Even as the world is celebrating #MeToo as the Time ‘Person of the Year’ 2017, we have a few problems. How is it that in a list that celebrates people who spoke up about sexual harassment and mentions US President Donald Trump several times in the narrative, has him as the runner-up? And how is that in the article explaining why he was chosen – not once have Trump’s allegations of sexual assault and his propensity to belittle, humiliate women have shown up even once?
Why is Trump – who has been openly disrespectful to women during his election campaign and has a history of misogyny and sexism – been named a runner-up on the same list?
ALSO READ: Time magazine names ‘The Silence Breakers’ behind #MeToo movement as Person of the Year
Time magazine honoured several women from all walks of life who had been brave enough to be open about their stories of sexual harassment as Person of the Year 2017. Time named them ‘The Silence Breakers’, but a person against whom numerous women have levelled charges of sexual harassment being named as the runner-up to the coveted title, is only laughable. Social media commented on the irony of it all while others sought to point out how Time’s Person of the Year title is no honour and people like Hitler featured on the list once. Well, sure. We see your point. We still want to know why Trump’s history of sexual misconduct allegations were not mentioned in the write-up at all?
It is extremely confusing that @TIME‘s Silence Breakers/Person of the Year cover story includes multiple references to this person as an accused sexual predator and yet https://t.co/vMGFA1Q1LU
— Mary Emily O’Hara (@MaryEmilyOHara) December 6, 2017
Idk, the only reason he’s made such a huge impact is because he is a horrific person, and him being a sexual predator is a big part of that.
— Michael VanDeMar (@mvandemar) December 6, 2017
I would have thought that’s partly *why* he was thus named. It’s not necessarily an endorsement. Hitler was Man [sic] of the Year in 1937.
— Donald Clarke (@DonaldClarke63) December 6, 2017
Time person of the year is not necessarily because they were good. Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, Andropov, FDR, Truman, Nixon, Kissinger, Khomeini, and Putin have all won it. It’s about impact on society
— Ginuwine….is Ginuwine. He’s Ginuwine. (@durrellb) December 6, 2017
ALSO READ: ‘#MeToo’ says Uma Thurman as she finally breaks silence on Harvey Weinstein scandal
Even more ironical is the fact that the magazine in its cover story on the Silence Breaker mentions the infamous Access Hollywood tapes and Donald Trump:
The language used by the man who would become America’s 45th President, captured on a 2005 recording, was, by any standard, vulgar. He didn’t just say that he’d made a pass; he “moved on her like a bitch.” He didn’t just talk about fondling women; he bragged that he could “grab ’em by the pussy.”
Was naming him as the runner-up, their idea of sarcasm? Joke? An attempt at irony so deep nobody got it? The section dedicated to Donald Trump does not have a single mention of how he has been derogatory to women all throughout his Presidential election campaign and in fact, has a history of it.
“@timjcam: @megynkelly @FrankLuntz @realDonaldTrump Fox viewers give low marks to bimbo @MegynKelly will consider other programs!”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2015
“@ForeverMcIn: @realDonaldTrump how much would it take for you to make out with Rosie O’Donnell?” One trillion, at least!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 2, 2013
.@ariannahuff is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man- he made a good decision.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 28, 2012
#Me Too was started by Tarana Burke about 10 years ago, but became famous only after American actress Alyssa Milano who shared a tweet calling every one ‘to write ‘Me Too’ if they have been either sexually harassed or assaulted’ opened a floodgate with millions of people sharing their horrific experiences.
If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet. pic.twitter.com/k2oeCiUf9n
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 15, 2017
ALSO READ: Post Harvey Weinstein, these 12 powerful men of Hollywood were accused of sexual harassment
Actress, Ashley Judd was first to name producer Harvey Weinstein. Other celebrities like Rose McGowan, Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Bernthal, Anthony Rapp, Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie came forward and named their sexual harassers, and big names like Kevin Spacey, Louis CK, Brett Rattner, Dustin Hoffman emerged and shocked the world.
And with this we come to the other problem with the Time Person of the Year award that it totally fails to acknowledge the men who took the courage to speak up about a thing they usually ‘aren’t even considered’ to be a victim of or are laughed at for sharing it. The award defeats the purpose of the whole #MeToo movement by negating inclusion of famous men like Anthony Rapp, Jon Bernthal and the not-so-famous-ones who were a victim/survivor.
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