If you’ve been paying attention to pop culture at all over the past few days, chances are you’ve heard the name Harvey Weinstein thrown around a few times. It isn’t being thrown around in reference to his production of Pulp Fiction or Good Will Hunting, but rather in reference to what’s being coined as Hollywood’s “worst kept secret.”
In short, Hollywood mogul producer Harvey Weinstein’s name made headlines this past week after multiple exposés accused him on many accounts of egregious sexual assault. These accounts over several decades included, but were not limited to, over 30 women who accused him of various forms of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct, three accusations of rape, a disturbing NYPD audio recording of Weinstein trying to lure a woman into his hotel room, and even personal accounts from high profile women like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence and Angelina Jolie. Because this continued to happen over such a long span of time, many of Hollywood’s insiders were aware of rumors of Weinstein’s threatening behavior, and some were even aware of specific accounts.
It took the release of these investigations as well as testimonies from countless women coming forward for Weinstein’s wife to leave him (though she had been aware of his tendencies as a predator for some time); for his company, The Weinstein Company, to fire him; for major news sources to hit publish; and for the “pussy-grabbing” conversation to be resumed.
Since these instances of assault became public, many of Hollywood’s elite felt compelled to offer their thoughts – some in favor of Weinstein, and others in favor of his alleged victims. To name all of the people who spoke out would take forever, as dozens of A-listers chose to do so for the sake of the women who didn’t have the courage to speak for themselves. Words of encouragement mixed with sadness were spoken by many, though the words of discouragement filled with insensitivity were the ones that stuck the most. Perhaps the most notable words were spoken by two immensely influential women –fashion designer Donna Karan and actress Lindsay Lohan. Both Karan and Lohan defended Weinstein, and instead shamed the women who came forward with their stories instead of respecting them. They dismissed the accusations by reminding the public of his personality that they came to know, and of his success. Sexual assault of any degree is inexcusable, and it’s imperative for our society to accept that.
If you’re a woman on a college campus and this story hasn’t struck a chord within you yet – I’ll explain why it should. While this may seem like just another story blown out of proportion by Hollywood, it’s essentially just a magnified version of the unfortunate reality that occurs way more often than we choose to notice in this twisted, rape-culture society. This situation speaks volumes about how we wrongly handle the courageous words of victims, and how we accept the cowardly denials of perpetrators and therefore neglect to act upon accusations. Just as Weinstein paid off his accusers for decades, men on campuses everywhere are silencing their accusers with their own form of power, whether it be money, intimidation, or the plain and simple fact that they are a man.
The women whose lives were rattled by Weinstein’s selfish and disgusting advances have suppressed their stories for years, feeling helplessly silenced by his overarching ability to shut them down. Thanks to the exposés of The New York Times and The New Yorker, the collective voices of these women are finally loud enough for the world to hear. It’s no secret that the patriarchy can be taken down with storytelling, but the challenge is encouraging victims to be brave enough to tell their story. The sad reality is that it took names like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence and Angelina Jolie to convince the public of Weinstein’s faults. Of course, their experiences are no less heartbreaking than any of the other women, but we have to wonder why it’s okay to have ignored the rest who fell victim.
What Weinstein did is by no means an isolated incident. He is not the first, nor the last, man to commit sexual assault, and unfortunately, not every man who does the same will be condemned as a result of a disturbing exposé.
Weinstein being taken down is a massive step in the conversation about sexual assault, but we need to aim towards taking every perpetrator down – regardless of the circumstance surrounding their offense. That means defending your best friend when she’s aggressively grabbed at a party, refusing a man’s advances because he tells you he can “help with your career,” and supporting that girl you barely know upon hearing her accusations and encouraging her to act upon them.
Let the celebrities who turned a blind eye to Weinstein’s disgusting behavior serve as an example of what not to do. By doing nothing with your knowledge of the situation, you are also at fault for allowing even the most seemingly minute forms of aggression to continue. Participate in the conversation, and defend the women who can’t defend themselves.
If you’re not a part of the solution, then you’re a part of the problem.