“#MeToo”

The #MeToo movement has been a very controversial movement in the past couple years, sparking riots and political drama, worsening the political climate ever since Trump took office. “A barrage of allegations has since emerged against high-profile men in entertainment, the media, politics, and tech. Many deny any wrongdoing. The repercussions are still in flux, but Hollywood’s power dynamics have undoubtedly shifted” (Seales). Women and children actors and actresses have been sexually abused and harassed by their costars and producer/ directors behind the scenes. The general public is blind to this because lawyers and production companies keep these scandals on the down low so they don’t ruin the reputations or careers of the offenders instead of getting justice for the victims. The minorities are put on the back burner for the sake of box office sales. “More than 300 actresses, writers, and directors launched the project on 1 January, raising $21m (£15m) in just a month to fund legal assistance for people who suffer harassment, abuse or assault at work” (Seales). People in Hollywood are always in the public eye, it’s their job and sexual harassment and assault are heavily avoided topics in society, these survivors are raising awareness for a cause for something that has been swept under the rug for so long. The fact that this is happening in the entertainment industry so much is going to help the general public survivors come out about their stories. The #MeToo movement is a remarkable inspiring movement, it is getting women, men, and children alike to use their voice to tell their story and make a difference.

The fact that the topic of sexual harassment and assault is in mainstream media and has been for the past couple of years and this movement has begun to snowball for the better. It hasn’t always been this way, sexual assault and harassment used to be things that were swept under the rug, it’s still that way in some instances but society is making progress, with much ignorance. This movement is inspiring, “others (survivors) have reported feeling less alone, saying it encouraged them to address past trauma by talking to loved ones, counselors, or people with similar experiences.” (Seales). People in workplaces have put in new policies and started bringing it to the attention of the companies affected by the movement. There is still some prejudice against this movement and people who are still too scared to come forward with their stories, one day we will hopefully see a decrease in incidents that go unreported. The rates of people who have been victims of this crime are not at the best right now. For an example, according to the official MeToo website, more than one-third of women who report being sexually assaulted under the age of 18 are also raped as an adult. This goes back to the unreported abusers and how many cases go unreported a year. How many victims don’t receive the justice and closure they deserve because the courts think it would be a waste of time. The mission of the movement is “to connect survivors of sexual assault to the resources they need in order to heal” (Harris). So far the media has not turned this into something like the feminist movement where we take the power of women and turn it into belittling men. However, the media and the accused have shamed the victims who were brave enough to come out and share their stories. This movement is supposed to inspiring and empowering to all the people that have recovered from that personal trauma, it can’t happen when the media is too biased towards men sometimes.

The MeToo movement is a digital trend that started as a hashtag on Twitter and went viral in a matter of weeks. “ The actress Alyssa Milano shared on Twitter a friend’s suggestion that “women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted” write “Me too” in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations earlier that month.” (Harris). In the age of technology, things are being brought into the light that they’ve deserved for so long and at such a quick rate too. These stories will change history while making it too, we are headed in a very positive direction as of right now. The Harvey Weinstein scandal was one of the first huge cases that made the movement skyrocket in popularity. The public focus on the ones who make a difference or a contribution to our daily lives. So it’s only fitting that the first cases are the ones with all the focus are in the public eye all the time. This movement is a positive light upon a dark time for us, we need it, especially the ignorant and the traumatized.

These victims will find the light and receive the peaceful revenge they need. They are strong and can fight anything that comes their way. We will continue to fight and remain strong for the benefit of future generations until it is no longer an issue.