By: Paige Short
**Trigger Warning: Sexual assault, r*pe, sexism
In October 2017, Harvey Weinstein, prominent film producer, was publicly accused of sexually harassing, assaulting, and/or raping several women over the course of 30 or more years (Kantor & Twohey, 2017). Had the number of women been fewer or if, perhaps, they had been less well-known, Harvey may have followed in the footsteps of previously accused celebrity sexual predators and skirted away scot-free. Fortunately, women in Hollywood were tired of keeping the “open secret” of Harvey’s behavior and continued to come forward. On October 15, 2017, Alyssa Milano used Twitter to rally women across the world to illuminate the pervasiveness of the problem of sexual assault (Chen, 2017). And then the floodgates opened.
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| Screenshot of tweet from Alyssa Milano. From Twitter. |
Though Alyssa Milano made it viral, the Me Too campaign was created in 2006 by Tarana Burke, an American civil rights activist from New York. She was striving to create a platform to empower women of color to share experiences of sexual assault.
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| Tanara Burke, civil rights activist and creator of "Me Too" campaign. |
So what’s with the sudden outpouring of sexual assault reports? #metoo quickly broke through the boundaries of Hollywood into industries far and wide--theater, sports, journalism, and so many more. Women, famous or not, have been steadily pouring out their stories. Even if some of them are lying, which is likely to be fewer than most would expect (Ferguson & Malouff, 2016), there are still many more reported instances of sexual harassment and assault than many can reconcile.
How has society gotten to this point? When did people, predominantly men in power, start to believe that sexual harassment and assault are acceptable forms of interaction with women?
Of course it’s not a simple point in history--it starts with sexism and objectification. Systemic sexism often places men in positions of power, giving women little opportunity for advancement and a constant subordinate role (Kassin, Fein, & Markus, 2017, p. 167). Additionally, women are often treated as sexual objects, “less as fully functioning human beings” (Kassin, Fein, Markus, 2017, p. 166) than their male counterparts.
And people do not simply enter into the workforce free of these views. From a young age, children are instructed on how genders should behave. Both parental figures and media influence the construction of gender roles, and these gender roles fortify harmful stereotypes about women. Alice Eagly posited Social Role Theory: differences in gender, though they may be slight, are viewed as more significant because men and women hold such unequal societal roles (as cited in Kassin, Fein, & Markus, 2017, p. 189). Women are viewed as less and often find themselves in positions where men in authority feel it is their right to take advantage.
Chen, J. (2017, October 17). Alyssa Milano wants her 'Me Too' campaign to elevate Harvey Weinstein discussion. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/alyssa-milano-on-her-me-too-campaign-weinstein-conversation-w509345
Ferguson, C. E., & Malouff, J. M. (2016). Assessing police classifications of sexual assault reports: A meta-analysis of false reporting rates. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45(5), 1185-1193. http://services.lib.mtu.edu:2080/10.1007/s10508-015-0666-2
Kantor, J. & Twohey, M. (2017, October 5). Harvey Weinstein paid off sexual harassment accusers for decades. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html
Kassin, S., Fein, S. & Markus, H. R. (2017). Social psychology (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
And people do not simply enter into the workforce free of these views. From a young age, children are instructed on how genders should behave. Both parental figures and media influence the construction of gender roles, and these gender roles fortify harmful stereotypes about women. Alice Eagly posited Social Role Theory: differences in gender, though they may be slight, are viewed as more significant because men and women hold such unequal societal roles (as cited in Kassin, Fein, & Markus, 2017, p. 189). Women are viewed as less and often find themselves in positions where men in authority feel it is their right to take advantage.
Examples of women being sexually ojectified by media. From Women Not Objects
Clearly this culture of sexism and sexual assault has not happened overnight, but the sudden outpouring of support from within and without this marginalized group may be signalling a change on the horizon. As women in positions of power continue to speak out in numbers, they will be hard to ignore. In Social Psychology, Kassin, Fein and Markus lay out avenues for change: confrontation of discrimination, empathizing with stereotyped groups, and believing that prejudice can be unlearned just as it was learned (2017, p. 204). If all industries, from Hollywood to Academia, can instate comprehensive and effective sexism and discrimination training as well as offer accessible means to report and a dedication to follow through on reports, the days of men like Weinstein could be over.
