I’m So Sorry, Blake Lively!

We weren’t there for you when your phone was hacked.

by Justine Barron

We are so upset that Jennifer Lawrence’s naked cell phone pictures were illegally hacked and released to the general public. It’s a serious and criminal violation.

Note, by “we,” I’m not talking about the internet’s Mauricio Filho – “I waited my whole life for this” — or Jon Garcia – “#sorrynotsorry.” I’m referring to the chorus of outrage across the media in the last few days, including Forbes Magazine, which correctly called it a “sex crime.”

So, this is a controversy that has been going on for a really long time, right?

Like, remember when Blake Lively’s naked cell phone pictures were hacked and released on the internet? That was controversial. Everyone was all, “Did she, or did she not send them to Ben Affleck?” Remember?

There was all that proof. Because he was directing her in a mainstream movie which was released internationally. It had to be him. People were very upset about those pictures maybe going to a married man.

Remember all of the controversy when someone hacked and released private naked cell phone pictures of Scarlett Johansson? People were all, “These are too blurry!” And everyone is still so upset about those naked private pictures of that Disney girl and the other one, with that name. They can’t stand not being able to tell them apart!

Finally, let’s not forget about Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. Those two were controversial, because they got rich and famous off of their sex tapes. We’re still mad about that!

Also, I’m being sarcastic!

I don’t remember the media or the people on the internet caring so much about any of these, or the dozens of similar cases. None of these women chose to release their private images publicly. All but the last two were illegally stolen from their private phones.

Regarding Kim and Paris, both claim to have had their private videos shared publicly by men they trusted, without their consent. If you don’t know that this is also a horrible criminal violation, then you’re twelve seasons behind on SVU.

Insert your eye rolls, but I’m prone to believe even a Hilton or Kardashian over Rick “Statutory Rape” Solomon and Ray “Continues to Be Charged with Sex Crimes” J. Considering that both gross exes continue to make money off of their film projects/sex crimes, I propose that the subsequent careers of Paris and Kim be considered fair restitution. Or, at least, that accusing them in any way is like blaming the victims.

(Aside: It’s also not cool when guys who are past their prime in Hollywood go on Howard Stern and talk about having sex with Jennifer Love Hewitt.)

Point being… All of this outrage and empathy around the cell phone hacking of Jennifer Lawrence is excellent and cathartic but overdue. I’m accusing myself here too. I was too busy worrying about health care, the environment, and Vanderpump Rules to really care about Blake Lively’s vulnerabilities. This time, with Ms. Lawrence, I feel it in my gut. It feels like someone ripped off my imaginary baby sister’s clothes, took pictures, hung them around the lunchroom, and blamed her for it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s special in this case. What’s JLaw got that ScarJo, Blah-Live, and all the others have been missing? I came up with some possible theories:

Jennifer Lawrence isn’t primarily a public sex object. She doesn’t tend to pose like a Maxim Hot 100 list participant, in her underwear with fingers in her mouth. (Exception: Kamela Harris, #54, 2013.) I did some research to confirm this theory. I failed. There are some magazine spreads of JLaw that are, um, unnecessarily moist. Still, this is not her main thing, and she never plays it on screen. In films, she’s a huntress or a mumbling Ozarks girl. Even when she played a “sex addict” in that David O’Russell movie, she played the character’s sadness, longing, and clumsiness, not her sexiness. The movie would’ve been much better if he’d taken out the sex addiction (and not made her a 39-year old widow.) This is the “girl next door” defense. It’s especially painful for people to see someone that we associate with much more than sex be exposed in this way, without her consent. She’s won an Academy Award. She was Best Actress! The ladies who win these awards are our princesses and queens, sitting high on our talent pedestals. Who’s next? Which other private naked sexy pictures are we prepared to see– Cate Blanchett or Jennifer Hudson? Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, or Lupita Nyong’o? Marcia Gay Harden!? What does it say about how degraded we are as a society if our princesses and queens are to be stripped naked and exposed in the town square for judgment? She’s Katniss, our great hope for a young feminist heroine. We haven’t had many good ones. I know Angelina sometimes dresses in fetish leather to shoot guns, but that’s for guys, right? I didn’t see Twilight, but my niece said that the female lead was “a cypher, super boring.” I used to admire Belle from Beauty and the Beast, but even hers was a love story, and she’s drawn. Katniss doesn’t give a crap about love, at least in the first movie (no sequel spoilers please). She only bothers to kiss a boy to keep them both alive.

These are just a few theories, probably over-thought. There’s obviously some reason why Jennifer Lawrence has inspired the media and the people on the internet to care more than they did about so many other celebrities that have been similarly violated. Maybe it’s just because she’s so popular.

The point being… We should’ve always been outraged! I’m really sorry Blake Lively. I didn’t care as much as I should have. I don’t know who you are, but you deserve a lot better.

You can follow the writer at www.twitter.com/justine_emma or www.justinebarron.com