For some reason, among all of the #MeToo stories that have been spoken about this past year, some men have decided to complain about how this movement has been an inconvenience to them. Women are seen as "dramatic" for coming forward with their experiences, and the men claim that they now do not know how to behave around women out of fear of being accused of sexually harassing them.
In a recent episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, he referenced a talk that Tony Robbins, a life coach, gave where he made some comments about the effect the #MeToo movement has had on men in Hollywood. He stated,
"Because I was just with somebody the other day. Very famous man, very powerful man, was saying how stressed he is because he interviewed three people that day. One was a woman. Two were men. The woman was better qualified, but she was very attractive and he knew I can't have her around because it's too big a risk and he hired somebody else."
It is a huge red flag if someone says it is risky for them to be around an attractive woman because they will not be able to control themselves. A woman's beauty is not an invitation for unwanted advances. You should be able to have the common sense and decency to keep your hands to yourself. If the #MeToo movement makes you scared to interact with women, then it is likely that you are also a sexual harasser. If you have never touched a woman without her consent, or if you have never thought about it, then there is no reason for you to be frightened at the growth of this movement because you are not the problem.
When men say that they feel they need to be extra careful around women now, it just makes it seem like they want to avoid being caught for the inappropriate behavior that they have gotten away with in the past. It also spreads the idea that the public should actually feel bad for the harasser and not the survivor. Women that come forward with their sexual harassment stories are always told to think about how they are ruining the life of the man they are accusing of assaulting them, but few people consider how the woman's life has already been ruined.
Nobody should be upset over a man being forced to be held accountable for his actions. If his life falls apart as a result of being a harasser, then that is his own fault. The survivor is seeking justice for how they have been wronged, so if the harasser did not want to have their life changed forever, then maybe they should have thought twice about sexually harassing someone.
You will not be getting my sympathy if you are just another man that is annoyed about being forced to learn how to properly treat women now. It should not be a hassle to give women the respect that they should have been given in the first place.
And you will especially not be getting any sympathy from me if you are guilty of sexual harassment or sexual assault. I will not shed any tears for you, no matter how much you whine and cry about how it was a mistake or how it will ruin your future. Any form of unwanted sexual contact is despicable and harassers deserve to face the consequences of their actions.