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The Fourth Wave: Terry Crews
Other | Thursday 9th August 2018 | Roberta Micallef
The Fourth Wave is a series of stories
about people advocating for women's rights, today.
When Time Magazine revealed their Person of the Year 2017 issue, discussing the #metoo movement, we expected stories from women. Seeing men sharing their experiences too perpetuated the idea that sexual harassment goes beyond gender. The only common denominator is the self-assigned sense of power that harassers have.
Ex-NFL Player, now Actor, Terry Crews was one of the many people who recounted and reflected on their stories for the issue.
Crews was sexually harassed at a hollywood party, where a high level agent grabbed his crotch. When the #metoo movement began snowballing, Crews shared his experience. Crews was one of the few straight men who came forward about being sexually harassed.
In his interview with Time magazine, he spoke about men holding other men accountable. As a man, he felt like he had the responsibility to give credence to women’s claims of sexual assault, help prove to skeptics, that this was a relevant and imminent issue. Crews, who was raised on traditional beliefs, isn’t a stranger to toxic masculinity, and says that men have this unfounded idea that they are more valuable than women.
Crews often plays macho characters on film and TV, due to his muscular physic. When this incident happened, people would ask him why he didn’t retaliate by attacking his harasser. Crews’ wife who was standing next to him, always taught him not to be violent when provoked. This, he explains, kept him grounded and calm in a moment of shock and assault.
"Until men stand up and say, “This harassment, this abuse, these assaults are wrong,” nothing will change. If I was silent, it would mean I’m consenting to all of it." - Terry Crews for TIME
Realising and reimagining what it means to be a man in today's society will only improve it. Men play a significant role in the changing the attitudes of other men towards women and they must take advantage of that. Men aren't the problem; together with women they are the solution.
Find Terry Crews on Instagram | Twitter
