Sexual Assault in Hollywood
Quite recently, Hollywood’s facade came crumbling down as numerous accusations of sexual harassment against film producer, Harvey Weinstein, and other media moguls sparked outrage throughout the nation. These accusations led to the emergence of the #MeToo movement, in which many came forth and shared their appalling stories about their individual experiences regarding harassment in the workplace.
The allegations began when Scream actress, Rose McGowan, posted tweets accusing American film producer Harvey Weinstein of raping her. Within a short period of time, Weinstein racked up 57 accusations of sexual misconduct. A complete list of sexual assault and harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein can be found here: A Pattern of Sexual Assault: Harvey Weinstein
Shortly thereafter, sexual harassment accusations against prominent Hollywood figures exploded all over social media. House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey was accused of groping actor Anthony Rapp in a series of tweets. Spacey confirmed these allegations and apologized in a statement in which he also confirmed his homosexuality. Other alleged perpetrators include Brett Ratner, James Toback, Ben Affleck, Louis C.K and many more.
Sexual Assault in Government
These recent allegations could just be the tip of the iceberg, revealing a much more sinister series of previous events of sexual harassment. In fact, sexual misconduct has become so ingrained in modern society that it is apparent in our government, among people in positions of power who are supposed to be setting the standard for the rest of society. Recently, Democratic Senator Al Franken was accused and has admitted to groping Leane Tweeden, a news anchor for KABC, and has subsequently resigned.
Other officials include Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore (accused), Former-President George H.W. Bush (admitted) and President Donald J. Trump (accused). The rising amount of cases regarding sexual harassment against members of Congress has led to Congress paying $15.2 million for workers at Capitol Hill between 1997 and 2014.
It is truly appalling that sexual harassment is as rampant as it is today, especially in highly publicized industries such as Hollywood and the United States government. These issues are seldom taught in school, and students often do not see the relevance to their own lives. Senior John Rudden says, “If a person has been accused that you’re interested in, then you pay attention, but if it’s just someone like Charlie Rose or a senator I’ve never heard of, I can’t honestly say it has an effect on us.”
An important part of preventing heinous acts of sexual misconduct is bringing more awareness to the extensiveness of the issue. In order to do this, society needs to be accepting of victims instead of being quick to brand them as liars. However, it is also essential to remember that there can be false accusations amongst the valid ones. While some allegations of sexual misconduct are misconstrued information, the encouragement of victims to come forward with their experiences is a crucial way to fight back against this issue.
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