The Question "Why Now?" Is Code for Victim-Blaming

I hate commenting on news articles posted by news outlets on Facebook. The comment section is such a perilous and dark place that it depresses me most of the time. However, with the Weinstein-Spacey-Moore et al scandal breaking out and dominating my Facebook feed, I find myself not only being saddened by some of the reactions but disappointed about one question that keeps popping up, a question that is not innocent but rather accusatory in nature: why now?

The question is not exclusively from men. It is a common question posted by women as well. I do not have a problem with the question as it is. Sometimes there is a genuine desire to know why women and men have only come out after the Weinstein et al scandal broke out. Why did Anthony Rapp not come forward sooner about Kevin Spacey? Why did Angelina and Gwyneth not say anything before the Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexually harassing and raping actresses and models? Why didn't the women who were sexually harassed by GOP nominee for the Senate Roy Moore come out before the nomination? Is it a smear campaign?

Whilst I do not deny that the question is worth asking and sometimes a coming-out looks suspicious especially in Moore's situation, why the cynicism? Why the victim-blaming and shaming right off the bat? When Anthony Rapp came forward about Spacey all I read in the comment section of news outlets was "why did he wait so long?", "why is he trying to destroy Kevin Spacey?", "he wants his 15 minutes of fame!" Let us put aside the fact that Anthony Rapp has been a successful but low-key musical star for a couple of decades now and does not need 15 minutes of fame. Let us put aside the fact Anthony Rapp has not been involved in any kind of controversy in the past. Let us focus instead on the fact that he need not come out and take all the hate and insults thrown at him because he accused one of Hollywood's greats. Let us focus on the fact that coming- out and saying that a powerful person has sexually abused you will always, always subject you to intense scrutiny and ridicule, a phenomenon so weird to me because for some reason in those first few moments... no one wants to look at the accused first. The first stone is always thrown at the victim.

As time went by, it was revealed that Spacey's attitude and habit of harassing young men was an open secret, especially on the set of House of Cards. More and more people came out, both famous, semi-famous, and not famous at all; from young actors to actors' sons to production assistants. Suddenly, the comment section was transformed. Rapp was vindicated in a way. His story was considered as confirmed, validated. People then wanted Spacey's head on the platter. The "why now" questions was not asked anymore. It was not important because so many have spoken. We have seen this with Cosby's victims as well. Let me ask a question: WHY NOW?

Why do people only now believe and listen to the victims? Why do people now look at the accused and become open to the idea that a talented and gifted actor can also be a predator? Why do people only now realise that powerful men can prey on powerless men and women? Why suddenly stop with the victim-blaming and shaming now?

The same pattern can be observed with the Weinstein victims. We did not want to believe the actresses who came out. We questioned Angelina and Gwyneth's experiences because in the latter's case, she ended up working for Weinstein again even after she was allegedly sexually harassed by him. We asked, "why go back?" and took that going back as a confirmation that the harassment somehow did not happen. How does that add up? How on earth do we arrive to that conclusion? We bashed Jane Fonda for not speaking up about this open secret in Hollywood. We ridiculed Rose McGowan for accepting a settlement and then making noise on Twitter. Why do we do this instead of looking at Weinstein? The only reason we somehow accepted the accusations against Weinstein quicker than usual is Ronan Farrow's thorough research, Ambra Gutierrez's tape, and the many corroborative evidence from so many sides, we could not justify the question of "why now" anymore.

GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore's allegedly sexually harassed at least 5 teenagers almost four decades ago. These now grown women have come out. Sure, it could be a smear campaign from the Democrats. Sure, it could be that. Why only come out now? I am not naïve about this coming-out potentially being an election strategy. However, do we really have to shut down these women and their experiences just because their coming-out coincides with an election? Mind you, they could have come out sooner when Roy Moore was still a DA or being elected as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and we would still have questioned them and their motives. We still would have filled the comment section of the Guardian with things like "why destroy this formidable lawyer's reputation and career now? why now?" It would not have made a difference when these women came out. We still would have vilified them because that is out factory setting: we blame the victim. The victim could be a 14 year old teenage nobody or an established Hollywood A-lister. It does not matter because we refuse to accept that an accusation can be real. We prefer to put a victim through a gruelling process of public scrutiny and do nothing about the accused.

Roy Moore's victims are currently going through what Rapp had gone through in the first few days of his coming-out. With more Moore victims coming forward and confirmation that Moore was known to roam the malls in Alabama in his 30s in search of girls to creep on, the comments on Facebook are gradually turning against Moore. Somehow the fact that it was known that he would harass girls at the mall with multiple people confirming this, is beginning to validate the account of the five women who came out against him. I guess if five more women came out against Moore, we can finally see a Full Spacey, aka a full downfall. Maybe then the hardliner GOPs will also stop justifying paedophilia with the Holy Bible, blaming victims of sexual abuse, and smashing Keurig coffee machines. I am looking at you Sean Hannity.