Johnny Depp-Amber Heard battle lines drawn
Also in Tattle: Michael Jace convicted, Billy Joel and Jena Malone
THE LAST TIME Tattle made a comment about the problem with everyone having a forum for an opinion, we got the usual run of anger-mail (a notch tamer than hate mail) accusing Tattle of being an elitist ass.
Could be. But there are two big problems with everyone having a forum to voice their opinions.
1. Most opinions have minimal merit (you're free to put Tattle's on that list).
2. Once everyone gets the opinion-induced adrenaline rush, they have opinions on everything. And they're not the old-fashioned opinions that began with "I think" or "I believe," they're emphatic opinions that allow for no dissent.
The political bubble and sports radio bubble have led to an All Topics Bubble in which folks with no actual knowledge of a situation shout comments section insults at each other.
We get it. Real problems are hard to solve. They require work, willpower, occasional understanding of difficult concepts. Who wants to debate whether the appeal of a Socialist presidential candidate may have something to do with CEOs earning 300 times the salary of their stagnant-wage workers? Or whether we can wean ourselves off fossil fuels without destroying our economy?
Let's instead spend the day arguing over the boy in the gorilla pit or whether beloved Hollywood oddball Johnny Depp is a wifebeater.
As is always the case in these celebrity fiascos, the lines are drawn quickly: The people close to Depp say Jack Sparrow wouldn't hurt a fly and claim he's being blackmailed by a gold-digging bisexual.
Amber Heard supporters say Depp has physically and mentally abused her for years, and drunken jealousy finally sent him spinning out of control.
Since Depp has more loyal fans than Heard, the social-media landscape is vehemently pro-Johnny. But none of us know what's really going on in these crazy Hollywood relationships, frequently linking beautiful narcissists.
But what once was barroom blather or beauty-parlor chatter now seems to have heightened resonance without heightened reasoning.
So we get, "Johnny Depp just doesn't strike me as an abuser" and "Johnny didn't do it."
These are the same people stunned when their quiet, friendly, pie-baking, next-door neighbor turns out to be a serial killer.
If Heard presses charges and an investigation yields evidence, maybe we'll be able to make an informed opinion at some point. But maybe not. Dozens of women have accused Bill Cosby of abusing them and folks are still arguing he didn't do it.
But until then, instead of worrying about whether Depp is being blackmailed or is evil incarnate, maybe we all need to worry about keeping our children out of the gorilla pit.
In a worse marriage ...
People magazine reported that actor Michael Jace, who formerly starred on The Shield, was convicted Tuesday in the fatal shooting of his wife April Jace at their Los Angeles home in May 2014.
The shooting took place in front of the couple's two sons, then 5 and 8.
Jace was found guilty of second-degree murder and faces 40 years to life in state prison.
Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef told jurors that Jace was upset his wife wanted a divorce.
TATTBITS
* Friday night at Madison Square Garden, Billy Joel once again dedicated his song "The Entertainer" to Donald Trump.
Trump tweeted: "Thank you @BillyJoel - many friends just told me you gave a very kind shoutout at MSG. Appreciate it - love your music!"
Loves his music, doesn't fully understand his lyrics.
* People mag reports that Jena Malone (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2) and her boyfriend Ethan DeLorenzo welcomed son Ode Mountain DeLorenzo Malone over the weekend.
"What an incredible blessing to be chosen by this amazing, kind, gentle and beautiful soul to be his parents," Jena wrote. She added, "Humbled and in complete awe that we get to experience the most ancient and transcendent love that exists."
Ode Mountain, huh?
Hey, it's better than Owed Money.
- Daily News wire services contributed to this report.
215-854-5678 @DNTattle