#MeToo: Asia Argento's scandal proves scum has no gender

Recent sexual allegations towards prominent women show that women can be sexual predators too.

On Monday, August 20, 2018, the New York Times reported that prominent #MeToo advocate Asia Argento had a sexual encounter with an underage actor in 2013.

According to the report, Argento who is an Italian actress slept with actor Jimmy Bennett when he was 17 and she was 37.

A document, dated May 9, 2013, received by New York Times, included a picture of Bennett and Argento in a selfie on a bed — sources reportedly confirmed it to be valid.

 

Bennett had asked for $3.5million in damages for emotional distress, lost wages, assault and battery from that 2013 event just a month after Argento was named as one of 13 women who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual impropriety. Bennett claimed the event to be “sexual assault” in the document and that it affected his mental health.

The world has been stunned by this news. The actions of Argento with a minor has raised eyebrows especially for someone who is a leading voice  in the #MeToo movement.

Asia Argento has come out to deny the claims and said she initially paid Bennett the sum of $380,000 because her boyfriend Anthony Bourdain told her to. Bourdain, a celebrity chef, committed suicide in June 2018.

Argento was one of the first women to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual impropriety. She gave a powerful speech at the Cannes Film Festival on the matter and claimed the disgraced Hollywood exec had raped her as a 21-year old.

Bennett came to her in 2007 because he couldn’t stomach her portrayal as a champion of the #MeToo movement when she assaulted him as a 17-year old, and he only saw her as a mentor.

The matter is currently getting investigated by the police.

Argento's scandal is the most recent example of women acting as sexual predators.

Avital Ronell

Ronell is a world renowned feminist, LGBTQ+ champion, philosophy star and Professor of German and Comparative Literature at the New York University. In 2017, an 11-month Title IX investigation into a 3-year sexual harassment allegation against her, by her then graduate student, Nimrod Reitman closed with being found guilty of both physical and verbal sexual harassment.

 

According Cal Poly Pomona, a Title IX investigation is a federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in an educational institution’s programs or activities, including employment, academic, educational, extracurricular and athletic activity. It simply purports to prohibit sexual impropriety in work places.

The investigative committee set up to prosecute the matter described her behavior as, “sufficiently pervasive to alter terms and conditions of Mr. Reitman’s learning environment.” Reitman, a gay man had accused her of using names like, “sweet cuddly baby,” “cock-er spaniel,” and my astounding beautiful Nimrod” as names for him.

He also accused her of coming to his house unannounced her forcing him to touch her breasts. Ronell however argued that it was consensual action from two adults. She allegedly and repeatedly touched, kissed, texted and emailed him, and refused to work with him if he did not reciprocate.

The problem however was yet to unfold.

Scum has no gender

These recent revelations show that sex has no gender. In certain circles, sexual misconduct has been portrayed as exclusively male. While data shows that sexual predators are mainly male, we should not pretend that women cannot be sexual predators.

The reactions to Argento's and Ronell's  from their contemporaries are eerily similar to those shared when powerful men are exposed as sexual predators.

Avital Ronell's friends dismissed the investigation to her alleged improper behaviour as a "malicious campaign” by her accuser.

Prominent #MeToo advocate actress Rose McGowan who is an associate of Argento called for people to be "gentle" with the Italian actress . "None of us know the truth of the situation and I'm sure more will be revealed. Be gentle" she tweeted.

 

If these statements were made by men protecting someone accused of sexual molestation there would be an outcry.

In more conciliatory and unbiased manner, the creator of the now viral #MeToo Tarana Burke posted a few tweets where she basically urged unbiased address of these the Argento case and other issues of sexual harassment where women are alleged perpetrators.

 

The compelling reality

There is no doubt that Weinstein is a pervert and that Argento or Ronell have beautiful defense to allegations against them, but in a world where we crave gender equality, equal opportunity, equity and justice for all, regardless of age, race, gender or sexuality, we will be sending the wrong message if we allow what worked against male sexual harassment perpetrators not work against female sexual harassment perpetrators.

Just as men have sexual appetite, women do too. Just as there are helpless women in matters of sexual harassment, there are helpless men, considering scenarios, albeit to a visibly lesser extent. We cannot then create leniency because sexual harassment is admittedly prone to men as offenders over women. What message will we be sending to the younger generation?

We need to send a clear message on acceptable behavior and consequences. Does this revelation invalidate Argento’s allegations against Weinstein?

No. There is no double jeopardy. One sexual harassment cannot invalidate another. A bad person can be abused by an equally bad or even worse person. The idea of sexual harassment is to punish each allegation independently. While it might play against Argento in law courts, especially during cross examination to invalidate her testimony, it should not here.

What we should do is keep the same energy and treat each case independently. We should keep the same energy. If we promoted convicting men in the court of political correctness and public opinion, we should have the same energy and be willing to be fair when women are called into question.

If we called men “scum” for similar things to which women are now getting accused, the reality is, scum has no gender and like we are seeing so far, neither does bigotry. We all have sexual urges and anyone can be assaulted.

 

More noteworthy, the Argento and Ronell scandals should not invalidate the entire movement. More so, accusations by women. If the movement is doing anything, it is removing the stigma from gender-peculiarity of sexual harassment with men coming forward without fear of emasculation.

However, keep the same energy. Sexual harassment has no place in the modern world.