Saturday, 24 September 2022 10:47

15 Minutes of Shame

15 minutes of shame

15 MINUTES OF SHAME

 

US, 2021, 85 minutes, Colour.

Directed by Max Joseph.

 

An interesting documentary playing on the famous phrase about everyone having their 15 minutes of fame.

This film was produced and directed by investigative filmmaker, Max Joseph, editor of the expose program, Catfish. The film is introduced by Monica Lewinsky, some footage from the past and her relationship with Bill Clinton, the Starr investigation, impeachment, the consequences for her, humiliation – and the consequences even 20 years later.

The film was a combination of case studies, quite emotional in their way, ordinary people who are unknown, but whose lives and behaviour were probed, sometimes quite erroneously, articles written, social media denunciations made, their waking up to find that everyone in the world knew their name. This is quite telling with a focus on the story of the man who in the early months of Covid brought up supplies and sold them online, being investigated by the New York Times, and the publishing of an article condemning him of hoarding and exploitation, a collage of condemnations from social media and mainstream media, including a denunciation of him by Whoopi Goldberg. Another man, with his ordinary job, was driving home through a Black Lives Matter protest, had a habit of drumming his fingers and was photographed, close-up of his fingers, allegedly in a fascist American gesture. Even more close-ups of the finger, spread throughout social media, his being sacked from his job.

Quite a number of interesting cases, involving a woman who voiced an opinion which was taken out of context and multiplied. A young black woman at a university, elected to a position, condemned by a young pro-American blogger, the effect on her life, and her decision to sue him and her winning, his having to pay $700,000.

In the meantime, there are quite a number of talking heads, especially John Ronson who has written on the phenomenon of public shaming. And there are quite a number of experts, especially women, especially black women, all taking up the themes of misogynistic and racist shaming.

And, there are some allusions to Donald Trump.

The public shaming, especially by media, by social media, has become so prevalent in the 21st-century – and this film, along with others of its kind, certainly raise the issues, challenging consciences, especially the temptation to join in and promote the shaming.