Nearly two months on from the infamous Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation case, a US bar has sparked interest and debate surrounding a new initiative to help men in vulnerable situations – named after the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.

Initially posted on Reddit’s r/Damnthatsinteresting sub, the pub sign – located in its men’s washroom – reads “Johnny Depp Shot – Here to keep you safe. Feeling unsafe or scared, just come to the bar and order a Johnny Depp shot.” 

The order essentially serves as a discreet way for men to flag help from the pub’s staff, by either soliciting an escort out of the building, flagging down a taxi, or even calling the police. 

“We will handle things discretely and without fuss,” it read. 

Where Did The Idea Come From? 

Despite its highly topical name, the ‘Johnny Depp Shot’ is simply a male-focused spin on an existing concept called the ‘Angel Shot’, which seems to have debuted in female washrooms in the United States roughly around early 2017, according to Google Trends. 

The ‘Angel Shot’ works pretty much the same way – a code for women to signal for help when confronted with an unpleasant situation at bars. Considering that bars are common hotspots for date-rape drug cases, unsolicited sexual advances, and other negative situations – it’s fair to say that Angel Shots have probably helped out countless people, and maybe even saved a few lives. 

Celebrities such as Demi Lovato and Jameela Jamil have shared the idea online, while bartenders at gay bars across California have also caught up – although the idea was never really presented to a straight male audience, until after Depp’s hugely popular trial. 

Was It Right To Call This The ‘Johnny Depp Shot’? 

As soon as the post picked up traction online, opinions around the move began to surface – some of which were balanced, and unsurprisingly for Twitter, some which were not. 

While plenty of fans retweeted the image, one of the most popular criticisms of the idea came from @tarteauxroses, who suggested that while the initiative was solid, it should not have been named after Johnny Depp. 

There are quite a few reasons why. Apart from the bar clearly using an alleged abuse victim’s name for the sake of pandering to trends, the user also points out how a supposedly discreet code has one of showbiz’ biggest names in it, which defeats the purpose.

There’s also the point that Depp himself is a well-documented alcoholic… at the very least, naming a shot after him seems to be in bad taste. On the other end, several users critical of Depp’s own troubling personal history spoke against the initiative: 

While the idea of an Angel Shot for men sounds good and definitely can help several men in unsafe situations – it most certainly doesn’t need to be called anything else. 

(Featured Image Credits: Columbia Pictures)