#MeToo, But For Who

Another year, another average award season come and gone.

Except this year’s was supposed to be different. The award season this year was supposed to signify a change in the industry, a change for women. We saw our first Oscar nomination for a female cinematographer in Rachel Morrison. Greta Gerwig became the third woman ever to be nominated for writing and directing in the same year, and the fifth to be nominated for directing in general.

Women wore black, donned pins, and brought feminist icons to the ceremonies. Natalie Portman and Emma Stone went off script. Barbra Streisand and Oprah Winfrey let us know that time was up. James Franco was shut out for a powerhouse performance. Ashley Judd, Salma Hayek, and Annabella Sciorra came out and gave a tearful speech exclaiming #NeverAgain.

It was different, and it was the exact same.

Throughout the season not one, but two men with abuse allegations against them were bestowed award after award. Gary Oldman, a domestic abuser, and Kobe Bryant, a rapist, received the top awards for Best Actor and Best Animated Short respectively. Not only that, but both won with hardly any pushback. Even last year’s allegations against Casey Affleck led to his narrow win over Denzel Washington in Best Actor.

Let that sink in. The last two winners for best actor are abusers.

If Hollywood’s elite want to come forward and announce change is here, why are they continuing to laud some men and chastise others? What kind of nonsense is that?

It begs the question: Why the selective villainization? Why shut out James Franco and Aziz Ansari, but forgive Kobe Bryant? Can we really say #TimesUp if time seems to be exactly where it has been?

They’re difficult questions with no definite answers, but they need to be asked if we want real change beyond the selective and fickle movement of #MeToo.