Reference List
Chen, J. (2017, October 17). Alyssa Milano wants her 'Me Too' campaign to elevate Harvey Weinstein discussion. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/alyssa-milano-on-her-me-too-campaign-weinstein-conversation-w509345
Ferguson, C. E., & Malouff, J. M. (2016). Assessing police classifications of sexual assault reports: A meta-analysis of false reporting rates. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45(5), 1185-1193. http://services.lib.mtu.edu:2080/10.1007/s10508-015-0666-2
Kantor, J. & Twohey, M. (2017, October 5). Harvey Weinstein paid off sexual harassment accusers for decades. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html
Kassin, S., Fein, S. & Markus, H. R. (2017). Social psychology (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
This was very well written! I like how you had good references to back some claims, such as, women may be lying. However, what is the classification most women and men are using for sexual assault?
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the video was pretty funny (and sad that it happens). Are there are alternatives to advertisement, money is a lot bigger than most people give credit and that is a large reason women are objectified in advertising. I like to think of solutions rather than saying no to change. What solutions do you have?
I think that the lack of classification for how the term "sexual assault" is being used is a definite issue that exists within the current movement. It's a difficult problem and we are seeing it manifest in the types of stories that are getting attention. You may be familiar with the story that came out from a woman who had gone on a date with Aziz Ansari and left feeling as though she had been sexually assaulted. I'm not convinced her story belongs in the same category as those of people who have been targetted by the likes of Weinstein. Her story is important, and speaks to other issues, but perhaps not this one.
DeleteAs far as advertising, I think some companies are already doing a great job transforming their ads to be either more gender neutral or stripped of ridiculous gender stereotypes. As consumers, I think it is important to support these companies, as well as communicate our discomfort to those companies that promote their products in stereotyped ways.
I'm glad that someone touched on this, as it is such an important issue right now. I hope that this movement makes women and men more comfortable about speaking up right away, instead of waiting years and years. If a woman gets raped and goes to the police/hospital right away, there is a chance for more legal implications for the rapist. At this point, like with Harvey, all he is getting is public shame (and I'd have to argue that prison is worse than public shame).
ReplyDeleteBut I like what Tom said - what is the classification being used for sexual assault? I see a huge difference between showing someone your penis unwillingly and actually raping someone, but I feel as if those are being lumped into the same category. I don't think that's necessarily fair - everyone makes mistakes and not everyone who did something 10 years ago is the same person that they are today (speaking in terms of just showing your penis to someone unwillingly).
I agree with you, to a point. I think the conversation gets derailed when women confound assault with harassment, and it seems that there are two types of perpetrators: harassers and assaulters. I believe harassment and assault stem from the same root of sexism and objectification, and can both do irreparable damage, but that certainly doesn't equate unsolicited penis pictures with rape. I worry that because the conversation has lumped the two issues, rape and assault may seem less serious. It's tricky. We certainly want harassment to be highlighted as a serious issue that has gone ignored for far too long. My hope is that the fight to end sexual harassment greatly limits the spaces in which power dynamics like the one that allowed Weinstein to do whatever he wanted. That's certainly a start.
DeleteI posted an article below that goes through several related definitions, but here is an excerpt that discusses sexual assault: "Rape and sexual assault have been used interchangeably in coverage of events leading to the #MeToo movement, and this practice, though unintentional, is confusing. In contrast to the specific criminal act of rape, the term sexual assault can describe a range of criminal acts that are sexual in nature, from unwanted touching and kissing, to rubbing, groping or forcing the victim to touch the perpetrator in sexual ways. But sexual assault overlaps with rape because the term includes rape."
Deletehttps://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-sexual-abuse-sexual-assault-sexual-harassment-and-rape-88218
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this post, especially watching the short YouTube clip you attached - I think it really solidified the points you were trying to make, and because this is a heavy and for some, a very uncomfortable topic to discuss - there was a little bit of wry humor that strengthened the power of the message being delivered; "We are women not objects."
ReplyDeleteAs Tom mentioned above, I am also very curious to read or hear what other "solutions" you as well as others have to combat sexism and gender discrimination.
I think all industries need to reevaluate both the mechanisms under which people enter positions of power and what the types of entitlements given to those people in power. Weinstein was able to harm so many women not only because he is an atrocious scum of a man, but also because the system was set up to allow him the access he wanted. There need to be better systems of checks and balances. If we create systems where those in power are accountable, I hope that those spaces where people can take advantage of others are eliminated.
