Anyway, I'm currently writing a paper for one of my classes on this story and I've learned a lot in my research. I want to begin with the fact that the first indication of a sexual harassment by Weinstein was in 1987. THIRTY YEARS AGO. That's ridiculous. You're telling me that in over thirty years, his colleagues and peers heard, and said, NOTHING about his actions. My mom knows when I have my period just by my tone of voice when I call her.
I googled Harvey Weinstein when the news broke out and I was angry because he took part in making some of my favorite films. Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, Spy Kids, Ella Enchanted, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Silver Linings Playbook, all tainted with his name in the credits.
The Weinstein Company said they had "no idea" what was going on. NO IDEA. Harvey literally had an assistant whose only job was to organize "meetings" with aspiring female models and actresses. I think they knew but nobody said or did anything. Nobody wanted to stand up to the beast. And no one came forward out of fear. The thing that also keeps me thinking is that there is no way he's the only one. There are probably other key players in the entertainment industry that are doing the same thing but nobody has stepped forward. Hopefully the recent events will encourage others.
I interviewed a friend in my sorority for the paper I was writing for my class. She is a sexual assault survivor. I asked her what she thought of the number of women who were speaking out. She said something that burrowed it's way in my mind.
"sexual assault is sexual assault. It doesn't matter the number."
HOW TRUE?? SEXUAL ASSAULT IS SEXUAL ASSAULT. And it's not okay. Of course it's not okay for over thirty women to go through it, but it's also not okay for one woman to go through it. Or men for that matter.
If someone would have spoken up THREE DECADES ago and unveiled this monster, maybe less women would've been harassed. But that's the past. The important thing is what's happening now.
Women are coming out all over social media and the world is starting to talk. The conversation is more exposed now than ever before.
So what now? Now we must fight. We must show the world that these actions are not okay. We must educate the youth about sexual assault, harassment, and relationship violence. We must expose those who feel they "deserve" something from us or think just because they have power, that we'll be submissive to unwanted actions.
Alyssa Milano started the Me Too campaign on social media. Those who have been sexually assaulted or harassed write Me Too on a social media platform. The amount of facebook statues I saw with these two words shocked me. My peers, my family, my friends, all with those two words on their timelines. We must show our support and stand up for ourselves.
THIS STUFF IS SO NOT OKAY. Sorry that wasn't very formal but it makes me so angry. I am appalled by Harvey Weinstein and everything I am reading about this situation. It makes me more fearful to enter the professional world and being afraid, frightens me even more.
I'm sorry if this post goes around in circles or makes anyone uncomfortable. I've been doing a lot of research on Weinstein for my paper and I had to write down my thoughts. It urks me so much that people who are serial assaulters can get away with it for so long. It urks me that anyone can get away with unwanted forceful actions.
This is one of my more serious blogs, but it needed to be done.
A member of one of the sorority houses on my campus has started a campaign called We Know What Happens. She sells shirts and buttons to help bring awareness to sexual assault and harassment. There are people all around campus wearing these words. I encourage you to support her by following the instagram @weknowwhathappens
Thank you all for reading! Stay safe, and stay aware.
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