When the court of public opinion begins to favor women
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By Susanna Schrobsdorff,
To all the men who have worried since the start of #MeToo that their careers and reputations could be shattered by mere allegations, as the President put it recently, I’d like to say: Welcome to the club.
Even before social media made slander user-friendly, a woman’s reputation could be destroyed with a single cruel rumor or photo. Maligning her character or sexual behavior can neutralize a woman’s accomplishments and her grievances. That threat has kept us quiet and cautious about whom we challenge and why.
Till now, the court of public opinion has been harsher on women than on men. There, a man’s talent or value as artist, politician or executive, especially a white one, was weighed against his personal transgressions.
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