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Guest Essay
By Jennifer Weiner
Ms. Weiner, a novelist, writes frequently about gender and culture.
Poor Justin Timberlake … are not three words I could have imagined typing 25, or 15 or even five years ago.
Mr. Timberlake, the “Mickey Mouse Club” veteran turned boy band pinup; half — along with Britney Spears — of an iconic millennial power couple; the platinum-selling Grammy-award-winning solo artist and a go-to “Saturday Night Live” guest host; and now, as the whole wide world has learned, the dude arrested in the Hamptons early Tuesday morning and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Sprinkling salt on the wound, Page Six reported that the arresting officer didn’t know who the perp was. After Mr. Timberlake reportedly muttered that the arrest was “going to ruin the tour,” the officer asked, “What tour?” Per People magazine, “the internet can’t stop laughing.” Among the cascade of jokes: that his arrest might be the one event that could turn all of X pro-cop for a day, or that Mr. Timberlake should have been more concerned with taking a cab back than bringing sexy back. Streams of Britney Spears’ song “Criminal” spiked. Savage memes keep replicating.
The misery of celebrities always occasions a fire hose of schadenfreude, but this seems next level. Where, I found myself wondering as I scrolled and LOL’ed, are the fans rallying to his defense? Why is everyone enjoying this quite so very, very much?
The answer is that this isn’t happening to any old celebrity. It’s happening to the man who for the longest time seemed, to many, like the embodiment of unearned good fortune — in a word, privilege. He’s a talented performer, a gifted singer, a charming actor, sure. But his biggest talent may be for getting away clean.
Over the years Mr. Timberlake has not been immune to controversy, just to its consequences. Time after time, he escaped unscathed, looking and, it seemed, feeling just fine, while those around........