The hashtag #MeToo took the internet by storm the moment it was tweeted by actress Alyssa Milano in 2017. With more than 200,000 retweets and 12 million posts on the first day, a movement was born!
A National Discussion
Finally, a national discussion regarding sexual harassment in the lives of everyday women. In the modern virtual town square, Hollywood was the initial focus. But a universal discourse expanded beyond the industry!
Checking in two years later, how did things turn out?
After scandals, rallies, and firings, there are mixed opinions. Has the movement gone too far? Has there been unfair collateral damage along the way?
Or, perhaps justice has escaped a majority of cases! It’s time to look at the development of this social wave and take an inventory for 2019. Be honest — do you remember how it really all began?
Did victims finally get justice or were innocent people unfairly targetted?
A Quick Recap
In October 2017, The New York Times broke a story that seemed more than a little bit unusual. Years of rumors were confirmed about the shady activities of uber influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, and the story could have been a Miramax masterpiece.
Harvey had been harassing, assaulting, and threatening young women and established actresses alike looking for work in the industry for decades!
The details were disturbing, though the media mogul denied all of it. It was consensual, according to Harvey. Would these outrageous charges really stick?
Ashley Judd's Warning
Two years before the major exposé, Ashley Judd wrote an essay in Variety about her experiences with sexual harassment in Hollywood. She alleged a major player in the industry cornered her in a hotel room, then spent years trying to blackball her when she rejected his quid pro quo.
That man was actually none other than Harvey Weinstein, as she would admit during the flurry of revelations in 2017. Major, major yikes!
Ashley went on the record in Jodi Kantor and Meghan Twohey's blockbuster New York Times piece, and she has remained vocal ever since.
While perhaps she feared her lone voice would not have had any impact on Weinstein's reign of terror, now many women were united in denouncing him. Would his company finally admit wrongdoing?
You're Fired
Initially, Weinstein issued a public apology. He claimed his behavior was really the result of coming of age in “the ‘60s and ‘70s when all the rules about workplace and behavior were different”.
He brushed off the accusations as consensual interactions, but more than 100 women came forward in outrage. In October 2017, Harvey Weinstein was finally fired by The Weinstein Company.
Next, he was banned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But this was just the beginning of a long-overdue reckoning for the disgraced media man.
Far creepier details would emerge on how he managed to silence so many high profile women for so long, and so effectively. What was Harvey really up to behind the scenes?
Explosive Allegations
Just two days after his firing, a damning New Yorker story was published by journalist Ronan Farrow. In the piece, the cases of thirteen women were highlighted to explore his long campaign of harassment, extortion, and assault.
But bizarrely, it seemed not one media outlet had not been interested in publishing it at all.
Ronan left NBC in 2017 while investigating Harvey Weinstein as a freelancer, claiming the network declined to publish the information. Many people believe that Harvey pressured executives to catch and kill the story!
But his second piece in the New Yorker would yield even more scandalous revelations. Harvey Weinstein had hired some pretty intimidating henchmen. But who?
Spies and Lies
Rose McGowan was a prominent actress enjoying her career when she says she fell victim to Harvey's revenge tactics. He must have sensed she wouldn't go quietly, and drastic action was taken. From afar, there was plenty a powerful man could do to keep messing with Rose's mind.
He hired a private security agency staffed by former foreign intelligence operatives to do the dirty work. And dirty, they were!
Employees created fake identities to initiate relationships with Rose and the other women. This way, Harvey could always see what their legal plans were, and what kind of evidence they really had.
Sickeningly, this was all part of Harvey's toolbox of techniques that had allowed him to stay one step ahead of his victims for so long. Ronan Farrow wrote a lengthy expose on this practice, and America was outraged! But what could anyone really do about it?
Harassment Hell
As it turns out, the Weinstein affair inspired thousands of women to speak out on social media about similar experiences in their lives. Harassment and power exploitation was not restricted to the film world.
Indeed, allegations against high-profile men in a variety of industries lit up the news headlines for months.
Figures in politics, media, and even futuristic Silicon Valley all saw major episodes of purging in the aftermath. For good or for bad, many men lost their careers and reputations. Let's take a look at some prominent examples — and in some cases, the backlash.
