Thursday, March 21, 2019
Samantha Bee Animates the #MeToo Movement
The Mary Sue: Samantha Bee knows we’ve talked a lot about the #MeToo movement. That’s why, rather than have a panel or interview of talking heads, she gave us a great animated video about the sexual harassment faced by female animators who have been trying to break into the industry. These badass, “fed the fuck up,” self-described geeky women took on Chris Savino, an animator who’d worked with both Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network who was accused of sexual harassment, and wound up emerging victorious.
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5 comments:
This video makes me really happy. I read all these articles and hear all these stories about harassment in the entertainment industry and it makes me absolutely terrified. I am a very thankful and lucky that I have not experienced harassment like this, but knowing that I work in an environment where behavior and events like this are not uncommon, I get really nervous when I am in a new work environment and am unsure how I will be treated. It makes me so excited to hear stories like this – where a group of women that were being harassed and not treated correctly got together, found the means of which to have this guys face consequences, and made it happen! And they were successful!! I also love that in showcasing this victory, they were able to use their skills and art form – the skills I am sure they felt were not being taken seriously because of harassment. I just could not stop smiling after watching this.
I echo Katie in her comment, that this video was very uplifting considering the current climate of the field. There's this terrifying trend of sexual harassment being present in the workplace, and because its more on my radar, being present in workplaces having to do with entertainment and theater. As a young person working in the industry knowing this possibility sometimes makes it terrifying to reach out and try to find footing in the professional world. When you don't know anyone you don't have those support systems of who to talk to if something happens. It's very unhealthy to think this, but even when I begin working, or if I'm a new face, I feel safer the moment I see another female. Watching this video, I felt a lot of power in seeing a group of people all feeling the same angry thoughts, band together. I think what's most terrifying about this issue is that it seems like those affected are always alone, but shown through this animation, they weren't alone. These animators used their skills to bring this to the attention of the greater public, and I'm very proud of what they've accomplished, and what sort of example this could set for others in the industry.
Certainly an article and video that does a lot to enhance my mood, seeing women support and empower one another in industry is so inspiring. You would think that supporting one another would be a given but that is not always the case, particularly in industries were competitiveness can get the best of individuals who feel they can only look out for themselves. This is no justification for the behavior but I think this can happen for women in male dominated industries because they have had to fight for themselves for so long to just survive that it can just seem like a survival mode to lookout for themselves. But seeing an industry on such a large scale come together to support one another makes you have faith that the world is changing for the better and coming forward with the realities that individuals have been forced to face is important and validates others experiences. Also seeing them do this through animation just added a personal aspect to the story and demonstrates how talented these women are.
This was such an inspiring story and it so nice to hear some positive news interspersed with the bad. As much as we have heard these stories which can be very draining and heartbreaking, they are so important. From the video though I took away another key piece of information. The low statute of limitations in California. Only one year to report sexual harassment is so little time, especially when coupled with emotional trauma and a sense of shame. I wonder what is being done at a state level to raise this limit. Personally I think a better length of time would be at least 5 years to allow a chance for victims to rise up and find support to take them through such a harrowing process. Overall the actions of these women are admirable. They are paving the path for others after them and I hope their actions set a precedent for those after them.
Samantha Bee, in my mind, is still relatively new to the late night show space. All that being said, I think she is doing an amazing job with her show. She has the perfect balance of crude and humor that you never find yourself turning away or getting bored. This animation goes greatly along with what Elizabeth said, it is uplifting. Bee has yet again managed to bring more awareness and respect to this community of people who feel like they have been silenced all of their lives. While it is hard for me to talk about the MeToo movement in great detail because I have never been put in a situation like that. I love getting to see women supporting women and standing up for what is important in today's world. Additionally, I support the effort that Samantha Bee is putting forth with late-night shows hosted by women, currently, she is one of the only ones, but I think it is time we see more.
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