Choosing between speaking out against a powerful man and risking one’s career or keeping quiet but risking one’s mental health has seemed to be a tough choice of late – but why is it a choice at all? Influential men in the entertainment industry have used and abused their power to cover up what many would describe as disgusting and inappropriate behavior towards women. Sexual harassment towards women is not new, and it is only now coming out and gaining more media attention.

Harvey Weinstein, film producer and founder of Miramax, has had numerous allegations made against him in recent weeks, causing him to be ousted by his own board of directors at The Weinstein Company. The complaints and reports made against his behavior towards women have been hidden from public eye for three decades. Ashley Judd, a former actress who was sexually harassed by Weinstein, said, “Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it’s simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly.” Weinstein has been awarded many Oscars for his production of popular films, including “Pulp Fiction” and “Good Will Hunting”. His success and money have allowed him to make settlements with women who came out about his sexual misconduct and have allowed him to threaten women in the entertainment industry with the destruction of their careers and lives.

Weinstein has been in the center of recent allegations, but he is not the only powerful man in Hollywood who has abused his power over women or children. In the past, those who tried to speak out about their harassment experiences received backlash that accused the victims of lying or attempting to ruin the perpetrator’s career, and the allegation was swept under a rug. A similar scenario centered around “Manchester by the Sea” actor, Casey Affleck, earlier this year. Two sexual harassment cases were taken to court right before he was nominated for multiple Oscars. The Academy ignored complaints by film fans, actors and actresses, and Affleck ended up winning the Oscar for Best Actor of 2017. Constance Wu, actress in “Fresh Off the Boat,” wrote, “He’s running for an award that honors a craft whose purpose is examining the dignity of the human experience and young women are deeply human. I’ve been counseled not to talk about this for career’s sake. F*** my career then, I’m a woman & human first. That’s what my craft is built on.”

Others in the entertainment scene, such as Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski and Woody Allen, are proof that the inexcusable actions of sexual harassment and assault run deep in this industry. Not only is it concerning that this behavior has been going on for so long, but it is also disquieting that many others have known about it and have not spoken up. Quentin Tarantino, a Hollywood director close to Weinstein, opened up about his knowledge of the sexual misconduct saying, “I knew enough to do more than I did. There was more to it than just the normal rumors, the normal gossip. It wasn’t secondhand. I knew he did a couple of these things.” Tarantino tried to explain why he kept quiet but knew his words would be deemed excuses. Still, he explained, “Hollywood, in its treatment of women, has been operating under an almost Jim Crow-like system that us males have almost tolerated. We allowed it to exist because that’s the way it was.”

The recent attention brought to Weinstein and his many victims has encouraged many women and men to speak out. One example is the #MeToo movement on Twitter, started by Alyssa Milano. She tweeted, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Milano wants to put the focus back on the victims and give them power; she wants to make it more 

than a hashtag. “I really want this to be about the every woman’s voice. This is your movement, women. This is your time and if I can be the vessel and hold the bullhorn for you guys to shout as loud as humanly possible, then I’m honored to do so.” So far over 1.4 million tweets have been posted included this hashtag.

As of most recently, allegations by over 30 women have emerged against another well-known Hollywood director, James Toback. Toback has denied even meeting or seeing the women that have accused him. These recent allegations against Toback and Weinstein have horrified many, but they have also started a movement that has allowed more people to feel comfortable with speaking out. The silencing of the victims of rape and sexual harassment has been embedded in society’s culture for a long time. Many men and women now feel that they are more empowered to speak up and work together to end this sickening behavior.