#MeToo: A Simple Hashtag, A World of Impact

Since the beginning of time, music has pushed the bounds of acceptable behavior. While “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” rings true as the anthem for various generations, it has averted a potential epidemic that creeps elsewhere around the entertainment industry. 

#MeToo: a simple hashtag, a world of impact. First spoken by sexual assault survivor Tarana Burke, “Me Too” started in 2006 as an attempt to raise awareness about the pervasiveness of sexual misconduct in society. The movement did not fully gain traction, however, until 2017, when the developing hashtag accompanied the growing accusations of rape and sexual assault against director Harvey Weinstein during his 30-year career.

Art by Olivia Kelliher.

As one survivor spoke, so did another and a domino effect began to take place, until at least 50 women felt brave enough to share their stories against the film titan (amongst others in the industry.) Because more voices added to the void, the voices grew in volume until they could no longer be ignored.

Since then, over 263 celebrities, CEOS, and politicians have been accused of unwanted advances in their respective industries Out of all those offenses, however, only 14 of the listed names on the #MeToo website have been musicians (R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, and Ryan Adams to name a few), and only two of them have actually faced legal action. But that doesn’t mean there are only 14 perpetrators. 

The New York Times reported that “the music world, in which a culture of late nights and boundary-pushing behavior has been normalized, hasn’t been as roiled by the #MeToo Movement as other sectors of media and entertainment. But many in the business say that harassment and inequitable treatment of women is pervasive and that the ‘sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll’ ethos has shielded men [and women] from being held to account.”

Julia Blatz, a Berklee student musician, speaks up: “On the day Brett Kavanaugh was appointed, I was at a music festival. I felt like absolute garbage. I was hopeless, but all day musicians were speaking out against the injustice we had seen that day. It was uplifting; it gave me hope.” 

There is still a chance for change, but it will take work. Blatz says, “As a musician, I have a lot of creative freedom, I can write a song about whatever I want, and I think that gives me a great platform to speak out on the issue. We all need to listen, and listen with open hearts. We need to take the people who come forward seriously and we need to take action against abusers. Take the abusers out of their power, and make sure they can never do it again. Stop streaming artists you know are abusers. I don't care how much art has to be condemned in order to make young artists feel safe again. And most importantly, we need to make sure we don't raise another generation of abusers.” 

Still, the movement is making its way to the music industry. After beloved artists like R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, and Ryan Adams have had their names soiled by such accusations through documentaries and testimonies, their fan-bases have dwindled and thus record labels, artist managers, and band members have taken action: cutting ties from problematic artists. But is it enough? Will it ever be?

We can only hope that more action will be taken as the #MeToo Movement grows in the one category where it’s needed the most.

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This piece appears in the October 2019 print issue of Your Magazine.