The French want to tell the world that the #MeToo movement is attacking sexual freedom. At least that’s what a group of more than 100 “prominent French women,” from the industry and beyond, are saying, making the argument that “clumsy flirting” is not “macho aggression.” Writer/clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Sarah Chiche wrote the text that was signed on by many prominent women from Catherine Deneuve to Catherine Robbe-Grillet. Insisting on “la liberte d’importuner,” the letter decries what they say is a new puritanism being unleashed on the world, which is running alongside a post-Harvey Weinstein “witch-hunt.”
This open letter published in Le Monde today not only mentions “puritanism,” but also insists that “rape is a crime,” and that “insistently or awkwardly hitting on someone is not,” additionally blaming the #MeToo campaign for “expeditious justice” to men who “may have touched a knee, tried to steal a kiss” or “spoken of ‘intimate’ things during a professional dinner.” The women further elaborate that they are trying to defend “sexual freedom.”
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Other excerpts from the “manifesto” read as follows:
“Men have been dragged through the mud, they argued, for “talking about intimate subjects during professional dinners or for sending sexually-charged messages to women who did not return their attention.”
“Instead of helping women, this frenzy to send these (male chauvinist) ‘pigs’ to the abattoir actually helps the enemies of sexual liberty — religious extremists and the worst sort of reactionaries,” the collective of women who signed the letter said.
“As women we do not recognize ourselves in this feminism, which beyond denouncing the abuse of power, takes on a hatred of men and of sexuality.”
“As women, we don’t recognize ourselves in this feminism that, beyond the denunciation of abuses of power, takes the face of a hatred of men and sexuality. We believe that the freedom to say no to a sexual proposition is not without the freedom to importune. And we consider that one must know how to respond to this freedom to annoy other than by closing ourselves off in the role of the prey.”
“The purifying wave seems to know no limit… We censor an Egon Schiele nude on a poster… we seek the cancellation of a retrospective of Roman Polanski’s works… an academic finds Michelangelo Antonioni’s film Blow-Up ‘misogynistic’ and ‘unacceptable.’”
“Already, publishers are asking some of us to make our male characters less ‘sexist,’ to speak of sexuality and love with less disproportion or even to make it so that ‘trauma experienced by the female characters’ is made more obvious.”
“Above all, we are conscious that the human being is not monolithic: a woman can in the same day lead a professional team and enjoy being the sexual object of a man without being a ‘slut’ nor a vile accomplice of the patriarchy. She can ensure that her salary is equal to that of a man, but not feel forever traumatized by a rub on the subway, even if it’s considered a crime. She can even see it as the expression of a great sexual misery, or a non-event.”
The #MeToo campaign, the group says, has led to “denunciations and public accusations of people who, without giving them the possibility of responding or defending themselves, have been placed on exactly the same level as sex offenders. This expeditious justice already has its victims, men sanctioned in their job functions, forced to resign, etc, while their only wrong is to have touched a knee, tried to steal a kiss, spoken of ‘intimate’ things during a professional dinner or to have sent sexually suggestive messages to a woman whose attraction was not reciprocal.”
This has led to a “fever to send the ‘pigs’ to the slaughter,” which the opinion piece contends is “far from helping women to empower themselves,” and rather “serves the interests of the enemies of sexual freedom.”
The reality is the further normalization of what is described in the letter as “clumsy flirting” does nothing to address to power structures that are at play in those kinds of scenarios. The contradictions inherent in their position were at least somewhat addressed, with the letter stating, “as a result of the Weinstein affair there has been a legitimate raising of awareness of sexual violence against women,” notably in the workplace. “This was necessary,” they say. “But this liberation of speech is turning on itself: People are being intimidated to speak in the right way or to stay silent on what makes them angry. Those who refuse to comply with such injunctions are looked upon as traitors, accomplices!”
No one said the #MeToo movement would be easy, but for change to truly there has to be a willingness to discuss how decades of certain behavior have perpetuated many of the inequalities that continue to affect the industry worldwide. Thoughts? Hit up the comments section. [The Local]
What else can be said? French people.
On one side I understand the issues concerning condemnation of art, but on the other I wouldn’t put the #MeToo movement in the same basket as the moralists – their aim is to make it safe for women to keep working in the industry and to make those who abuse their power – and we’ve seen they’re mainly men – facing the law.
But there has to be a danger that the #MeToo movement will have some very adverse reactions for women …in their personal life and in their careers …it is a form of puritanism and though men are the brunt of it ATM eventually women will suffer more from it it will lead to oppression by good intentions..
Sorry, but we’ve seen that such puritanism – although I prefer the word “moralism” – has been on sight long before the rise of the #MeToo movement. One can track it back to the so-called SJWs or even the rebirth of the Far Right in Europe – so far we’ve faced issues concerning such moralism in Brazil perpetrated by right-wing parties and leaderships.
