bit of both.
I would say its more of a reaction to an underlying cultural trend though.
If you go back to when it was near impossible for a woman to report sexual harassment, and it would damage someones career/life to do so..
then slowly you have a liberalization and a societal shift towards it being acceptable and encouraged for women to come forward. What will happen?
Clearly what didn't happen was a slow increase of more and more women gradually coming forward.
Instead what seems to have happened is that the societal changes took place, but it needed a catalyst to manifest itself. so I would say for the past few years we probably had a culture that would have reacted in a similar way to what happened last year.. but no one had realised it.. and it took a huge scandal to jog people and to make them realise just how far society has changed.
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what happens after that is both a movement and a publicity stunt.
This is true for both celebrities and for everyday people:
For celebrities, its a movement for those who have really been abused (as many have)
but its also a publicity stunt for quite a number of low-level famous women who jumped on the boat when they saw a chance at a few headlines and a bit of news about them. For those women it was a simple calculation, whats better for my career? Previously it was to keep quiet.. now it is to talk and to be a victim.
For normal people, its a movement for those who have really been abused (as many have)
But its also a publicity stunt for those who are using this for personal gain. Against employers, against boys who have hurt them, as a cover for regretable decisions etc.
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Personally I would say that in the general public the percentage of those who are genuinly uising it in the correct way, and forming the 'movement' - is very high.. and the percentage of those taking advantage of the situation is low..
For celebrities I am less convinced by many of their stories.