The widespread MeToo movement has been one of the few good things to come out of 2017. Both women and men are being given the opportunity to speak out on sexual abuse freely and confidently. However, people are still continuing to bash women for having friendly relations with exposed sexual harassers and not speaking out about it sooner.
Most recently, Meryl Streep has come under fire for supposedly "knowing" about Harvey Weinstein's long-occurring abuse. Even after Streep pleaded multiple times that she was not aware of what Weinstein was doing behind closed hotel doors, angry Facebook commenters everywhere are still choosing to condemn her. In Los Angeles, a street artist put up posters of Streep and Weinstein with "She Knew" drawn over her eyes.
Seeing this poster begs the question: Where is all of this outrage against Weinstein? I think a more powerful poster would be- oh, I don't know- calling out Weinstein for what a perverted, disgusting human he is?
Meryl Streep has always been an advocate for empowering women's' rights, so it doesn't really make sense for people frustrated with the Weinstein scandal to place her under their chopping block. Instead of targeting their animosity toward women who (hypothetically) knew about Weinstein's actions, can people actually hold Weinstein accountable for what HE did?
Even if Streep did acknowledge what Weinstein was doing, I'm highly confident that no one would have done anything had she spoken out way before the MeToo movement took off. Courtney Love warned women about Weinstein in 2005. Where was the hashtag then? Or did people just shrug off Love's forewarning because it was one woman choosing to speak out?
It's great that #MeToo has taken off so successfully and is actually leading to reprimanding action against these sickening abusers. But it seems very hypocritical to diminish one woman's platform just because you don't believe what she's saying. Kinda takes away from the whole movement.