I am so, so grateful to Catherine Deneuve and the other wonderful French actresses, writers, doctors and I’m sure employees of many professions who signed this letter. We are letting the media be the dictator of the Western world. Some of these accusations seem almost hellbent on creating a chasm between men and women; as though they want women to *fear* men. This is extremely demeaning to women.
Nobody appears to stand up for the accused, but it’s worthwhile to remember that some artists have been suspended rather than fired or forced to retire. While NY police have chosen not to press charges against conductor James Levine, for instance, the Met Opera is still insisting on conducting their own personal investigation despite not having the legal authority to do so. A petition has been made to ask the Met to reinstate Mr. Levine unless these allegations are taken to court. It’s still on change.org.
It’s not shameful to attempt to defend those accused. Even convicted killers are at times able to appeal their sentences. It seems these accused men don’t get any chance to try to claim innocence. While huge corporations are likely to ignore petitions, it’s worth remembering that right now these accusations aren’t just made against Hollywood billionaire moguls but far less famous, sometimes not well-known men of different professions, young and old. It’s time somebody stood up for them while it’s still possible.
All best,
Ashley
You’re asking people to “stand up” for rapists and sexual criminals. You should be ashamed of yourself.
What Ashley Michaels is actually asking is that we stand for the innocent until proven guilty. Journalists nor social media are the police or a court of law.
There’s no fault in wanting to believe in the best of people, giving the benefit of the doubt, when we don’t have all the facts nor have heard both sides.
Obviously, convicted rapists & other sex offenders should not get our sympathy or support.
Exactly. Is flirting with women sexual harassment?????
Of course not, and the me too movement is not saying that. They are talking about men taking there penis out and masturbating , or saying you have to have sex with him to have a career, or rape. These women from France don’t know what they are talking about, and still thrive on male approval.
You’re right and you’re wrong in my opinion, Ms. Flynn. Right in your stating what the movement is talking about with regards to this piggish behavior from certain men in power. Wrong is that these smart, strong French women still thrive on male approval. They are French and approach the whole sexual arena much differently than American women and handle themselves, I think, much more maturely and intelligently than American women when it comes to men and the flirting and being hit on by them. That’s just my read on it and I think in your disagreement with these wonderful and intelligent women you let your, need I say, American female emotions distort your perceptions of them and thusly judged them not only rather harshly, but incorrectly. In fact, I think French women in general are far, far less in need of male approval than American women are. Having said all that, I do agree that these French women have perhaps missed the point of what’s going on here and in your stating what the movement is really about. Peace.
I don’t care where you are in the world, it’s always innocent until proven guilty. That’s the civil way! That’s where we are failing!! I’m mostly in agreement with the French protesters . Rape, ultimatums for someone’s career for sex favors, men (or women) forcing themselves on people those are cause for action & when reported correctly!!
Stealing a kiss or practical jokes are not cause for someone to lose a career that they’ve worked hard for!
For sure it would be amazing if it was that simple and the wizards behind the curtains didn’t have the right people in their pockets. Unfortunately, that’s the reality of Hollywood since Louis B Meyer covered a rape in the 1930s.
You’re right, mostly. However, what happened recently with Matt Damon is concerning…there is some “witch hunt” there (although not the way it described in this article).
The problem with Damon is that he works with one person accused of such crimes. When he said that, it was like he was trying to protect the guy, so yeah, people had reason to get angry.
Exactly! What she’s saying about “clumsy flirting” is not necessarily wrong in itself, but it just doesn’t apply here.
She’s making those claims without giving even one example. Who is being “hunted” because of clumsy flirting? Nobody I heard of!
This is internalized misogyny. Very common and very sad. It’s the same reason so many older white women voted for Trump.
Exactly and the comments here are so depressing
A woman or other minority doesn’t toe the line within my own superior beliefs?! Internalized hatred!
I agree with her.
This counter-offensive for sanity feels overdue. The #MeToo movement isn’t doing anything about changing the power structure in Hollywood, but threatens to make everyone less free. (You’re less free to have sex with someone you might find desirable, if he doesn’t feel free to let you know he’s interested.)
It’s fine if less discrimination puts more women in positions of power, but that won’t do anything to reduce harassment or assault, since there’s abundant evidence women are just as capable of sexual abuse as men (see for example http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2014/04/male_rape_in_america_a_new_study_reveals_that_men_are_sexually_assaulted.html).
Stopping the abuse of power requires getting rid of power itself. The program for that is the same in Hollywood as anywhere else: socialize the enterprises and guarantee that those who wish to join them can do so at will and for the same pay as all their co-workers.