Everyone loves scandals and when it has sexual connotations, the inherent voyeurs in us have a field day. I am sure such instincts are gender, caste, race, nation neutral . The fall of the great and mighty and the reinforcement of the "I told you so " is an acrid reminder of all that is not right behind the righteous halo of our idols.
The popularity of the #metoo unfortunately seems to stem not from a genuine concern to bring culprits to book but merely to satisfy our inherent depravity in deriving pleasure from the sufferings or failings of others. I am still struggling to understand the intent and direction which the movement might take.
The reason why I use popularity instead of success of the movement is the "impotent" unleashing of fury which social media sites have been able to provide as a weapon. The number of hits , the like buttons and retweets, if expected to bring justice, can best be ascribed to a good quality weed. Social media or such hashtags do not change the functioning of the system which is deeply built on self preservation principles and is strong enough to withstand or demean or destroy the medium itself.
Need more be told about the exploitation's done by the high and mighty, who also have a tertiary role in maintaining the law and order, upholding the dignity of women and the deprived. The primary role being self promotions, and the secondary being maintaining the status quo. Brett Kavanaughs appointment as upholder of the law of the land in the oasis of democracy and humanity can only solicit snicker, Kevin Spacey's punishment of probably closing the franchise or reducing his role in the money spinner House of Cards as a punishment is laughable . While Bill Cosby's conviction effectively for 3 years after decades of fame and exploitation gives some hope that money alone will not silence the victims. Back home , the delays in convicting murderers and rapists leave a rancid feeling towards the fate of the #Metoo in India. The present popular stories of #metoo ,if I may call them as such, are primarily if not limited to celebrities or glamour industry (I take the liberty of adding Media as a glamour industry) which always had a dedicated gossip column hiding the ugly truth in plain sight and were quite effective in selling magazines for voyeuristic pleasures of the masses.
The 2006 "metoo" coined by Tarana Burke has seen a makeover. While the original Metoo was to support women who had suffered sexual assaults , the present has an additional assertive approach of getting the perpetrators infamy, if not justice. However the delay in reaching a stage when women have come out with the stories of humiliation raises eyebrows on the intent and timings.
The only silver lining from this viral phenomenon, which will probably last for a few more months, is the possibility of immediate redemption of any such cases happening across industries and not limited to the celebrities hijacking the hashtag or a more juicy story becoming viral.
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