Bye Bye Roy Price
Roy Price had been described as a child of "Hollywood royalty." His mother was 1970's actress Katherine Crawford, and his father was a Hollywood executive. Watching his father run Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures must have made him feel invincible.
In October 2017, Roy was head of Amazon Studios. He was suddenly suspended from his post after a female producer accused him of sexual harassment.
Though that claim was actually first filed in 2015, it seems that no action was taken until the Weinstein scandal threatened studio reputations so explosively. Roy resigned on October 17, but this was just the beginning of the purge in Hollywood. Who was next?
American Not-So-Beauty
The same month, Anthony Rapp told BuzzFeed News information about Kevin Spacey that no one expected. Years ago, the 14-year old Anthony experienced a sexual advance from the actor.
The world was shocked that Kevin was in the closet, but his reckless disregard for the legal age of consent was even more disappointing for fans.
The actor formally announced he was gay and stated: "But if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years."
Soon, more men came forward with sexual assault allegations. Because of the obvious bad press, director Ridley Scott actually chose to reshoot every Kevin Spacey scene in All the Money in the World.
Replaced and disgraced, the actor had a legal battle ahead. But beyond film entirely, who else was making headlines that month?
Larry Nasty
Gymnast McKayla Maroney warmed our hearts when she became a meme! After winning the Olympic gold and making the funny face seen around the world, she found herself in the spotlight again that October.
But now, she was speaking out with terrible news about her Olympic experience. America's young gymnasts had been experiencing sexual assault every time they went to the U.S.A. gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar. And the host campus knew about it!
After the gymnasts spoke out publicly, more than 150 women came forward. The Michigan State University athletics department has been under scrutiny ever since, and Larry Nassar went on trial. In the end, he was sentenced to more than 175 years in prison.
Looking at Larry, she explained: "I just signed your death warrant". Would other victims get such swift justice around the world?
Worldwide and Viral
The #MeToo hashtag went viral on Twitter, and women around the world shared their stories that mirrored what they were seeing on the news. Internationally the phenomenon spawned additional hashtags.
France saw “#BalanceTonPorc” trending, which translates to “rat out your pig”. Throughout the Arabic speaking world, #MeToo was directly translated into “#Ana_kaman”. And in Russia, women tweeted “#IAmNotAfraidToSpeak”.
The international versions were used millions of times, proving the power of the internet age beyond any doubts. Back in America, the momentum continued. Which industry would see a surprising scandal next?
Senator Predator
Suddenly, an old photo surfaced of Senator Al Franken during his former life as a comedian. Al had always been edgy, but it seems the public mood was not warm to this joke during October 2017.
During a USO trip back in 2006, Al posed almost inappropriately touching radio host Leann Tweeden. She was asleep!
Soon, more women came forward with odd experiences from his comedy days. Ultimately, Al resigned in December. While many beloved public figures saw an ugly 15 minutes of fame on the news that month, one newsman reporting on #MeToo actually found himself in a story. But who?
Matt Lauer Becomes News
The Today Show had to tell their audience about a staffing change soon after the scandals began. Matt Lauer was fired by NBC for allegations of sexual misconduct at work. He denied the charges, but his job was already canceled. NBC believed this was a longstanding pattern!
According to Matt: "Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed."
An open letter was later released explaining his side of things. While he says he had a consensual relationship with another staff member, the world was busy discussing power dynamics at the office. And beyond! The comedy space was next, but who would be first to fall?
Sexual Surprises
Louis C.K. had received six Primetime Emmy Awards and was commonly referred to as the comedian's comedian. Widely respected in the industry and in homes across America, no one could anticipate what they would hear about him that autumn.
Rumors had swirled in the past of some not-so-funny business, including an allusion by Roseanne Barr way back in 2015. In 2017, several women surfaced with the same story: Louis would pop by onset and masturbate in front of unwilling female coworkers.
Was this just an average day at the office for him?
Louis released a statement admitting to the incidents, but said he believed it "was O.K. because I never showed a woman my dick without asking first."
The comedian asked for forgiveness, but his planned future work was canceled by studios at the time. Was Louis C.K. the only casualty in comedy that year, though?
Aziz An-Sorry
Now in 2018, an article appeared online accusing Aziz Ansari on some sort of sexual misconduct on a date in a post titled "I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. It turned into the worst night of my life".
