Hollywood sets example at Golden Globes

The Golden Globes took place this past week, and a theme for the ceremony quickly became clear. Throughout the whole event, celebrities were openly referencing and calling out the recent stream of sexual assault accusations in Hollywood.

The red carpet was flooded with black attire, as many attendees decided to stage a blackout in support of the Time’s Up campaign and in solidarity with the many victims of sexual assault.

Time’s Up is a legal defense fund for victims of sexual assault. Many prominent figures in Hollywood helped launch this initiative following #metoo and the uncovering of the industry’s sexual misconduct problem.

Seth Meyer, this year’s host, in one of his monologues, referenced Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. Nominees were not far behind, as many acceptance speeches reflected the dedication to the movement or the importance in combating sexual misconduct.

Many have asked themselves, “What comes after #metoo?” Rarely do movements like this follow through. After a few months, they tend to fade into the background, and the conversation stops.

This time, however, Hollywood responded with more action. They refused to let the conversation end. Instead they banded together to create a call to action.

This action should serve as an example for the rest of us. If #metoo taught us anything, it’s that everyone knows someone who has had an encounter with sexual harassment. It is not a rare occurrence.

Still, the conversation seems to be slowing down. On campus, the conversation feels virtually nonexistent.

For example, since the beginning of the school year, OSS has recorded six cases of sexual harassment, three of rape, and one of stalking.

In November, they sent out an email addressing an investigation regarding rape and involving students, but nothing else since.

So where is the action? How many of our students participated in #metoo? How many feel safe and supported in this aspect on campus?

We need to stay active, keep the conversation going and take action. This is a conversation that needs to keep going if we ever hope to make a significant change.