What’s with Jennifer Aniston dragging Monica Lewinsky?

In the past few weeks, Jennifer Aniston has garnered headlines that have raised questions about her allegiance to some of the female empowerment messages of the  #MeToo movement.

Aniston faced social media backlash this week after she made some rather salty comments in Variety about Monica Lewinsky and Paris Hilton becoming famous “for doing nothing.”  Aniston’s comments were seen as insensitive, tone-deaf and demeaning, in light of the fact that both women have spoken out in recent years about being the targets of public scorn and humiliation.

One twitter user said it was “hypocritical” for a  #MeToo advocate like Aniston to “preach empowerment to demean another woman’s past (and] drag her out for the sake of it.”

Aniston’s dismissal of Lewinsky comes after the “Friends” star surprised many by appearing to endorse Johnny Depp’s legal victory over his former wife, Amber Heard, by “liking” Johnny Depp’s Instagram post two weeks ago that celebrated the defamation verdict.

Both the Daily Beast and BuzzFeed News reported that Aniston was among more than 50 celebrities who liked the post, thereby showing their support for a Virginia jury ruling that Depp’s ex-wife had libeled him when she published an op-ed about being a victim of domestic violence.

Aniston’s “like” was never explained, but it left some fans and feminists scratching their heads. Was it left by an employee errantly running her social media account, or was Aniston trying to send a message? But even if Aniston knew Depp personally, or had serious questions about Heard’s testimony during the ex-spouses’ blockbuster defamation trial, people wondered: Was it necessary for the world to know what Aniston thinks on this particular issue?

Among other things, Aniston became one of the leading Hollywood supporters of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, which were a response to 2017 revelations about widespread sexual abuse in Hollywood and other industries. With her “like,” Aniston seemed to show that she was OK with a powerful male star such as Depp asserting that, at least in his case, a woman can lie about being physically or sexually abused.

Now comes Aniston’s dismissal of Lewinsky and Hilton. Her comments were made during her recorded conversation with “Pam & Tommy” star Sebastian Stan for a Variety Actors on Actors interview. The pair were discussing Stan’s role as rocker Tommy Lee and the infamous 1995 leak of the sex tape Lee made with his then-wife, Pamela Anderson.

Aniston reflected on how the leak took place during a period when the internet had yet to have a huge impact on culture or on the types of people who could become famous. In the interview, Aniston is quoted as saying, “And it was right at the time when the internet really shaped a new culture about people becoming famous. This thing of people becoming famous for basically doing nothing. I mean — Paris Hilton, Monica Lewinsky, all those.”

Aniston went on to lament how anyone can become famous these days, without having to prove themselves as actors. “I always say I feel lucky that we got a little taste of the industry before it became what it is today, which is just different — more streaming services, more people,” she said. “You’re famous from TikTok. You’re famous from YouTube. You’re famous from Instagram. It’s sort of almost like it’s diluting our actor’s job.”

“I feel so lucky that we got a little taste of the industry before it became what it is today. More streaming services… you’re famous from TikTok… you’re famous from YouTube… you’re famous from Instagram… it’s almost like it’s diluting the actor’s job.”

— Jennifer Aniston pic.twitter.com/gUf5RJH8cK

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 13, 2022

Aniston’s dismissal of people who become famous from YouTube and TikTok also sparked complaints about how she was “elitist,”  “out of touch” with the current media culture or trying to gatekeep fame. Many others called her a “nepotism baby” and noted that her career was probably helped by the fact that both her parents were actors. Her disparagement of Lewinsky and Hilton was seen as especially problematic.

In a column titled, “Jennifer Aniston’s Dismissal of Publicly Humiliated Women as Famous For ‘Doing Nothing’ Hurts Most of All,” SheKnows.com writer Sara Levine said that Aniston’s comments about Lewinsky felt “like an especially low blow.” Lewinsky was a former White House intern — and a private person — when she was thrust into the spotlight of a national political scandal because of her affair with Bill Clinton, then president of the United States.

