When the #MeToo movement began there was no way of knowing it would become the most visible, most discussed and most divisive feminist moment of modern times. Its impact is still being felt and not least by celebrities who are consistently drawn into conversations on the topic purely because of the contentious, headline-grabbing quality a soundbite can deliver. Just ask Busy Philips and Ezra Miller who have felt the brunt of this recently.
This weekend, however, it was Little Mix who found themselves embroiled in the debate.
The girl band’s new album LM5 is filled with ‘feminist anthems’ (says Billboard) and is a ‘huge dose of girl power feminism’ (says Refinery29), but there is something irksome about their understanding of #MeToo.
‘They’re too scared,’ said Jessy Nelson to the Sunday Times, ‘Men are intimidated by us.’
‘When we walk in a room, we’re a force to be reckoned with,’ added Jade Thirlwall. ‘We exude so much power, nobody would even try it.’
Missing the point much?
Abuse, sexual or otherwise, isn’t something ‘power’ can deter. By, considering harassment as something related in any capacity to the attitude or comportment of the victim lacks not just tact and empathy but an understanding of how prevalent and unpredictable abuse can be. Some of the most intimidatingly smart, sophisticated and powerful people shared their experiences with the #MeToo hashtag.
It’s been over seven years since Jessy, Jade, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock met on the set of X Factor, extending their shelf life with US Top Ten albums and outlasting the epic success of fellow contestant’s One Direction. Perhaps, when they entered the machinations of the music industry they were a little naïve and have since been coddled by an industry that wants one thing from them (hits, of course) so arguably their exposure to the outside world and to identity politics might be limited.
However, when you have the level of ‘power’ and the platform that Little Mix does, words should be chosen carefully.