Hollywood’s Celebrity Scandal Double Standard

Last weekend Chris Evans set social media networks ablaze after accidentally posting a screen recording from his phone, which unfortunately contained one photo that he probably wished had never seen the light of day. Yes, this man accidentally posted his nudes for the whole world to see. Within minutes, hundreds of thousands of posts flooded Twitter and Instagram, quickly putting the Marvel actor at the top of the Trending page. Initially, the majority of posts related to the accidental leak were either aimed at complementing the actor on his size or poking fun at other saved memes that appeared within his photos app. 

Now, nudes scandals are nothing truly new to Hollywood, but the manner in which Chris Evan’s scandal played out highlights the glaring double standard to which we hold males and females in the entertainment industry today. Within minutes of the leak going viral, the mentions regarding Chris Evan were quickly drowned out by fan accounts calling on users to delete their posts or only post pictures of the actor with his dog. Citing his right to basic privacy and past confessions of anxiety, Chris Evans fan accounts prompted users to ‘do the right thing’ and consider their idol’s mental health instead of continually objectifying and sharing the x-rated picture on the platform. 

While I am all for greater consideration of mental health, especially when celebrities are subjected to the opinions of millions of people online today, something about the situation didn’t sit quite right with me. I was quickly reminded of the backlash that followed numerous women in Hollywood back in 2014 when hackers took over multiple celebrity iCloud accounts (i.e. Jennifer Lawrence, Rihanna, Kate Upton, Kirsten Dunst, etc) and spread their nudes across various social network platforms. Although countless pleas for fans to not spread the photos came from the likes of Lena Dunham, Emma Watson, and the victims themselves, at the time their hacked photos were openly shared on 4chan and other file-sharing websites. 

Despite the fact that these photos were shared entirely against the wishes of these women and violated their basic right to privacy, they faced greater backlash on social media than that of Chris Evan’s accidental upload. Numerous media networks, including Perez Hilton, posted blurred versions of the 2014 hacked photos without regard to the victims along with a burgeoning misogynistic narrative in social media posts. Finding more fault with the women who took the photos, claiming they should’ve been more careful or simply not taken the photos at all, social media users completely disregarded the mental health of the victims or their families. 

Despite all of the progress the entertainment industry has made in the #MeToo era, it continually subjects its female members to a higher moral standard, even when their privacy is violated in the most horrific ways. When comparing the two scandals, it continually baffles me how the violation of numerous women’s privacy can be toted on the internet for gossip and criticism, while that of a man is swept under the rug to protect him from thirsty fans and internet trolls. 

Why is the mental health of Chris Evans deemed superior to that of these women? Is it simply because fandoms on social media networks are protective of their idols, or is it simply just a reminder of the double standards women are expected to comply with in today’s society?

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Photos: Her Campus Media

• Chris Evans
• Double Standard
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