Hey, remember when Sean Penn was cool? Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Back before we found out he used to beat the shit out of Madonna on the regular. Before we knew about his temper and history of violence? Way back before he started looking like the dried up mystery part dog chews in the bins at Petco? Remember when his opinion was relevant? Remember that time? Yeah…me either.

Well, Mr. Rage Stroke has an opinion about the #MeToo movement, because, of course, he does.  He said, “I’m very suspicious of a movement that gets glommed onto, in great stridency and rage, and without nuance. And even when people try to discuss it in a nuanced way, the nuance itself is attacked … It’s too black and white. In most things that are very important, it’s really good to just slow down.”  Penn further stated that the “spirit of the movement” was to divide men and women.  Well then. Huh. Nuance.

The nuance he’s looking for is on the side of the men involved. We should be sensitive to their feelings.  You know, hear them out and get their side of the story.  We’re not spending enough time focusing on the men involved!!  We need to be concerned with how accusations of sexual misconduct affect them. Why you can’t even defend a rapist without being attacked! Stop and think about the poor men!  They are being victimized by having their predatory behavior shown to the world.  Let’s not lose focus on what’s really important here, men’s comfort. Oh, and nuance, don’t forget that.

Let’s look at a current example, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.  He’s the somewhat embattled choice of the racist guy white people elected.  He’s the usual conservative mix of misogyny and billionaire bootlicking and looked like a shoe-in for confirmation.  However, it seems drunken Brett attacked a classmate at a party when he was 17.  She says it was an attempted rape, which he of course denies.  Pay attention now, this is where the nuance comes in.

The GOP is giving him the benefit of the doubt, most calling it fabricated. Quite a few seem to think that even if true, it doesn’t matter.  Most are treating it as a youthful indiscretion, “rough horseplay” someone called it.  Not one Republican man in the Senate Judiciary Committee seems to have a problem with this accusation.  They are taking Kavanaugh’s word that the incident in question never happened. The President says he “feels bad” for him because being accused is so hard.  (We’ll pretend their immediate and strong condemnation of Al Franken wasn’t a political show)

The accuser, however, has had her personal information published by hackers. She’s received death threats as has her family and is currently in hiding.  She’s had to move and take a leave from her profession.  People are questioning her integrity. Why did she wait so long to tell anyone? Why was she alone in a room with two boys?  Was she drinking? People are saying that the timing is too convenient, she must be a Democratic plant. Her life is effectively ruined.  Her life is in turmoil because she recounted her experience with Kavanaugh. This is why victims wait so long to come forward, or why most never do.

This is why the #MeToo movement became a phenomenon.  Women started actually sharing their stories. Not necessarily pressing charges, but telling people what happened to them. Some had been holding on to their secrets for decades.  The hashtag is a way of showing solidarity, of saying yeah, this also happened to me. It also served to help show men, often disbelieving men, how prevalent sexual harassment and abuse actually are. I like to think that men of good conscience, ones who believe women’s stories understand how angry women are.  People who do no abuse have nothing to fear from the anger of abuse victims.  The rage and stridency are directed at perpetrators, not all men.  Funny how men like Sean Penn are so concerned with the anger of abuse victims and so worried about it dividing the sexes. Actually, it’s rape culture and men’s sense of entitlement to women’s bodies that divides us.  Sean Penn’s not comfortable with #MeToo? Good, he shouldn’t be.