DeRailing the #MeToo Movement?

Is Matt Damon one of the celebs looking to derail the #MeToo movement?  For those of you who have the sense not to follow celebrity "news", Mr. Damon remarked during a recent interview that there is a big difference between patting someone on the rear and rape.   Well, I concede, there is a difference, but Mr. Damon should not diminish the serious psychological harm that comes to women who endure unwanted physical touching day after day. The behavior not only demeans their work, but their entire being, causing some severe psychic pain and loss of self-esteem.  Just ask the women at Ford.  Or ask the women who left the entertainment industry, forfeiting their chosen careers due to harassment.   Mr. Damon also suggested that men who grew up believing patting women's rears was ok should be treated differently.

Let's not get distracted as Joan Vennochi did.  Yes- there are degrees of behavior.  There are even differences on what an appropriate employer response should be to reports of current or past sexual harassment. 

Let's look at two unexplored aspects of Mr. Damon's chatter.  First is the timing.  Why interrupt a relatively nascent movement that is just beginning to see effects outside of the entertainment industry?  Mr. Damon's follow-up remarks saying that all of the unwanted behavior must be eradicated,  do not justify the timing of criticizing the movement when the impact of his remarks could slow, if not stop, the momentum.  Mr. Damon is defensive from criticism that he did not "know" about Harvey Weinstein's behavior .  That is possible.  But it is not plausible that Damon did not understand the consequences of creating diversion at a critical time in women's attempts to be heard.   

Second point, once again Mr. Damon removed men's responsibility for decision making and subtly put it on the women of the #MeToo movement.    Mr. Damon failed to mention that the men being fired from their positions were being fired by men.   Next time Mr. Damon decides to pontificate about men's behavior, perhaps he could make it clear that he is criticizing the male CEO's for their post-allegation responses.  The silence of not naming the problem shifts blame to the victims.

Equally unfortunate that the focus of recent firings  has been solely on physical behavior, including threats or demands for sex.  We risk making inappropriate physical behavior or threats involving sexual demands the bar for firing when non-physical displays of misogyny should be adequate.