Why The #MeToo Movement Was Essential For Modern Society
The Me Too movement was one of the biggest movements in the last decade of society. As a quick refresh, Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual abuse back in 2017, which sparked a landslide of allegations against both him and many other members of the Hollywood elite. It was a groundbreaking moment as high-profile celebrities opened up about their experiences, exposing the vile actions of those in power. The movement quickly gathered storm, with #MeToo trending on Twitter and still in use to this day.
Fast forward four years, and you can say that the Me Too movement isn't receiving the same coverage it once was. Allegations are still coming out, but at a much slower rate than during the movement's prime. However, that's not to say that this movement hasn't had a significant impact on Hollywood and the wider society. It sparked many positive changes that should continue to spark more changes and make the world a better and safer place.
Changing the film industry forever
Obviously, sexual abuse isn't exclusively a Hollywood issue. However, most of the allegations from celebrities came from those in the TV & film industry. Therefore, it's impossible to avoid seeing massive changes in this industry, and that's precisely what the movement has done. Nowadays, productions will have an Intimacy Set Coordinator standing by at all times. This person is basically there to provide mental support for all the cast on-set, ensuring that nothing untoward is going on. It's a simple addition, but one that will hopefully prevent many acts of sexual abuse from happening. Thus, actors, actresses, and members of the crew now feel safer than before.
Exposing the casualness of sexual abuse
Moving away from Hollywood, the Me Too movement was quickly picked up by people all over the world. It was a harrowing exposure of just how frequent and casual sexual abuse was in the modern world. Our eyes were opened to just how many women (and men) had experienced sexual abuse at some point in their lives. Therefore, this movement was essential to help us recognize the problems existing in society, actively sparking a conversation for change. While sexual abuse still exists, who knows how much of it would have gone unnoticed without this movement?
Highlighting the problem with victim-blaming
Another key thing that came from the Me Too movement was the problem of blaming victims of sexual abuse. So many people came forward with their terrible stories, only to get blamed for it or just not believed at all. It's started many conversations on why victims should be believed first, rather than instantly discredited. This has also shown why so many people avoided speaking out before this movement, as they believed they'd just get blamed or shamed for coming forward.
Overall, there's no denying that the Me Too movement has opened many eyes to the problem of sexual abuse within society. It's already done an excellent job of raising awareness around this and helping victims speak out against their abusers. We can only hope that this continues and that all the noise created by the movement puts more pressure on those in power to actually do something to stop the problem of sexual abuse.
