At the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, stars predictably spoke out against sexual harassment. It was a topic many felt would be dealt with due to the seemingly endless stream of stories coming to light lately. While the casting couch has always been well known, it wasn't until very recently that these powerful figures were seriously condemned. The idea of taking advantage of someone in any circumstance is awful and should be frowned upon. However, it's the way in which this subject is being handled by Hollywood that speaks volumes about how it is handled in our society.
One movement that got a large amount of attention in the aftermath of the Globes was Time's Up. It seeks to end sexual harassment not just in the entertainment industry, but in all walks of life. Stars walked the red carpet wearing black to show solidarity. On the surface, this sounds like a good thing. What could be wrong with attempting to put an end to sexual harassment? The answer lies in what is wrong with the current state of feminism and where it's going in the future.
The problem with the Time's Up movement is that it only focuses on female victims of sexual harassment. Male victims are ignored by the movement. The issue of sexual harassment has been hijacked by Time's Up and turned into a gendered issue. This is exactly how the current state of feminism works. Issues like sexual harassment, rape, domestic violence, and body image have all been hijacked by feminists. As a result, we've been programmed to see these issues as women’s only issues. When a male victim is seen and heard, it's viewed as a rarity. But it shouldn't be.
Men have the highest rate of suicide. I believe one of the reasons is the need men feel to keep things bottled up. Sexual harassment is when an unwanted sexual advance is made towards an individual. That concept has literally nothing to do with the gender of the victim. Yet, because men are ignored in the discussion of this subject, they don't think they can come forward. If the share their stories, they feel nobody will believe them. So, they keep it inside and this causes unimaginable emotional pain.
If you want to see an example of how male victims are ignored, look no further than Kevin Spacey. Anthony Rapp accused Spacey last year of making an unwanted sexual advance towards him when he was underage. This set in motion a slew of other men coming forward to share their stories. As of right now, a total of 15 men have come forward accusing Spacey of sexual harassment. Yet, the Time's Up movement ignored all of these men. The stars at the Golden Globes ignored all of these men. They ignored them by talking about this issue as if it only affects women.
This will not help solve the problem. One of the solutions the Time's Up movement has proposed is to get more women in positions of power in Hollywood. There’s nothing wrong with more women holding powerful positions in Hollywood. But don’t expect it to put an end to sexual harassment. If this happens, I feel we will see an increase in female harassers. The problem is not gender. The problem is the fact that powerful people in Hollywood are abusing that power. There is a mental and emotional instability that exists within these people. If the Time's Up movement wants to end sexual harassment in Hollywood, that is what they should be focusing on.
It's movements like Time's Up which show why I can't call myself a feminist. Instead of focusing on women living under Sharia Law, they hijack issues that aren't gender specific. This has been the current state of feminism for a while and it doesn't seem to be improving any time soon. If feminists want true gender equality, they would at least include male victims in the conversation. Men everywhere should know that it's okay to speak up about their experiences. They shouldn't keep their feelings bottled up and we should take those allegations seriously.
Male victims shouldn't be ignored anymore. The time is up.