around the Depp-Heard case, it’s important not to assign too much weight to one vocal group. If anything, that a mistimed meme reference in Animaniacs is generating so much heat is another sign that 2020 just keeps getting crazier.
from We Got This Covered https://ift.tt/370kaT7
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