“The so-called ‘fame’ she achieved came at the expense of her privacy and well-being; she was publicly derided, not exactly celebrated, as the word famous connotes,” Levine said. In an essay for Vanity Fair in 2014, Lewiskiny wrote about how, when news of the affair broke, she was “arguably the most humiliated person in the world.” Now an anti-bullying advocate and writer, Lewinsky also wrote about how she struggled to build a career in the years after becoming the target of late-night jokes and other forms of public abuse. She said prospective employers always expressed concern about her “history.”

Others on Twitter agreed that Aniston should have kept Lewinsky’s name out of the discussion.

“Wait, Jennifer Aniston really said MONICA LEWINSKY was famous for doing nothing????” one person said. “Lewinsky was preyed upon by her boss who was literally the President. She has spoken about how the press coverage harmed her and her family. She did not want to be famous.”

“Is Jennifer Aniston (expletive) serious?” another person tweeted. “@MonicaLewinsky wasn’t ‘famous for nothing.’ She was NOTORIOUS in the eyes of the media who (slut) shamed her …  How (expletive) tone deaf can a person be?”

Levine also objected to Aniston’s dismissal of Hilton, or the way “The Morning Show” star also seemed to lump Pamela Anderson into her argument about people becoming famous for no reason. Levine said that Anderson already was a famous actress on “Baywatch” when her sex tape was leaked. Meanwhile, Hilton was a socialite and member of a well-known family before she became a reality TV star.

Aniston’s comments also ignore the fact that Anderson and Hilton didn’t give consent for the sex tapes to be released, Levine pointed out. Anderson’s sex tape was stolen from her garage, while Hilton’s was released by her ex-boyfriend, poker player Rick Salomon.

Because Lewinsky, Hilton and Anderson “were publicly violated,” Levine said it felt “like victim-blaming” for anyone to write them off, as Aniston seemed to do. In some ways, it may not be Aniston’s fault, Levin said. She’s just repeating the gossip she’s heard about these women over the years, but Levine said Aniston herself has been on the receiving end of harsh gossip. The stories include speculation about her breakup with Brad Pitt and include the “poor Jennifer” narrative because she’s a twice divorced woman in her 50s with no children. So “it’s disappointing that she took this dismissive tone,’ Levine concluded.

In the past few weeks, Jennifer Aniston has garnered headlines that have raised questions about her allegiance to some of the female empowerment messages of the  #MeToo movement.

Aniston faced social media backlash this week after she made some rather salty comments in Variety about Monica Lewinsky and Paris Hilton becoming famous “for doing nothing.”  Aniston’s comments were seen as insensitive, tone-deaf and demeaning, in light of the fact that both women have spoken out in recent years about being the targets of public scorn and humiliation.

One twitter user said it was “hypocritical” for a  #MeToo advocate like Aniston to “preach empowerment to demean another woman’s past (and] drag her out for the sake of it.”

Aniston’s dismissal of Lewinsky comes after the “Friends” star surprised many by appearing to endorse Johnny Depp’s legal victory over his former wife, Amber Heard, by “liking” Johnny Depp’s Instagram post two weeks ago that celebrated the defamation verdict.

Both the Daily Beast and BuzzFeed News reported that Aniston was among more than 50 celebrities who liked the post, thereby showing their support for a Virginia jury ruling that Depp’s ex-wife had libeled him when she published an op-ed about being a victim of domestic violence.

Aniston’s “like” was never explained, but it left some fans and feminists scratching their heads. Was it left by an employee errantly running her social media account, or was Aniston trying to send a message? But even if Aniston knew Depp personally, or had serious questions about Heard’s testimony during the ex-spouses’ blockbuster defamation trial, people wondered: Was it necessary for the world to know what Aniston thinks on this particular issue?

Among other things, Aniston became one of the leading Hollywood supporters of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, which were a response to 2017 revelations about widespread sexual abuse in Hollywood and other industries. With her “like,” Aniston seemed to show that she was OK with a powerful male star such as Depp asserting that, at least in his case, a woman can lie about being physically or sexually abused.

Now comes Aniston’s dismissal of Lewinsky and Hilton. Her comments were made during her recorded conversation with “Pam & Tommy” star Sebastian Stan for a Variety Actors on Actors interview. The pair were discussing Stan’s role as rocker Tommy Lee and the infamous 1995 leak of the sex tape Lee made with his then-wife, Pamela Anderson.

