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Once you have a phenomenon like the “Weinstein Effect” named after you, it’s pretty obvious that the phenomenon itself is not about you. It’s about a pattern, in this case a social pattern exhibiting itself in the society of the rich and famous. Even Donald Trump is being accused of suffering from the Weinstein effect.
As described by Wikipedia: “The Weinstein effect is a global trend in which people come forward to accuse famous or powerful people, mostly men, of sexual misconduct. The term came into use to describe a worldwide wave of these allegations that began in the United States in October 2017, when media outlets reported on numerous sexual abuse allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. Described as a ‘tipping point’ or ‘watershed moment’, it precipitated a ‘national reckoning’ against sexual harassment. USA Today wrote that 2017 was the year in which ‘sexual harassment became a fireable offense’.”
What makes many of the sex scandal stories surfacing in the media suspicious are many of the other factors at play that get no air play.
Most significantly, since when are “sexual assault,” “inappropriate behavior,” “misconduct” and “rape” all considered equally serious? These are extraordinarily different acts, and the failure to distinguish clearly between has many negative consequences. Continue reading »