DeleteWhat kind of checks and balances do you think we need? Are there any industries with these checks and balances in place that Hollywood might use as a model?
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DeleteYou know, I don't know if there are industries where the type of system I'm envisioning already exists. I would love to point to academia as an example, but it seems to be almost designed on the principle of power imbalances. I read an article that was forwarded around the Humanities department in December (which I cannot for the life of me locate, but this article here is on the same topic https://qz.com/1153654/sexual-harassment-in-academia-a-crowdsourced-survey-reveals-the-scale-metoo/ ) about an anonymous survey of women that had been assaulted in academic institutions. While obviously not scientific in any way, it sheds some light on another industry fraught with power imbalance.
DeleteI envision a system where there is built-in accountability for those in power. Perhaps like an internal review board with power to oust those found to have violated others. I know most industries have some sort of Human Resources department, but it clearly isn't working as is. I honestly don't know enough about the current systems in place to make any concrete recommendations. I do know, however, that there were plenty of people aware of what Weinstein was doing in those hotel rooms, going so far as to arrange the "meetings" for him, and there was little or no internal pushback.
The #MeToo campaign is one of the most powerful ones out there. It gives a lot of women who the courage to speak up and with social media, it has become a click away. I am not sure what the classifications are. However, speaking up about anything that is scary or controversial is hard. So Paige, Thank you for writing about the #MeToo. There are a lot of women who should see your post outside of the class.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I have been almost obsessively following it since October and it's really struck something in me. It really frustrates me that so many people let these systems come into place that allowed for so many people to be hurt, but I am incredibly grateful that we finally have a voice and that, for now, people are listening.
DeleteI really enjoyed this blog, and I thought the video really tied it all together. I do think it is important to mention, however, that the objectification of women and gender roles have been present for a very, very long time. Even my grandmother has told me about how she was forced to quit working as soon as she married my grandfather because she had a stable "provider". I think that women speaking out against these actions shows just how far we have come as a society. Women were oppressed so much in the past that they wouldn't be able to talk about being sexually assaulted. I think it is an important step in our growth as a society to stop making women who are victims of sexual assault to feel as though they did anything wrong, which is how I feel it has been in the past. I think the "me too" movement more than anything has impacted the willingness of women to speak out against predators, which hopefully will continue to trend in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. This has been a long time coming.
DeleteI do think it's really important how this movement has come out with some very big names in Hollywood. It shows how that no matter how long something has been going on, or how big the person is that has been doing it,they can topple. This has been primarily seen with big names in media, like Harvey Weinstein, but do how great of an effect do you think this movement will have on the every day person, where you don't have famous people standing up for the cause? Do you think it will have the same impact on the average person's daily lives on someone who has experienced sexual assault from a person in a superior power role, who may not have nearly as much attention (like someone without a million twitter followers, like the average person)?
ReplyDeleteI think part of what makes this movement so powerful is that a giant like Weinstein could fall. Whether this translates to everyday industries will completely depend on the infrastructure in place to deal with harassment and assault and the willingness of those affected to speak out if the infrastructure is lacking. I hope that #metoo will increase the willingness of those affected to speak out.
DeleteI think everything that promotes awareness to those that have been wronged are great. Awareness of cancer can help raise money for cures. Awareness for things like sexual assault help to make everyone realize anyone can do it. It sucks to have models like Bill Cosby associated with this stuff but if it happens it doesn't matter who you are.
DeleteI really like how you talked about the sexual harassment and sexual objectification issues in this blog. I liked the video that was attached because it shows how women are many times portrayed in advertising. I know that many companies are trying to strip their commercials of gender stereotypes, but there are still quite a few that do. You don't ever see a commercial for a burger and fries with a bunch of half naked, muscular men. I think as far as women now coming forward to speak out that they were sexually harassed or assaulted is extremely important. Women now have the strength to come forward and let other women know that they haven't done anything wrong and that what is happening is not okay. Women speaking out can help us take a step in the right direction to hopefully prevent situations like this in the future.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Women supporting each other is key to the success of this movement.
