My Position: The use of social
networking sites is what enabled the #MeToo movement to become
as big and as powerful as it is.
Argument #1: It wasn't social media that caused #MeToo movement
to become so popular, it was the celebrities involved in the
movement that gained it attention.
The movement was so popular at first because it was driven by
the public's interest in the high profile cases involving male
celebrities, most notably Harvey Weinstein. Hearn wrote, "Thus,
the hashtag can partly be seen as an offshoot of media and
popular interest in celebrity culture, even while the initial
focus on revelations of sexual harassment and assault from the
'entertainment' industry has broadened to other male-dominated
sectors" (Hearn 229).
You, them, us, we, too? … online–offline,
individual–collective, forgotten–remembered,
harassment–violence
African American rights activist Tarana Burke was the person who
coined the phrase MeToo in 2007, however it wasn't until 2017
when that phrase started a truly groundbreaking movement. In
2017 actress Alyssa Milano tweeted using the hashtag in response
to allegations of sexual harassment aimed at Harvey Weinstein.It wasn't until Alyssa Milano, and subsequently many other
celebrities, used the hashtag that it became a powerful movement
(Ohlheiser 1).
Argument #2: The #MeToo movement became popular because it was
riding on the already raging wave of discontent from women and
individuals around the world regarding sexual assault and
harassment.
While the #MeToo movement was one of the more well known
movements regarding sexual assault and harassment, it wasn't the
first. For years now there has been an uproar, mostly from
women, regarding the treatment of rape allegations and victims,
sexual assault, and misogyny. The #MeToo movement "follows a
growing trend of the public's willingness to engage with
resistance and challenges to sexism, patriarchy and other forms
of oppression via feminist uptake of digital communication"
(Mendez et al. 1).
Mendes,
Kaitlynn, et al. "pass:[#]MeToo and the Promise and Pitfalls
of challenging Rape Culture
through Digital Feminist Activism."European Journal of
Women's Studies, vol. 25, no. 2, May
2018, pp. 236-246. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1177/1350506818765318.
Ohlheiser,
Abby. “How #MeToo Really Was Different, According to Data.”The
Washington Post, WP Company, 22 Jan. 2018,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2018/01/22/how-metoo-really-was-different-according-to-data/?utm_term=.baaa4a204960.