In this interview, communications scholar Margreth Lünenborg reflects on the media and cultural dynamics surrounding the globally acclaimed case of Gisèle Pelicot. Based on a systematic analysis of thousands of social media posts – especially on TikTok – she shows how Pelicot's public appearance in the courtroom triggered a process of “iconization” in which her image became a powerful symbol of resistance against gender-based violence.

Lünenborg discusses how digital and analog publics intersect in such cases and shows that social media can simultaneously strengthen solidarity, enable public education and awareness-raising processes about sexualized violence, and promote practices of shaming perpetrators. At the same time, she emphasizes the ambivalence of these dynamics: public outrage and visibility do not automatically lead to structural change.

In a broader sense, the conversation highlights the role of pop culture and digital platforms in shaping contemporary public debates. Although social media is often criticized for polarization and disinformation, it can also function as a space for empowerment, collective interpretation, and feminist mobilization—even if more profound changes in gender-related power relations ultimately go beyond media debates alone.