DeleteMany of the points you brought up were not ones I often think about. I believe this is because it is so normal for them to occur in society that it takes actively drawing attention to them for them to stand out. What I found especially powerful was the video you chose to place within your post. Nowadays female objectification is almost expected in advertising that to see such blatant and extreme cases was eye opening as to how bad the issue had truly become. Also, I found it to be quite sad that it took someone with fame to really get the #metoo movement rolling and prominent when over a decade ago when someone of "less importance" tried to make it widespread it did not take off.
ReplyDeleteI felt it was important to show the where #metoo came from. Oftentimes, women of color start amazing ideas and initiatives with the credit ending up in the hands of some other white person. Alyssa Milano eventually also gave credit to Tarana Burke after enough people pointed out to her the origins of the movement she pushed into the spotlight.
DeleteGreat job on this blog post, especially as it is often found to be a "touchy" topic, however needs to get addressed. I think you mentioned in a previous comment briefly how it frequently occurs in situations where certain individuals are able to end up in positions of power, and can then manipulate that power to their advantage. Merging this with the topic of what constitutes the difference between sexual assault and sexual harassment, how do you feel we as a country can combat the actions of political figures (such as a president of a country for example?) who have clearly worked their way up in our system that claims to be full of "checks and balances" and is elected by the people, yet are blatantly abusive with their power. Whether it is actual assault or harassment, the fact that individuals who are elected by the people are consistently found to abuse their power in ways which should be considered blasphemous, yet are actually appearing to desensitize what our country considers acceptable. How do you think the actions and words of political figures has effected the #metoo campaign, and what can we do to pull ourselves out of becoming more desensitized by the actions of such individuals, seeing as they aren't all even being reprimanded for their words and actions?
ReplyDeleteHow I would love to be able to solve this issue.
DeleteAll I can say is that we have to keep being appalled, no matter how exhausting it is. We have to keep saying to ourselves and others that "This is not normal. This is not ok."
You all asked a lot of good questions about definitions. Here is an article that outlines the definitions of sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment: https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-sexual-abuse-sexual-assault-sexual-harassment-and-rape-88218 To summarize the article: Sexual abuse refers to behavior toward children. Rape is involves penetration (no matter how slight) without consent. Sexual assault is a broader category that includes everything from unwanted touching to rape. And, sexual harassment is even broader yet that includes sexual coercion, unwanted sexual attention, and gender harassment. The article goes into a lot more detail about what behavior does and does not fall under each term. (And it is a reputable article, written by Lilia Cortina at U of M - a well respected researcher in this area.)
ReplyDeleteVery well written post. I think you chose an important topic that is relevant today which you combined with a variety of examples as support. Also, I like how you tied in social psychology solutions to deal with this issue.
ReplyDeleteI found the video you included from Women Not Objects really surprising. It's unfortunate that it's seen as somewhat acceptable - even humorous and appealing (for advertising purposes) to objectify women so blatantly. I think attitudes around this topic need to change and campaigns like the ones you mentioned are definitely helping by getting this conversation started and having voices heard.
I think that it is much more unsettling to see these types of advertisements pulled out of context and side by side in a video like this than in their natural setting. It's easy to write off or ignore one commercial as outside the norm, but to see how many there really are that view women as objects, you begin to realize that this is the norm.
DeleteThe article is very well written, being able to be as descriptive as you were on such a touchy topic is needed so people can rally behind those that want to voice their opinion. Todays society is very consumed by objectification and classification of insulting nicknames and labels. These examples of name calling start really young and would fall under the sexual harassment/objectification category. There is also a great deal of this that we do not hear about from people that are too shy to speak up against someone that harmed them, I feel this #metoo campaign really helped with the vocalization of the issue.
ReplyDeleteYes. I think we can all do a better job (as parents, older siblings, aunts and uncles, and friends) of showing children from a young age not only what behavior is inappropriate, but who to talk to when we feel like someone is treating us inappropriately. This includes talking about something that seems as inconsquential as advertising.
DeleteI thought this was an awesome thing to right about. Sexual assault is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. Your article put a lot of light on the situation. Going to a location with such a low crime rate, but there are always the unspoken incidents. How you talked about the people who don't talk about it for a long time makes me so sad. I truly hope one day we get to a point where we are all on the same page and we have understanding.
ReplyDeleteI hope so too.
