Podcast: Why Now? Understanding #Metoo

Why now? Many of us have probably been asking this question as more and more cases of sexual abuse by powerful men come to light. NPR's Hidden Brain Podcast tries to answer this question, using the case of famous American playwright Israel Horovitz as an example of how mentalities can change over time. 

Allegations of sexual abuse of and misconduct from Horovitz toward several actresses and women who worked in his plays were made public in 1993, in a local paper in Boston. Horovitz denied everything and because the women on the story were not identified, out of fear or retaliation and shame, the board of directors of his theatre at the time and others in the business did not take them seriously. It was a hugely demoralising blow to these women and a confirmation that there wasn't enough validation by the rest of society, nor any positive consequences for speaking out against these types of perpetrators.

But social contexts, the media, technology and the public's views on women and power had evolved by the time the 2016 presidential election happened. After the results came in, a 21-year-old woman named Maya, who had been Horovitz's former neighbour and one of his last targets, decided to expose the playwright, once more, on Facebook. She couldn't do anything about Donald Trump's victory, but she could do something against the man who, like the President-elect, believed he could get away with taking advantage of women's bodies. This time, no one was going to let the story be forgotten.