As we get older, our perspectives change and we gain the ability to look back differently on events we remember. We can only hope that one of those changes is being able to look back with more empathy.

This Tumblr user’s post about some famously vilified women highlights how easily pop culture and news can take sides against certain figures and the public can latch onto it. That negative impression can take years or decades for us to reconsider as adults with empathy for someone whose personal life ended up in the public eye, and without something to prove to our peers by laughing and agreeing with vicious headlines.

The post gives examples of women who were viciously mocked for situations that spiraled out of their control and did the most harm to them, as well as those who were reduced to casting or creative choices that didn’t go over as well as expected and stuck to them for the rest of their careers to come.

A Tumblr user made a post taking back the judgmental statements they’d believed

Image credits: historynuggets

Image credits: wikipedia

*We note that while the user writes that Monica Lewinsky was assaulted, Lewinsky herself describes her 1996 affair with then-president Bill Clinton as consensual, but indeed a “gross abuse of power.”

Image credits: iiswhoiis

Image credits: meganfox

Commenters were quick to start debating some of the points made in the apology

Others agreed with the author of the post and added their own thoughts

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!