The writer painted a picture of a crude and degrading sexual encounter in his apartment after drinks. She was uncomfortable with whatever advances he was making and eventually left. Aziz had to make a public statement. What was his side of the story?
Aziz said he “continues to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue”.
He later reflected: "If that has made not just me, but other guys think about this, and just be more thoughtful and aware and willing to go that extra mile, and make sure someone else is comfortable in that moment, that’s a good thing." But noticeably, he did not apologize. Why not?
The Backlash Begins
By now, divergent opinions had begun to appear in print media. The case of awkward drinking and dating with Aziz prompted a flurry of reactions defending him alongside the attacks.
Examples included "Aziz Ansari Is Guilty. Of Not Being a Mind Reader" and "How did a movement for women's empowerment become an emblem for female helplessness?"
Many people felt that this situation was not comparable to Louis C.K.'s surprising coworkers with masturbation. To many, the post read like a bad date with no chemistry.
The writer wasn't revealing her identity, so no further questions could be asked. Now, anonymous attacks without due process became a common concern about #MeToo itself. What did prominent figures think of this evolving social movement at this stage?
Franken Follies
Former Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid was interviewed on the Franken scandal recently. And he had some surprising things to say!
Senator Reid reflected on the matter and said that overall, Al was a "good senator" and that he "just feels hurt" over the accusations. Many said that the senator was bullied out of office without any real investigation.
Others worried about the precedent such a mob frenzy could set for future politicians in the party. Did a comedian playing jokes in his former career get railroaded unfairly? Other celebrities have weighed in on the dynamic at this stage. So who is decidedly not a fan?
Sean Penn Defends Men
Sean Penn has criticized #MeToo, and he is not mincing words. Calling it “too black and white” and "led by mania", he says that the movement has negatively divided men and women.
According to Sean: “Well, we don’t know what’s a fact in many of the cases... Salacious is as soon as you call something a movement that is really a series of many individual accusers, victims, accusations, some of which are unfounded.”
Media outlets hosted discussions on the issue over the next few months, and Sean was not alone in his hesitation. What did prominent female critics have to say on the matter?
New Rules
Caitlin Flanagan of The Atlantic took a different angle. She seemed to think that many women were not handling a liberated sexual lifestyle very well, leading to confusion, pain, and exaggerated accusations in some cases.
Caitlin explained: "Listen...when the real problem really comes down to you both had too much to drink or he wasn't very nice to you afterward. He didn't follow up. He didn't call you. You perceived something later. That is an unfortunate and emotionally painful thing that is part of having a free sexual life, and it usually hits women harder than it hits men. But that should have no place and no role in any kind of public sphere."
She said a lot of good as well as a lot of damage had been done by the movement.
Still, she went further: "I don't want to see even in the much smaller sphere the idea that women can have free, consensual sexual relationships with men without strings, and that their hurt feelings can somehow be transubstantiated into an assault story. I think that's ugly." Tell us how you really feel, Cait!
Founder Feedback
The founder of #MeToo is actually Tarana Burke, a civil rights activist who invented the phrase way back in 2006. How does she feel about all the discussion surrounding the events of the past two years?
Tarana recently said that she disagrees with the way critics have begun to characterize the movement as male persecution.
In a speech ar TEDWomen, she elaborated: "Suddenly, a movement to center survivors of sexual violence is being talked about as a vindictive plot against men...Victims are heard and then vilified."
Insisting it is important to ensure less sexual violence for future generations, she continues her work today. But are Caitlin Flanagan and Sean Penn really the only explicit critics so far?
He Said She Said
Dear Prudence is a popular advice column many of us have read in Slate for years. The woman behind all that wisdom is Emily Yoffe, and she has come out to express similar concerns in the media.
Recently, she explained her issue with the movement: “We are now in a time when a sexual encounter can be recast in a malevolent light, no matter whether the participants all appeared to consider it consensual at the time.”
She admits that #MeToo has the potential to correct common harassment and even criminal activity that takes place at work too frequently.
Still, Emily is concerned about the collateral damage: “Creating injustice today does not undo the harms of the past; instead it undermines the integrity of the necessary effort to address sexual misconduct.” What examples might she be referring to?
Mistakes Were Made
In an opinion piece published in Reason Magazine, Emily Yoffe discussed the case of former LA Times reporter Jonathan Kaiman.
