#MeToo failure

THE #MeToo hashtag, if not already, will soon become the worst thing that ever happened to the women’s movement, a movement I’ve always associated with the quite correct objective of women’s rights and the ability of women to have a fair and equal opportunity in life and work.

To most thinking people there is nothing controversial and nothing that isn’t long overdue about all of this.

As with all attempts to correct an existing status there will, of course, be over-correction and even this I can accept within certain bounds.

I’ve worked with women, had women bosses and socially have mixed with many, many women. I must be the lucky one because I only seem to have associated with the strong and intelligent ones, the ones who — if a male inappropriately had touched or fondled them — would have slapped them straight across the kisser and/or yelled out at the top of their voices ‘‘He just touched me on the boobs!”.

I accept that not all women have the ability to react like that and they do indeed need our support and help.

However the random and prolific nature of reporting sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour, as encouraged by #MeToo, is devaluing each and every report.

I’m sure I’m not the only person — male or female — to experience the early warning signs of #MeToo fatigue.

This may come as a shock to some of you, but just because a woman is joining the chorus and outing some male doesn’t actually mean it’s true.

It may also come as a shock that some women actually lie about their experiences. This may be to gain attention, to exact revenge or, more pathetically, so they don’t feel left out.

It may also come as a surprise to you that not all males are sexual predators who have been “getting away with it for years”.

We seem to have adopted the French definition of justice in as much as if you are a male you are obviously guilty unless you can somehow prove your innocence.

Yes I’m in agreement with the social/sexual imbalance of the world changing but at this moment perhaps the pendulum is swinging a bit too far.

If you think this is just a typical male feeling under attack let me quote from Wednesday’s Australian and an opinion piece written by Janet Albrechtsen:

“Three key words suffice as evidence of the wicked manipulation of the #MeToo movement: women, Democrats and Kavanaugh. Even the American Civil Liberties Union exploited the emotion-laden #MeToo zeitgeist to try to stop Brett Kavanaugh becoming a Supreme Court justice. A group that includes civil liberties in its name is prima facie dedicated to due process. Not when it came to Donald Trump’s choice for the Supreme Court. Here, the ACLU used unproven and highly contested claims by women to oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination.”

“Outing a man because he didn’t turn out to be Prince Charming and the sex was bad was lumped in the #MeToo basket with everything from a wink and a wolf-whistle, leaving their cause badly damaged”.

That all makes sense to me as a mere male and I’m delighted that was actually said by a female.

But I see many other problems as the #MeToo hashtag descends into a merely speculative voice and becomes just more white noise of irrelevancy.

The workplace is well accepted as the place you are most likely to meet your future partner.

People who meet through work or through friends of work friends, are most likely to gain a long term relationship out of it.

Forget nightclubs and parties, as these tend to produce onenight stands in the main.

Because of #MeToo the whole office thing just got a whole lot more complicated.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that employees at Facebook and Google are only allowed to ask a colleague out once. Ambiguous answers count as a no, and after that you’re not allowed to ask again.

There is also the possibility men will get so nervous that they’re going to be accused of harassment that they will simply stop hiring, meeting or socialising with female colleagues.

There are reports this is already happening and its known as the Pence rule after US Vice President Mike Pence, who said he doesn’t ever meet alone or have dinner alone with female colleagues in order to avoid any perception of impropriety.

That can damage female professionals by excluding them from work occasions that men can and do take advantage of.

Ladies, be careful what you wish for. The unintended consequences may be more than you expect — or even want.