By Don Hall

"I believe that, even though we should believe women. ... For so long, the go-to has been not to believe them. So really, we have to sort of societally change that mindset to believing women, but that does not mean at the expense of not giving men their due process," she said. "I don't feel comfortable throwing away a decent man that I've known for 15 years."
—Alyssa Milano

After (sort of) jumpstarting the #MeToo movement, Milano recently endorsed Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic candidate. Of course, she was attacked viciously by the Bernie Bots but she was also called out by the raging, strident monster known previously as Rose McGowen. Turns out Uncle Joe has been accused of rape by a lady previously known to shower praise upon Vladimir Putin.

Cue the FOX News synth bass line and power chords used to indicate high drama and pretty much any moment from Hell’s Kitchen.

Honestly, the last time I gave two shits what Alyssa Milano or Rose McGowen thought about anything was... well... never. That said, I’m tired of writing about the fucking COVID-19 world so let’s dive in, shall we?

Sure, Milano’s stance seems a bit partisan. When a Republican rapist is put on the block, she’s all gung-ho believing women but as soon as her choice of Democratic president gets the rape-card thrown at him, her spin to defend him rather than her is kind of hypocritical.

She is right, though.

As horrifyingly centrist of me to say, #NotAllMen are rapists. Christ, #NotAllMen who have had their careers destroyed by the #MeToo movement are rapists. Some of them are just sexual aggressive or inappropriate or, as in the case of Louis CK, kinky and weird as fuck.

Woody Allen has been, for decades, accused of molesting his daughter.

You’re pretty sure Allen is guilty, right?

In 1992, actress Mia Farrow found out that her adopted daughter Soon-Yi was still romantically involved with Mia’s ex-long-time-boyfriend and collaborator, Woody Allen. According to then-twenty-one-year-old Soon-Yi, Mia responded by telling a psychologist that Woody was “satanic and evil,” and that she needed to “find a way to stop him.” 

Three days later, seven-year-old Dylan Farrow, Mia’s daughter, accused Allen of molesting her in Mia’s Connecticut house. But when the child’s accusations, which were captured on videotape with reported coaching from Mia, were investigated by the Connecticut State Attorney, the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of Yale-New Haven Hospital and the New York Department of Social Services, no credible evidence could be found to support the allegations. 

NO. CREDIBLE. EVIDENCE. Sorry, but your opinion doesn’t count as evidence anywhere.

Johnny Depp was cast aside because so many believed Amber Heard and boy were they wrong. If you still #BelieveHer, go listen to those recordings and tell me she didn’t cynically use the movement to destroy him.

Then there is Al Franken, who I think even the most strident misandrist has got to feel a little shitty about.

Oh, I hear you. Sexual harassment is a crime as is being sexually inappropriate. It is not, however, the same as rape. Ever. Not once.

In the case of Biden, his accuser in 1994 came out to level the following charge at him:

In 1993 Biden, then a senator from Delaware, touched her several times making her feel uncomfortable. She said her responsibilities in the senator’s office were reduced after she refused to serve drinks at an event—what she called a desire of Biden’s because he liked her legs. She said she felt pushed out and left Biden’s employ in August 1993 after some nine months.

“He used to put his hand on my shoulder and run his finger up my neck,” she said. “I would just kind of freeze and wait for him to stop doing that.”

Her complaint was roundly dismissed (in part due to her praise of Putin and then later her vocal support of Biden’s rival, Bernie Sanders). The organization Time’s Up refused to pursue the accusation following their own investigation. Then she changed her story.

Now, instead of the typical Biden behavior of uncomfortable touching of hair and shoulders, she claimed he cornered her, kissed her and stuck his fingers in her vagina in public. This done in 1992 when officials were resigning left and right over harassment accusations.

I’m not saying she’s lying but there are enough red flags in her story for me to want some sort of legitimate investigation before dumping him on the word of a Bernie (and Putin) supporter.

If, after some due process, he is found guilty of the crime, I won’t vote for the man. Or I will but only for whomever is his VP pick. I don’t know. But due process first. If your suggestion is that the accusation is enough to derail his presidential campaign, I accuse you of being an unrepentant cultist and a bit of an asshole. Your opinion and theories do not constitute credible evidence or due process.

Back to Alyssa. Did she just change her mind? Reverse her perspective? Or did she see the abuses of the cause by human beings (who happen to be women) motivated by a host of things having zero to do with credible trauma?

Mamet’s Oleanna used to be a play that offered two different perspectives on the same relationship. The debates about whether he was a misogynist scumbag or if she was a predatory faux-victim made that specific drama interesting, enlightening, and great art. No longer. Now, regardless of the nuances, he is always guilty because, well, she’s a woman and we #BelieveHer.

Except, maybe not.