“I’m so sick of gray areas,” Hannah Horvath said in the episode “American Bitch,” of the hit HBO series “Girls.” In the height of the Me Too movement, creator of the show Lena Dunham tackled the complexity around sexual assault accusations and the power one’s reputation can hold within those situations.
In the episode, Horvath meets up with a critically acclaimed writer, Chuck Palmer, to discuss an article she wrote about him being accused of sexually assaulting four women. Throughout the episode, he continues to explain the residual effects of being wrongfully accused of sexual assault: the impact on his daughter, career and marriage. Briefly, Horvath considers Palmer as misunderstood due to his charismatic communication style and his role as a supportive father.
By the end of the episode, after Palmer gains Horvath’s trust, a quick escalation occurs where Palmer sexually harasses Horvath. This dramatic turn momentarily misleads the audience, challenging traditional stereotypes of what a sexual predator looks like. It serves as a compelling example of the need to reevaluate our perceptions of potential predators. The labeling theory, which highlights how cognitive dissonance can lead to inaccurate narratives, emerges as a central theme. In a post-Me Too era, how do these situations continue to affect both men and women?
The labeling theory, created by sociologist Howard Becker, explains the faulty perception of labeling deviant behavior with a person of certain qualities and characteristics and how it can be difficult to comprehend that someone without those deviant qualities can commit such acts.
UO junior Mae Olivier talks about their experiences with the opposite sex and situations in which men were exempt from consequences in sexual assault scenerios from what they’ve heard of. “It’s because they think it absolves them from taking any accountability or crossing any lines because they are self-proclaimed ‘feminists,’” they said.
As audience members, we can see a discerning expression on Horvath’s face as she tries to quickly assess the situation that just occurred. In a matter of moments, she raises the emotional barrier she had recently let down.
Cognitive dissonance — the internal struggle when individuals maintain conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors — becomes a central issue. It raises questions about how someone educated on consent can still cross boundaries or how an advocate for sexual assault awareness can commit such acts. These concerns transcend gender and apply to people in general, challenging the image individuals have of themselves, such as claiming to be a “nice guy” or a “nice girl.”
UO sophomore Aaron Vischer talks about his take on people questioning victims. “Everybody likes to ask victims, ‘You must have seen the red flags in that person.’ Not everyone shows blatant red flags and that’s another way to put blame on the victims. I think that’s people’s own way of making sense of situations, that there must be signs,” Vischer said.
After the assault, Palmer sits on the couch, deeply moved by his daughter’s violin performance. Horvath gazes at him in disbelief. How could he commit such an act and yet, in this moment, be an unwavering source of emotional support for his daughter? People are a gray area. A person can play the role of a friend to some while being an abuser to others, and both aspects can be undeniably true. However, it is crucial to hold individuals accountable regardless of one’s personal experience or perception of them when providing support to sexual assault victims.
