With the #MeToo movement inspiring more and more victims to come forward, those two words have swept across the world and made many perpetrators rightly worried.
Even former Vice-President Joe Biden has voiced his support of the movement, citing his own experiences during the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In that confirmation, Anita Hill came forward with allegations that Supreme Court Nominee Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her. Biden told NBC last week that not giving Hill more support at the time and not taking her claims seriously in 1991 is “one of his biggest regrets.”
Biden went on to explain that back then and even now, women who come forward are often vilified in the media. This creates a vicious cycle of women being afraid to report their crimes and then being punished in the media when they do so. Biden said, “So much has changed about how the public understands the pressure on women. And I’ve learned a lot, as well too.”
Though it seems that Sean Penn hasn’t learned that same lesson. Penn, citing his own experiences and those concerns of many men across America, says the #MeToo movement only causes issues for society.
Penn claims on Twitter that the #MeToo movement is built on, and by, women who are shrill and angry for no reason. He told the Today Show, “I’m very suspicious of a movement that gets glommed onto in great stridency and rage and without nuance.” But the movement’s founder, Tarana Burke, says #MeToo is meant to provide a community for survivors of abuse so that they may heal.
Those comments unfortunately weren’t the first time Penn voiced his disapproval of the movement. Earlier this year, he released a book containing a poem which compared the #MeToo movement to a “Toddler’s Crusade.”
Penn’s disdain for the movement could very well be due to his personal history. The actor has a history of domestic abuse problems spanning several decades. To say he may be partial on the issue is an understatement.
Fans understandably lashed out at Penn’s comments on Twitter, and he offered only one comment that may be food for thought. Responding to Natalie Morales, who asked if he thought the movement had become too big with “too many shades of gray,” Penn said he thinks “it’s too black and white… [like] most things that are very important, it’s really good to just slow down.”
This is where Joe Biden feels we should draw the line: “For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, you’ve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she’s talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts, whether or not it’s been made worse or better over time.”
Between the Joe Biden and Sean Penn, it appears only the former Vice President has truly learned from his mistakes.
With the #MeToo movement inspiring more and more victims to come forward, those two words have swept across the world and made many perpetrators rightly worried.
Even former Vice-President Joe Biden has voiced his support of the movement, citing his own experiences during the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In that confirmation, Anita Hill came forward with allegations that Supreme Court Nominee Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her. Biden told NBC last week that not giving Hill more support at the time and not taking her claims seriously in 1991 is “one of his biggest regrets.”
Biden went on to explain that back then and even now, women who come forward are often vilified in the media. This creates a vicious cycle of women being afraid to report their crimes and then being punished in the media when they do so. Biden said, “So much has changed about how the public understands the pressure on women. And I’ve learned a lot, as well too.”
Though it seems that Sean Penn hasn’t learned that same lesson. Penn, citing his own experiences and those concerns of many men across America, says the #MeToo movement only causes issues for society.
Penn claims on Twitter that the #MeToo movement is built on, and by, women who are shrill and angry for no reason. He told the Today Show, “I’m very suspicious of a movement that gets glommed onto in great stridency and rage and without nuance.” But the movement’s founder, Tarana Burke, says #MeToo is meant to provide a community for survivors of abuse so that they may heal.
Those comments unfortunately weren’t the first time Penn voiced his disapproval of the movement. Earlier this year, he released a book containing a poem which compared the #MeToo movement to a “Toddler’s Crusade.”
Penn’s disdain for the movement could very well be due to his personal history. The actor has a history of domestic abuse problems spanning several decades. To say he may be partial on the issue is an understatement.
Fans understandably lashed out at Penn’s comments on Twitter, and he offered only one comment that may be food for thought. Responding to Natalie Morales, who asked if he thought the movement had become too big with “too many shades of gray,” Penn said he thinks “it’s too black and white… [like] most things that are very important, it’s really good to just slow down.”
This is where Joe Biden feels we should draw the line: “For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, you’ve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she’s talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts, whether or not it’s been made worse or better over time.”
Between the Joe Biden and Sean Penn, it appears only the former Vice President has truly learned from his mistakes.
Featured Image by Shamia Casiano on Unsplash
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Wendy Matson Wells
September 25, 2018 at 7:35 am
Thank you for writing this article, you hit it on the nose, taking it seriously instead of sweeping it under neath the carpet. It took many years to recover from what happened to me, and to think still there is no closure on my case, just a little abusive. Thank you again, have a good week