She felt that he represented everything wrong in the movement, and explained his ordeal as "mob justice" over a gray area sexual encounter that was not properly investigated by the company.
According to Emily: “We are now in a time when the uncertain circumstances surrounding one regretted sexual encounter and another hazily remembered (and fiercely disputed) intimate encounter are sufficient to destroy the accused’s life."
At the time of the article, Jonathan was jobless, homeless, and suicidal!
Shatner Shouts
Star Trek legend William Shatner has claimed that some women had been using these accusations “as a weapon”. What exactly did he mean?
The 87-year-old explained in a UK interview:
“If you look back at things that were written and said 20, 30 years ago, it’s a different context... And you’ve got to judge it by that context. Rape and pillage, absolutely not, those are crimes against humanity. But saying ‘would you make love with me?’ and the opposing party says yes or no, I can’t fathom what’s wrong with that.”
What might a feminist in his age group think about that, though?
Feminist Dissent
Germaine Greer has been regarded as a major voice in the second-wave feminism movement over the past half-century. What kind of observations has she made about these emerging social negotiations?
According to Germaine: “What makes it different is when the man has economic power, as Harvey Weinstein has... if you spread your legs because he said ‘be nice to me and I’ll give you a job in a movie’ then I’m afraid that’s tantamount to consent, and it’s too late now to start whingeing about that.”
After more than a year of back and forth critique about power and sex in American life, how was Rose McGowan feeling about the fruits of the movement?
Rose Rages
Apparently, Rose did not feel that all the celebrities jumping on the #MeToo bandwagon out of the blue were terribly sincere:
“I just think they’re douchebags... They’re not champions. I just think they’re losers. I don’t like them. How do I explain the fact that I got a GQ Man of the Year award and no women’s magazines and no women’s organizations have supported me?”
She felt that many Hollywood movement events were not useful, either: “It’s a lie. It’s a Band-Aid lie to make them feel better. I know these people, I know they’re lily-livered, and as long as it looks good on the surface, to them, that’s enough.” Was it all intangible progress, though?
Money Matters
At this point in the legal battles, money was actually being negotiated to compensate victims. For example, the liability of Michigan State University led to the creation of a privately negotiated $500 million settlement fund for girls who were affected by Larry Nassar.
Some say it was the largest of its kind, ever!
Survivors of the abuse and cover-up were eligible for $250,000 to $2.5 million. Data analysis has shown that monetary awards in similar cases have increased over during the #MeToo scandals. Will Rose have her revenge too in an upcoming lawsuit?
Lawsuit Time
Rose McGowan has assembled a team of lawyers, and lawsuits have officially been filed against Harvey Weinstein and two high powered lawyers that worked for him during her ordeal.
She is also suing the shady private intelligence firm that she claims stalked her and messed with her mind to throw her off Harvey's trail!
The submitted complaint states:
"This case is about a diabolical and illegal effort by one of America’s most powerful men and his representatives to silence sexual assault victims... And it is about the courageous women and journalists who persisted to reveal the truth."
Rose says she refuses to be intimidated anymore! She hopes to close the book on this monstrous chapter in court, for all the world to see.
Rose Reflects
But how does Rose McGowan feel about all of Harvey's supporters along the way? It turns out she had some choice words for Hillary Clinton, of all people.
After hearing that Bill and Hillary might be nervous for their former donor and cocktail party friend, Rose took to Twitter:
“I knew that Hillary Clinton’s people were protecting the Monster... I can’t believe I used to support her. I guess predators are her style.” With a variety of cases pending now, do the Clintons really need to worry about a bad ending for Weinstein?
Trials and Tribulations
Harvey Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which so far includes one count of a criminal sexual act in the first degree, two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of third-degree rape, and one count of first-degree rape.
Many may wonder what is actually happening at the moment. Why the trial delay?
Proceedings were delayed while his lawyers made an argument over the venue, claiming an NYC jury will not be capable of impartiality. In the end, this was rejected. Manhattan, it is! But still, not for several more months.
Full Speed Ahead
Reflecting on the last two years, a surprising number of industries have been affected at the top of the food chain. Actor Ben Affleck, photographer Terry Richardson, journalist Mark Halperin, and many other famous names ended up on a public list of accusations.
And that list seems to grow and grow, with over 200 public figures so far.
