There are two kinds of people in this world right now: those who agree with Matt Damon and those who don’t. At least that seems to be the perspective of the hundreds of stories demanding we take sides ever since Damon waded into the #MeToo discussion on ABC’s “Popcorn with Peter Travers” last week. Damon told Travers that he think's "it's wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories," but, he adds "there's a difference between patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation. Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated, without question, but they shouldn’t be conflated.”
The backlash was swift. Actress Alyssa Milano wrote on Twitter, "There are different stages of cancer. Some more treatable than others. But it’s still cancer." And Damon's ex, actress Minnie Driver, wrote, "You don’t get to tell women that because some guy only showed them their penis their pain isn't as great as a woman who was raped." But then came articles like the Globe's Joan Vennochi's, arguing "isn't it better to hear what men have to say, than to tell them to shut up, as Damon was angrily urged to do?
Adam Reilly was joined by freelance writer Jen Deaderick, who is working on an illustrated history of women’s citizenship, and an assistant professor of management at Babson College, Tina Opie, to discuss.
