6 years ago
5
Netflix's New Gawker vs. Hulk Hogan Doc Has Us All Conflicted
Shortly before Donald Trump was elected president, Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media ended their months-long legal battle over the wrestler's sex tape. The case may seem like a media law footnote, but as director Brian Knappenberger argues in his documentary, the fight over Gawker's decision to publish the footage irrevocably shifted the media landscape.
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This case confused me because it seemed pretty cut and dry. Hogan had the right to be filmed doing whatever and for it not to be plastered on the internet, Thiel had the right to be gay and not outed on the internet but Gawker decided their right to privacy didn't matter because they believed their rights were more right. They were wrong and went bankrupt as a result. They rolled the dice and lost. It was their decisions that did the damage so I never really understood why everyone was up in arms about how hard done by they were.
You're right. I think people were up in arms because Hogan is a washed-up racist and Thiel is a closeted self-hating billionaire, who wants to root for them especially against freedom of speech.
Shrug, dunno. Gawker gambled on freedom of speech outweighing consenting adults' freedom to privacy and lost. Whenever I read arguments about all this stuff it seems really convoluted. Hogan being a "washed-up racist" or Thiel being a "self-hating billionaire" doesn't seem to bear any relevance at the end of the day. However you view their characters, I imagine their privacy is no less rightful than anyone else's but I'm not versed in the US Constitution and stuff so maybe not. From an outsiders point of view I find the outrage all kind of meh.
I think you mean "right to privacy" and nobody violated Gawker's freedom of speech.
Freedom of speech is for individuals not to be arrested by the government for criticizing said government's institutions. A for profit publication can be sued in civil court by anyone (including the government) for anything (including privacy violations) and it does not violate anyone's constitutional right to free speech.
The rest is just internet muddying waters, screaming about free speech in any high profile case of he said she said.
gawker was my guilty pleasure, I hate billionaire bullies, bunch of squares!