So, right out the gate this morning, I come across a blogger who has written a scathing critique on Taylor Swift being one of the five named faces of #MeToo movement ( I say five, because there is a sixth "faceless" elbow that represents the next person to speak out... which would be powerful imagery if it didn't need to be explained, but it does and it has been... so maybe it's not so powerful). The blog was...well.. it was click-worthy. I imagine that's the point, right? To have something that people click on. Accuracy be damned!
The blog's title questioned Taylor Swift being on the cover. It stated clearly that the author understood that the lawsuit against the DJ who assaulted her was the reason, but that it wasn't a good enough reason. The author pushed several boundaries that left a bad taste in my mouth, going so far as to say that Taylor Swift in her "whiteness", "thinness" "blondness" and "richness" would never be something that the author could identify with, and so that she couldn't stand in solidarity with Taylor just because Taylor is a woman. The piece was clearly written from the point of view of a woman of color
Forgetting, for a moment, that Adama Iwu-an admirable woman of color who stood up for the women of California against sexual harassment inside the capitol- stands at the forefront of the photo itself. Forget that the inside article goes on to feature many people who have broken their silence on sexual impropriety on many levels. Accuracy be damned- Taylor Swift isn't victim enough! ( Apparently).
Names get tossed. Rose McGowen. Terry Crews. Aurora Perrineau. People who have spoken out and the author ( and, from what I have seen thus far, others as well), have deemed that Taylor Swift isn't victim enough. She named her assaulter, her assault was mild (in comparison), she won her lawsuit with her team of highly paid lawyers and walked away fairly unscathed. Rose McGowen lost her career! Terry Crews spoke up as a man. Aurora Perrineau spoke up against a powerful woman. Each of these examples stands as grounds to say that Taylor Swifts assault as somehow too 'generic' to be deserving of a Time Magazine Cover.
Are we really all so hipster that even our sexual assaults have to be edgy?
So, here is the problem. All of this fly directly in the face of what I see as the point of the #MeToo movement. The point, as I see it, is that we all have a story, and that a person should not be shamed into silence because their story doesn't meet certain criteria. Should Taylor Swift have turned down Time Magazine and said " Oh, no no no... I'm too white and rich and blond to be recognized for standing up to my assaulter". Or, perhaps, she should have said " Well, he just groped my ass and I don't want women who have their ass groped to think they have a voice here." Or, perhaps, she should have said " Well, I don't want white blond women to think they have a story to be told, so I can't serve as a role model to them."
Excuse me but... umm... FUCK THAT!
I could go on and on about how Taylor Swift serves as a great example of how people should behave in the face of sexual impropriety.... steadfast, unwavering and firm on her stance that her worth far exceeded the controversy and uncertainty that victims face.
However, my deeper concern is that we are working through this movement like a sport and we need to make sure we pick the right team. We are all in the place where we know ( pretty clearly) that siding with the perpetrators is the wrong side... but then we are picking teams in the assorted victim's to represent us. What is that!?!? Since when did a wrong have to meet a threshold so that we can feel validated?
And what the fuck are we saying- that a Time Magazine cover is the prize for achieving best victim?
Nope.... nope nope nope nope nope. It's all sorts of wrong.
Being a victim is just that. It is just like how a war vet can be a hero and so can Caitlyn Jenner, because it's not a competition. The prize is not in levels. I get to have my heart break for the mom who lost a child and have my heart break for the friend who lost his best friend. Tragic is tragic, and our need to quantify it leads down roads that we should be wary of. And we certainly need to be vigilant in making sure that our in-fighting over the victim qualification of Taylor Swift doesn't distract from our greater purpose of making sure that everyone has a voice in victimhood, because our in-fighting does nothing but keep the faceless women on Time Magazine's cover silent.
*Rant done*
