#MeToo is reshaping modern society
In 2016, audio from 2005 leaked of then-reality star and billionaire Donald Trump bragging to former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about how he used his status to get women. “When you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump said. “Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”
People were sure this would be Trump’s undoing, mere weeks before the presidential election. He would be forced to drop out of the race, and if he didn’t, there was no way even his most diehard supporters would go on to vote for him in November.
Despite Trump’s recorded admissions to despicable behavior, as well as accusations spanning several years, he managed to win the election. To victims of sexual misconduct, it was like a slap in the face: the general public, it seemed, didn’t really care enough to keep someone who was alleged to have harassed and abused women from taking the highest position of power in the country.
Frustrated and angry, survivors of sexual misconduct set out to make sure that other abusers wouldn’t be so richly rewarded in the future.
In the latter half of 2017, a curious movement began its rise. People, women in particular, stepped forward armed with traumatizing stories of sexual harassment and assault by men in positions of power. The concept itself was nothing new, but the fact that these accusers were being taken seriously was: while there were still many who believed the accusations were false, vast numbers of others were quick to side with the victims and offer them support.
The movement is called #MeToo, and while it originally began in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke, it really took off in late 2017 when it was used by Hollywood actresses Rose McGowan, Alyssa Milano and several others. This surge directly coincided with allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein by many actresses, both high- and low-profile, which led to Weinstein’s removal from his own production company and the start of his public fall from grace.
From there, several others actors and producers were accused of sexual misconduct; many denied the allegations, while others admitted and/or apologized for the behavior.
In 2014, dozens of women accused actor and comedian Bill Cosby of drugging and taking advantage of them sexually on many occasions dating back to the 1960s. Those accusations were — and still are — met by tremendous amounts of pushback. The motivations of the women were called into question. Why had they waited so long to say something? Were they hoping for a quick pay-out, either from hush money or by winning a lawsuit against him?
Cosby was revered by audiences for over five decades and seen largely as “TV’s Dad,” which probably made it difficult for anyone to believe he was capable of doing the things he was being accused of doing.
Weinstein, on the other hand, didn’t have the same personal connection with his own audiences. In fact, until the allegations against him began, Weinstein was largely a faceless entity, nothing more than a name attached to box-office hits like “Pulp Fiction” and “Kill Bill”. Pair that with the overwhelming belief that female entertainers — and, in some heartbreaking cases, very young entertainers — had been taken advantage of sexually by powerful producers and directors for just about as long as Hollywood has been around and a movement like #MeToo is able to grow wings and take off.
And take off it did. Motivated by the bravery of many who decided to speak publicly about their traumatic experiences, others stepped forward and did the same. A-list actors, renowned producers, powerful executives, well-loved musicians — no one was spared from being named and shamed.
Still, there was resistance. Several people, like actors Liam Neeson and Catherine Deneuve, called the movement a witch hunt that seeked to ruin lives and careers. Supporters of the movement rebuffed this belief, pointing to the fact that the objective was not to destroy careers but rather to force the accused to be accountable.
Further, the objective is to promote awareness for how widespread sexual misconduct is in the workplace — not just on movie sets, but in offices and kitchens and classrooms. If the result of this effort causes the accused parties to lose sponsorships, partnerships or their careers, it is only because the world is looking at sexual misconduct from a new perspective and is refusing to let these accusations and admissions go unchecked.
The #MeToo movement now has a global presence. Since the start of 2018, several prolific South Korean actors have been accused by scores of women for sexual misconduct. The latest casualty is actor Jo Min Ki, who was let go from his agency and forced to step away from his role on a South Korean television show after an actress and former student of Jo accused him of sexual harassment.
Similar consequences befell actors Jo Jae-hyun, Choi Il-hwa and Oh Dal-su, to name a select few.
In the wake of these revelations, moviegoers held a rally in the capital’s theater district. Citizens are boycotting the plays, movies and television shows starring or produced by the accused sex offenders.
Despite all of this, there is still work to be done.
Too many people still subscribe to the “separate-the-art-from-the-artist” school of thought; while it seems more tolerant and forgiving viewpoint, it only enables the behavior to continue.
Government and law enforcement around the world need to treat sexual misconduct as seriously as other violent crimes. Here in the US, hundreds of thousands of rape kits have been left untested or discarded, stymieing efforts to crack down on sex crimes. In Afghanistan, a hotline set up for victims to report sexual abuse instead advises victims to slap their attacker, or have someone else smack him for them. #MeToo posts out of China are subject to censorship.
What people intend to do with the #MeToo movement is keep another Trump from happening. They want to crack down on sexual assault and harassment before the person accused of the behavior reaches a position of seemingly ultimate power — or remove those people their lofty positions.
The process, however liberating it may be, is painful. When they see their abusers being praised and rewarded, survivors are forced to relive the trauma — it makes them think, “If my abuser can do what he or she did and still be successful, there’s no point in seeking justice.” If baring one’s soul and rehashing the darkest, most traumatic parts of one’s life helps to prevent other occurrences, then for the time being, perhaps it’s worth it.
