The #MeToo movement has sought to raise awareness and accountability with regard to sexual misconduct in Hollywood. The cause, which activist Tarana Burke began years ago, has also spread to other industries and other parts of the world as part of the fight for gender equality.
When male Hollywood stars were asked to weigh in, a common sentiment has been fear that the movement was becoming a “witch hunt.”
British actor Idris Elba has a simple take on the matter.
Idris Elba (Image: AFP Relaxnews)
“It’s only difficult if you’re a man with something to hide,” he told The Sunday Times in a Dec. 15 report.
It is a statement similar to that of actress Alyssa Milano, who told Elle magazine last Dec. 13 that the fear of the reckoning of #MeToo has made men paint themselves as victims.
“It’s not a hard time for men right now. It’s a hard time for abusers and predators. It’s a hard time for men who abuse and prey on women. They should be freaking out. They should have been freaking out a long time ago,” she said.
While the movement has removed some men from some high positions in Hollywood, it has proven a challenge to find justice through the court of law. So far, the only major name to have gone behind bars is Bill Cosby.
READ: #MeToo movement sends Hollywood figures into exile, not jail
Elba, who was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2018, knows a thing or two about being part of a marginalized group and fighting for one’s voice.
In 2016, he spoke at the United Kingdom parliament to rally for diversity and representation on film and TV, revealing that he moved to Hollywood because he was running out of roles in his home country.
During his speech, he cited a study that found “British TV is awash with low-level sexism.”
He noted, “The interesting comparison is that the same figure for low-level racism was only a tenth of that. This means women on TV are 10 times more likely to be treated negatively than black people on TV. That’s crazy, right?”
He said, “But as Viola Davis said last year when she became the first-ever black woman to win an Emmy for drama, ‘You can’t win an Emmy for a role that’s never been written.’ That’s why we need more imagination from our directors, our producers, our casting directors, our writers – especially our writers.” Niña V. Guno /ra
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