Understanding Smear Campaigns in Internet Culture

This chapter explores the intricacies of smear campaigns, focusing on the controversy surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. It examines the role of internet culture in facilitating public engagement and the historical context of similar tactics, illustrated by the Bye Sister scandal.

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Thank you so much to Jose Cuervo for sponsoring this episode. Buy Jose Cuervo here: https://www.danmurphys.com.au/list/jose-cuervo

In this week's episode, I explore the Hollywood smear campaign through the lends of the 'It Ends With Us' legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. I look at the history of smear campaigns, politically and culturally, before questioning how the internet's mob mentality and our obsessive pursuit for virality aid in conducting these targeted attacks.

Timestamps:

5:47 Definition & history of smear campaigns

7:34 Bye Sister (lol of course)

8:34 Political smear campaigns

9:57 Red Scare

11:57 Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni: Breaking down the lawsuits

21:46 How and why social media normalised the smear campaign

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