It started in October, soon after an article from the New York Times (NYT) exposed producer Harvey Weinstein for his decades of abuse. Actress Alyssa Milano wrote in a tweet, “Suggested by a friend: ‘If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.’”
From there, the #MeToo Movement was thrust into the public eye. Although the movement has been around for years, Milano’s tweet popularized the phrase “Me too.” This encouraged women to stand up to their abusers. Her actions have sparked a huge shift in how people view the dynamics between men and women in Hollywood, enlightening many about how truly large in scale the differences in power men hold over women. The beauty of this movement is that it gives a platform to all the marginalized women who are not celebrities and do not have their voices heard. Through the power of the internet, thousands of women’s stories are being heard.
Since the NYT article, many people have gotten the courage to come forward and tell their stories. Prominent leaders from a wide range of fields have been fired or resigned after allegations of sexual assault have called them out, and many more have been accused of sexual misconduct or abuse and are waiting to face consequences. These people come from all sorts of jobs, ranging from Hollywood producers, to senators, to artists, and to professors. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that no matter what occupation you hold, you will be held accountable for your actions
The movement has exposed a part of Hollywood that’s been festering for decades. For years within the industry there have been accusations that vanished in the wind, but this is the first time so many allegations have been thrust into the public eye at once. Sexual misconduct has been a huge problem for a long time, and finally people are getting punished for their actions. On top of that, the culture of silence is being shown to the world. In the past when a woman came forward she would often face more backlash for speaking up than her abusers would for their actions. Now, more than ever, this has started to change.
But some argue that the movement is detrimental to Hollywood. Director Woody Allen, who has been accused of sexual assault by his adopted daughter, told BBC that the movement shouldn’t, “Lead to a witch hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself. That’s not right either.” Obviously, sexual assault or harassment is not an accusation to make light of; however, a witch hunt may be exactly what we need. It’s essential to create a space where women coming forward about sexual harassment is normalized so that victims feel safe airing their grievances.
We can see this movement making changes to the movie industry. Already, actors names are being rightfully tarnished. Cases like Aziz Ansari and Louis CK are shocking the comedy consumers with the harassment claims that have emerged.
It’s important that these men are losing the respect of their fans and audiences; we need to be exemplifying the fact that acts of sexual assault are unacceptable in all settings and holding a position of power is not an excuse to mistreat women.
Since the initial wave of allegations, the movement has stayed strong. During the Golden Globes, many women wore black to symbolize their solidarity with the movement, and others wore pins reading “Time’s Up.” The majority of acceptance speeches mentioned the movement, including one by Oprah.
“I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me too’ again,” she stated.
While the Golden Globes had good intentions, abusers hid in the movement, showing false solidarity. Actor James Franco was seen wearing one of the Time’s Up pins, but a few days later was accused of sexual harassment by five women, including girls who were underage at the time. There’s no way to stop somebody from hiding within the movement, but if the culture of silence lifts, it could become easier for victims to come forward and expose hypocrites. It’s easy to claim solidarity when it only takes pinning something to your shirt, but in reality, if you care about the women in your life, you should be standing up against the actors who continue to gain support from fans and use their power as a tool to abuse others.
No matter how many men get accused, there are always more who can hide and not get caught. What the movement really needs to focus on is permanently changing the culture of accusations. There shouldn’t be so much doubt every time somebody comes forward. The #MeToo movement hasn’t won until women aren’t afraid of consequences for coming forward. More abuse and harassment in the future is guaranteed, but if the culture has shifted it will be easier for women to come forward. When we don’t have to say “Me too” any more, the movement wins.