As people spend more time on social media platforms, government agencies have also, in recent years, made use of the internet to spread their agendas. Some have even jumped on trending subjects to grab viewers’ attention and stay relevant.
One such organisation was the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), which recently featured an iconic moment from the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial to bring across advice on how people can avoid falling for scams.
Source: Reddit
The meme used a screenshot of Heard’s wincing expression when she uttered the now-viral phrase, “my dog stepped on a bee”. NCPC then came up with various memes, each rhyming with a phrase that alludes to different scam prevention tips.
Although there were good intentions behind the memes, the choice of using the plight of a woman still involved in a domestic abuse case is perhaps one of poor taste.
NCPC has since taken down the meme and apologised for any offence caused.
Last Thursday (26 May), NCPC posted a series of memes using Amber Heard’s wincing expression as a template, each showcasing a different prevention tip that rhymes with one another.
According to The Straits Times (ST), the post garnered over 1,000 shares before it got taken down.
The memes may have irked some people as the image featured was taken from Amber Heard’s testimony about Johnny Depp allegedly sexually assaulting her.
Citing a statement by NCPC, ST reports that the council had thought that Heard’s facial expression had “captured how members of the public might react when they spot the various signs of scam”.
They then apologised for the mistake and for any offence caused by the meme.
ST also reports that members of the gender advocacy group, Aware, warned that such jokes may harm survivors of domestic violence.
They added that due to the high profile of the trial, victims are constantly reminded of their own experiences when listening to detailed stories from the trial.
At the time of reporting, the trial has yet to reach a final verdict.
While it’s understandable for organisations to curry the favour of the younger generations by trying to relate to them, that doesn’t mean there is no need to practice restraint.
Especially coming from a government agency, perhaps there needs to be more scrutiny on whatever’s published.
Hopefully, this will be a lesson for anyone thinking of turning a popular meme into one of their own.
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Featured image adapted from Reddit.
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