Sexism and Harassment in Hollywood

Since the Oscars aired last weekend, I felt it was a good time to talk about the challenges and blatant sexism women face in Hollywood. Many stars have come out with their personal stories which created the #MeToo movement. While the movement is extremely important, it is one that should not have had to be created in the first place.

This is not a new issue. Hollywood was one that was made to favor rich, white men and degrade women. Many stories have come out about how these men with lots of power treated minors, from Shirley Temple being exposed to a producer at MGM, or Judy Garland being forced to sit on the same producer’s lap. In the past 50+ years, the only thing that has changed, regarding sexual assault among actresses in Hollywood, is the amount of women that have outwardly spoken about the issue continues to rise.  

From the beginning, women in Hollywood have been forced to take the abuse and misogyny they have been tormented with. They have experienced abuse, lower wages, and fewer job opportunities just because of their sex. They have been forced to do sexual acts just to get a job and had crude comments made towards them. The biggest problem is that many do not see an issue with this. The #MeToo movement is one that has the ability to change the industry as we know it; a change that needs to be made. Many women in Hollywood have been silenced for so many years that it is time for them to take their voice back.  

The term #MeToo, was originally used by Tarana Burke in 2006, but in 2017, it gained traction after the allegations against Harvey Weinstein. The movement was shared all across social media and gained a lot of attention from different actresses and the public. The hashtag was used as a way for people to share their stories while encouraging others to do so. It is a movement for both men and women to share their stories and fight for change to stop sexual abuse. The movement is still alive and bigger than ever with no signs of stopping until we can have a world where people are not sexually assaulted. 97% is a number too high for what it represents. The #MeToo movement will be here until that number is significantly lowered. 

As of right now, we have a long way to go for women to have a comfortable environment when working in any male dominant corporation. While it may seem like many individuals are not taking the issue of sexual assault seriously, from creating a national rape day or to calling survivors liars when they come out with their story, it does seem that more and more women are coming out and making a change. In the end, I, along with every woman out there, can only hope and strive towards a world where we feel safe in our work environment. Maybe one day we can achieve that with enough regulation and consequences. 

 

 

• Film Industry
• hollywood
• sexism