|
 Women are divided among themselves, men are beginning to speak
out, and words like "revenge porn" and "witch hunt" are turning
up in opinion pieces and on social media.
Inspired by multiple accusations, including rape, against film
producer Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, millions of women
took to social and mainstream media to share stories of sexual
harassment or assault, using the #MeToo hashtag. Weinstein has
denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.
But one unidentified woman's account last weekend of a 2017 date
with "Master of None" comedian Aziz Ansari that she said left
her feeling violated, prompted fierce debate about whether
sexual assault and bad sex were being conflated.
Ansari said he believed their sexual activity was completely
consensual. "When I heard that it was not the case for her, I
was surprised and concerned. I took her words to heart and
responded privately," the actor said in a statement.
Just 10 days after a Golden Globes ceremony where celebrities
dressed in black en masse in support of harassment victims - and
Ansari won the award for best actor in a TV musical or comedy
series - New York Times writer Bari Weiss penned an opinion
piece calling the Ansari article "arguably the worst thing that
has happened to the #MeToo movement since it began."
Author Caitlyn Flanagan called the woman's story "3,000 words of
revenge porn" and the Washington Post's Alyssa Rosenberg wrote
that #MeToo could founder in acrimony without a "distinction
between criminal acts and merely unattractive or immoral
behavior."
ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK?
Those who have been fighting for equality for decades see such
misgivings as internal struggles that are to be expected in the
early stages of mass movements for change.
"I don't think it's a backlash. I think it's a moment of deep
struggle. Women are finally being heard and men are finally
listening. This is not going to be easy and people are going to
get things wrong," said Melissa Silverstein, founder of the
Women and Hollywood blog.
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Author Jessica Valenti, founder of the blog Feministing.com, had
less patience with critics.
"When someone says they don't want #MeToo to be 'derailed' or
'muddied,' all I hear is that they don't want to do the hard
thinking necessary for a nuanced cultural shift," Valenti tweeted.
The divisions are not limited to Hollywood, which has been hardest
hit by the misconduct scandal, nor to women.
Actress Catherine Deneuve made headlines last week in an open letter
with 99 other French women that said #MeToo amounted to Puritanism
and was fueled by a hatred of men.
Men, who have mostly confined their remarks to generalized
expressions of support for women, are beginning to speak out.
Alec Baldwin described growing sentiment against director Woody
Allen and his movies as "unfair and sad." Allen on Thursday again
denied an accusation that he molested his step daughter Dylan Farrow
in 1992 and said she was using the sexual misconduct scandal to
renew her allegation.
"Wall Street" actor Michael Douglas last week took the unusual step
of denying a misconduct allegation before it was published, saying
he "felt the need to get ahead of this."
Silverstein said the differing points of view are necessary
conversations in the long term goal for female equality and respect.
"For anyone to think this is over, they are sorely mistaken. This is
just the beginning. We need to buckle up and keep pushing forward,"
she said.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
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