The Hashtag # Metoo Movement Analysis

Two words. Two words which give victims comfort and courage to tell their story about sexual assault. In October 2017, the hashtag #MeToo spread virally across all forms of social media encouraging those impacted by rape or sexual assault to share their story and give the general public a sense of the magnitude of this issue. Founder of the movement, Tarana Burke, dubbed “a silence breaker” by Time Magazine, created the phrase to help survivors realize they are not alone. Previously a taboo subject in discussion or on social media, the hashtag has begun a revolution to change the male-dominated culture by starting at one of the most vile acts of domination, sexual assault.

In early January 2018, a woman by the pseudonym of Grace told the

From my experience, I have seen the movement as heavily focused on tackling the pertinent issue of sexual assault, as opposed to initiating a culture shock and revolutionizing the male-dominated culture that permeates dating culture. With reports and publicity of incidents such as the one described above, many believe that it mutates the purpose of the movement from primarily focused on sexual assault and rape. However, the initial purpose of the #MeToo Movement according to Tarana Burke was to empower women through empathy, especially the experiences of young and vulnerable brown or black women. In discussion with several members of the Newark Academy community, students and teachers alike emphasized the goal of empowerment and courage to let all know they are not alone. Mrs. Rezvani, the faculty advisor for POWER, recollected the initial outbreak on social media: “Men and women, friends of mine, using the hashtag #MeToo to show awareness of how many people have felt victimized of sexual assault and violence. It was shocking because it is daring to write that on social media; It was effective in showing awareness. The movement helps give victims a backup or support that they are not alone and provides a platform for people to speak

Mrs. Rezvani notes that “not to say the woman was wrong or right in her speaking out, but unfortunately, situations regarding consent ultimately blur the movement’s mission. This often gives critics of the #MeToo Movement some ground to say that these sexual assault allegations are fabricated, undermining the progress of the movement overall.” The Ansari story above evokes a necessary discussion of “what is consent?”. The movement has evolved from a discussion of sexual assault to a conversation of consent in general. According to Libby Stein ‘18, “most people agree that Aziz Ansari is not a rapist or a sexual assaulter, but that he did coerce [Grace] into having sex. The movement has become a place to say that all assault is not okay, no matter what form it comes in.” There exists a culture in which men are taught to take what they want and females are afraid to verbally decline, effectively leading to coercion into male sexual pleasure in the bedroom. Although all sexual misbehaviors and uncomfortable situations should be eradicated, they should not necessarily be