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On October 5, 2017, The New York Times released an article exposing Hollywood mega mogul Harvey Weinstein, thus birthing the #MeToo movement. But has anything changed?
This time last year, men and women all over the country were reeling from shocking revelations concerning sexual misconduct from powerful men like Louis CK, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and many more.
After an intense Presidential race, with Hillary Clinton narrowly losing to someone who is is, and we are checking out math here, a massive sex creep, women seemed to be ready to take back their power.
The article moved actress Alyssa Milano to post a screenshot outlining the idea of #MeToo, writing:
‘If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.”
Tens of thousands of people replied to the message. Some simply writing “me too,” while many others described their personal experiences of harassment or assault. The hashtag is now attached to over 1.5 M posts on Instagram. Celebrities like Anna Paquin, Debra Messing, Laura Dreyfuss, Lady Gaga and Evan Rachel Wood took to social media to join the movement.
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On January 21, 2017 women all over the country joined together in solidarity for the Women March as it became apparent that it was time to be brave and speak out. Over the course of the year, there have been major shifts in culture.
Many powerful men have lost their jobs over sexual misconduct findings. Bill Cosby was sentenced to 3-10 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a women at his estate, and Christine Blasey Ford testified against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for sexual assault in an incident that occurred while the two attended high school.
The event brought out many voices who stood with Ford, including 1,600 Men who Took Out an Ad in the New York Times to declare their support. Brett Kavanaugh was still appointed to the Supreme Court, and it does still beg the question – has much really changed?
When asked this question, showrunner and director Shonda Rhymes said: “I don’t know if I can say there’s a measurable change. I mean, I don’t have stats, but it does feel like the air has changed. The attitudes have changed. The conversation has changed. I keep hearing people say they’re holding their breath, waiting for it all to pass. But they’ve been holding their breath for a long time, so it feels like we’re moving toward clear, true change in the way we behave.”
What do you think? Has much changed during the year of #MeToo? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at <a href=”http://www.twitter.com/whatstrending”>@WhatsTrending</a>.
