#MeToo Is Back, Darker and More Disturbing Than Ever
By Lily Scheckner
By Lily Scheckner
WARNING: This article contains depictions of sexual abuse and domestic violence
Everybody remembers the #MeToo era. It took off in 2017, when dozens of female celebrities came forward about being sexually abused by men in positions of power over them. But there was no way for actress Alyssa Milano to know that when she tweeted “If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet,” it would turn into a global movement.
Now, after 4 years, the indignation surrounding these allegations have died down. Not without many positive effects, of course--the movement caused the downfall of predators like Harvey Weinstein and Lawrence G. Nassar and prompted the Women’s March, which drew millions of people across the world. But until just a few months ago, people have been focused on more pressing issues, such as the presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic.
But with a striking sense of déjà vu, the #MeToo movement has come back--or rather, a dark, twisted version of it. Not only have the accusations been directed towards even more Hollywood “nice guys,” the accusations themselves are deeply disturbing and the alleged perpetrators have been related much more closely with the victims (ex. ex-husbands).
One person who has been accused of sexual abuse in the past few months, not to mention domestic violence, is Marilyn Manson. It began when Evan Rachel Wood, a well-known actress, named Manson as her abuser in a statement on Instagram.
"The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson," she wrote."He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander or blackmail." Wood continued, "I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent."
Later, Evan Rachel Wood shared more details. She alleged that he threatened to release underage photos of her, taken after being given large amounts of drugs and alcohol. "I was called a jew in a derogatory manner," wrote Wood. "He would draw swastikas over my bedside table when he was mad at me. I heard the 'n' word over and over."
Manson responded by saying that Evan Rachel Wood’s claims were “horrible distortions of reality.” Despite denying the allegations, Manson was dropped by his manager and record label.
But this was only the beginning. More disturbing revelations were to come--namely about Hollywood’s resident sweetheart Armie Hammer. Star of hit movies such as “Call Me By Your Name” with Timothee Chalamet, he might have been the last person you would’ve thought of to be accused of sexual assault. And yet, not only were screenshots shared of some very sexually explicit messages towards minors, the content also involved cannibalism. Without getting too into details, people were obviously disgusted by the alleged DMs. Like Manson, Hammer was also dropped by his publicist and agency after stepping down from his next movie.
Is this the new era of #MeToo? Only time will tell. All we can say is that if this becomes another movement, it will be darker, more disturbing, and more twisted than ever.
Sources:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-me-too-timeline-20171208-htmlstory.html
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9523386/timeline-abuse-allegations-marilyn-manson/
https://www.insider.com/armie-hammer-cannibal-dms-controversy-explained
Image Source:
https://www.mhpcolorado.org/a-second-look-at-metoo/
Everybody remembers the #MeToo era. It took off in 2017, when dozens of female celebrities came forward about being sexually abused by men in positions of power over them. But there was no way for actress Alyssa Milano to know that when she tweeted “If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet,” it would turn into a global movement.
Now, after 4 years, the indignation surrounding these allegations have died down. Not without many positive effects, of course--the movement caused the downfall of predators like Harvey Weinstein and Lawrence G. Nassar and prompted the Women’s March, which drew millions of people across the world. But until just a few months ago, people have been focused on more pressing issues, such as the presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic.
But with a striking sense of déjà vu, the #MeToo movement has come back--or rather, a dark, twisted version of it. Not only have the accusations been directed towards even more Hollywood “nice guys,” the accusations themselves are deeply disturbing and the alleged perpetrators have been related much more closely with the victims (ex. ex-husbands).
One person who has been accused of sexual abuse in the past few months, not to mention domestic violence, is Marilyn Manson. It began when Evan Rachel Wood, a well-known actress, named Manson as her abuser in a statement on Instagram.
"The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson," she wrote."He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander or blackmail." Wood continued, "I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent."
Later, Evan Rachel Wood shared more details. She alleged that he threatened to release underage photos of her, taken after being given large amounts of drugs and alcohol. "I was called a jew in a derogatory manner," wrote Wood. "He would draw swastikas over my bedside table when he was mad at me. I heard the 'n' word over and over."
Manson responded by saying that Evan Rachel Wood’s claims were “horrible distortions of reality.” Despite denying the allegations, Manson was dropped by his manager and record label.
But this was only the beginning. More disturbing revelations were to come--namely about Hollywood’s resident sweetheart Armie Hammer. Star of hit movies such as “Call Me By Your Name” with Timothee Chalamet, he might have been the last person you would’ve thought of to be accused of sexual assault. And yet, not only were screenshots shared of some very sexually explicit messages towards minors, the content also involved cannibalism. Without getting too into details, people were obviously disgusted by the alleged DMs. Like Manson, Hammer was also dropped by his publicist and agency after stepping down from his next movie.
Is this the new era of #MeToo? Only time will tell. All we can say is that if this becomes another movement, it will be darker, more disturbing, and more twisted than ever.
Sources:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-me-too-timeline-20171208-htmlstory.html
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9523386/timeline-abuse-allegations-marilyn-manson/
https://www.insider.com/armie-hammer-cannibal-dms-controversy-explained
Image Source:
https://www.mhpcolorado.org/a-second-look-at-metoo/