#MeToo Time for Change or Is This Just a Witch-Hunt?

#MeToo Time for Change or Is This Just a Witch-Hunt?
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#MeToo

#MeToo

I have watched the #MeToo movement take over social media. I have even shared one of my own #MeToo moments. It is a movement that needs to continue; it is a movement that will finally shape and change some of how society addresses women. Not only in the workplace, but overall how men should and should not behave with women. Women have been treated poorly, men have behaved badly. In this moment, what I would pose is an honest discussion about what is really happening within this movement.

I know the title of this article may seem a bit jarring or even “triggering” for some. Please give me the benefit of the doubt and hear me out. I have a hope that it will open a new line of discussions.

So many men, one by one given their individual walking papers after allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment, some even being accused of sexual assault. A friend of mine said co-workers were taking bets on who the next to “go down” would be. My only answer was that nearly all men of a certain age should be shaking, because at one point in time in our history dirty old goats were just that. Dirty old goats. They didn’t look at this bad behavior as disrespectful and at that point, they certainly didn’t get called anything besides dirty old goats. Clearly, that has been changing and making progress; dirty old goats get replaced and men are realizing this is not ok. Evolution and progress is happening. Finally.

That being said however, if this isn’t a witch-hunt why aren’t more women demanding apologies from the “ringleaders,” if you will? Why the focus on one man at a time opposed to taking down those who sensationalized the bad behavior to begin with? Why are reporters only looking for massive celebrities and politicians when the man who made millions treating women like shit for decades gets a bye? I’m talking about Howard Stern specifically. Why has no one asked him to apologize and change the way he speaks about and treats women?

Here is an example, if you Google “trump on howard stern” you can expect to get over 500,000 results. I sifted through over 20 pages of results of articles that have been written expressing concerns over things Trump has said on the Howard Stern show. NOT ONE about Howard Stern’s comments, or about the fact that he has a medium. Some comments came at a time before he went to a satellite radio format. Not only was he on the radio for many years, his show was broadcast on TV for years, and now he’s got his own station on XM Radio.

Who is more offensive in this exchange?

"Why do people think it's egotistical of you to say you could've gotten with Lady Di?" Stern asked. "You could've gotten her, right? You could've nailed her."
“I think I could have," Trump said.
(Click here for the entire interview)

Let’s think about this for a second. This man taught people (mostly other men) via his sensationalized broadcasts for decades how to treat women as nothing but sex objects. This is a man who can be seen in YouTube videos groping celebrities like Jenny McCarthy, Carmen Electra and even his co-host (female) Robin Quivers is seen flashing her boobs on the show. This is the man who made millions, was so sensationalized that Betty Thomas felt the need to direct a movie about him. He was seen by other men as the mecca – the KING…. The title of his movie… “Private Parts.” Yet no one is asking him to be self-reflective, and apologize and change the way he portrays women. I hate to say it but it feels a lot like a double standard.

If this isn’t just a witch-hunt to find which is the biggest celebrity or politician who made inappropriate moves on a co-worker or subordinate, why have those perpetuating the bad behavior, and sensationalizing the bad behavior not been called out too? OH, Because the women put themselves in that position when they agreed to appear/be heard on his show, right? Exchanging crude conversation, lewd behavior for publicity from “The KING of ALL Media?” Sounds kind of like the same thing as exchanging crude behavior or even sex at the hopes of advancing someone’s career.

Maybe I’m completely off base here, but I think we really need to look at the big picture of this and not just the one by one picking off of famous men. Who are men not only guilty of this horrible behavior, but also guilty of sensationalizing it and enlightening other men that it’s ok to act this way? Men who were given a forum to be able to indoctrinate the male masses of this type of sexism and misogyny? Those should be the first to get called out and put to a stop.

What are your thoughts?

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