DeleteI really enjoyed this post! I like how you commented on the fact that some women may be lying when they come forward about sexual assault but how its a very few number. It's sad that some people feel the need to lie about such a serious matter. I also really like how you tied the YouTube video in.
ReplyDeleteEvery time the issue of sexual assault arises, someone chimes in with "Women just want attention so they lie about these things". Instead of engaging with this conversation, I just wanted to cut it off at the outset.
DeleteI’m happy to see that you’ve chosen this topic to write about. I’ve noticed a dramatic change in the discussion surrounding sexual violence within the past year alone. I remember closely following the coverage of the Stanford rapist case in 2016 and the narrative of the case was effectively “this poor young man’s reputation was ruined over ‘15 minutes of action.’”
ReplyDelete2017 was a stark contrast as many women in Hollywood spoke out against their abusers. Historically, these cases have been dismissed as women just lying for attention but many of these claims have been taken quite seriously within the past year, which is an obvious step in the right direction.
I think that this sudden outpouring of women coming forward and discussing their past sexual trauma is indicative of a radical cultural shift in how we discuss consent, sexual violence and the role that gender roles and stereotypes play in this social issue. I , for one, am pleased to see consent being more openly discussed. I know that I could have benefited from having that discussion in sex ed/health class and my understanding is that it’s becoming more common to include that in the curriculum. Again, indicative of much positive change surrounding this issue.
This was really well written. I’m so happy you chose to write about the #metoo movement because it’s so important. I like that you took a strong stance early and stuck with it all the way through. I’m also glad you mentioned the actual founder of the movement, Tanara Burke. So often women’s voices are silenced, but especially those of women of color. It’s great that you chose to shed light on the founder whom many have forgotten about, because so many celebrities have come forward. While it’s great that celebrities have elevated the movement and helped it grow, it is the millions and millions of non-famous women whose voices can’t be heard that we really need to be listening to. Not saying that the celebrities that have come forward don’t matter, but many of them have the resources to fight back, whereas millions of other women in the exact same or worse situations, do not have those resources. Reading this post reignited my anger over the Weinstein situation and made me want to get out there and do something about it, so thank you!
ReplyDeleteGood post!
ReplyDeleteI guess I've been living under a rock, as I was unaware of this seemingly popular movement. To my defense, I'm not a social media pleb ;)
I'm glad this movement has given an opportunity for those to speak up regarding their sexual violence experiences. I hope it’s been constructive for everyone involved.
My criticism is, will this actually bring change to the problem at hand? This movement seems to spark great discussion and awareness about the topic, but will the shitty people who commit sexual violence stop committing sexual violence because of this? Perhaps the increased awareness instills fear in the perpetrators, making them less likely to commit sexual violence. However, I personally think lust overpowers fear, especially for shitty people who commit sexual violence.
This is a very well-written post that brings up a very important issue. I am both glad and sorrowful that an issue like this is being so pushed. I am sorrowful that society has come to this, especially in cases such as Harvey Weinstein. I am glad, however, that people like him are being exposed and society is starting to push against the behaviors that not just Weinstein, but many other men in powerful position. Hopefully, through the efforts of todays generation, issues like this can be completely avoided in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think that this post fails to recognize that sexual assault not only can happen to men, but does so more often than is EVER recognized. While sexual assault in women may be more prevalent than men I think this blog post engages in its own type of stereotyping in the sense that men in power are thrown into a sexist abusive role. I agree with much of the article, but I feel it needs the sexual assault against men to be addressed. I also think that touching on sexual assault in predators in a more specific sense would be better, i.e. Weinstein was a predator that abused his role vs. Weinstein and many other men in power abuse their roles.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with this post, I also agree with Samantha that their are crucial pieces of this argument that are not addressed. The #metoo campaign is a good way to bring this private issue to the forefront of public knowledge, but it fails to enact change on the issue itself. Its evident that social role theory plays a part in this situation as gender differences have been pervasive in the United States for centuries. How does one plan to combat such a large issue? As the writer of this article what do you think are the next steps in solving this problem? #whatnext
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that the #MeToo movement goes back as far as 2006! I felt like I actually learned quite a bit about this movement beyond just the face of it I see on social media. I think that's really important, putting names and history behind these movements; if gives them substance that people don't often attribute to social media activism.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the academic perspective you brought to the conversation; great post!