Aniston reflected on how the leak took place during a period when the internet had yet to have a huge impact on culture or on the types of people who could become famous. In the interview, Aniston is quoted as saying, “And it was right at the time when the internet really shaped a new culture about people becoming famous. This thing of people becoming famous for basically doing nothing. I mean — Paris Hilton, Monica Lewinsky, all those.”

Aniston went on to lament how anyone can become famous these days, without having to prove themselves as actors. “I always say I feel lucky that we got a little taste of the industry before it became what it is today, which is just different — more streaming services, more people,” she said. “You’re famous from TikTok. You’re famous from YouTube. You’re famous from Instagram. It’s sort of almost like it’s diluting our actor’s job.”

“I feel so lucky that we got a little taste of the industry before it became what it is today. More streaming services… you’re famous from TikTok… you’re famous from YouTube… you’re famous from Instagram… it’s almost like it’s diluting the actor’s job.”

— Jennifer Aniston pic.twitter.com/gUf5RJH8cK

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 13, 2022

Aniston’s dismissal of people who become famous from YouTube and TikTok also sparked complaints about how she was “elitist,”  “out of touch” with the current media culture or trying to gatekeep fame. Many others called her a “nepotism baby” and noted that her career was probably helped by the fact that both her parents were actors. Her disparagement of Lewinsky and Hilton was seen as especially problematic.

In a column titled, “Jennifer Aniston’s Dismissal of Publicly Humiliated Women as Famous For ‘Doing Nothing’ Hurts Most of All,” SheKnows.com writer Sara Levine said that Aniston’s comments about Lewinsky felt “like an especially low blow.” Lewinsky was a former White House intern — and a private person — when she was thrust into the spotlight of a national political scandal because of her affair with Bill Clinton, then president of the United States.

“The so-called ‘fame’ she achieved came at the expense of her privacy and well-being; she was publicly derided, not exactly celebrated, as the word famous connotes,” Levine said. In an essay for Vanity Fair in 2014, Lewiskiny wrote about how, when news of the affair broke, she was “arguably the most humiliated person in the world.” Now an anti-bullying advocate and writer, Lewinsky also wrote about how she struggled to build a career in the years after becoming the target of late-night jokes and other forms of public abuse. She said prospective employers always expressed concern about her “history.”

Others on Twitter agreed that Aniston should have kept Lewinsky’s name out of the discussion.

“Wait, Jennifer Aniston really said MONICA LEWINSKY was famous for doing nothing????” one person said. “Lewinsky was preyed upon by her boss who was literally the President. She has spoken about how the press coverage harmed her and her family. She did not want to be famous.”

“Is Jennifer Aniston (expletive) serious?” another person tweeted. “@MonicaLewinsky wasn’t ‘famous for nothing.’ She was NOTORIOUS in the eyes of the media who (slut) shamed her …  How (expletive) tone deaf can a person be?”

Levine also objected to Aniston’s dismissal of Hilton, or the way “The Morning Show” star also seemed to lump Pamela Anderson into her argument about people becoming famous for no reason. Levine said that Anderson already was a famous actress on “Baywatch” when her sex tape was leaked. Meanwhile, Hilton was a socialite and member of a well-known family before she became a reality TV star.

Aniston’s comments also ignore the fact that Anderson and Hilton didn’t give consent for the sex tapes to be released, Levine pointed out. Anderson’s sex tape was stolen from her garage, while Hilton’s was released by her ex-boyfriend, poker player Rick Salomon.

Because Lewinsky, Hilton and Anderson “were publicly violated,” Levine said it felt “like victim-blaming” for anyone to write them off, as Aniston seemed to do. In some ways, it may not be Aniston’s fault, Levin said. She’s just repeating the gossip she’s heard about these women over the years, but Levine said Aniston herself has been on the receiving end of harsh gossip. The stories include speculation about her breakup with Brad Pitt and include the “poor Jennifer” narrative because she’s a twice divorced woman in her 50s with no children. So “it’s disappointing that she took this dismissive tone,’ Levine concluded.