You Do Uterus: The Republican War on Women helped make Harvey Weinstein


America’s favorite “large adult son” and “very good boy” Donald Trump Jr. took a page from his father’s book this weekend, taking to Twitter to blast left-leaning politicians and celebrities alike for failing to immediately comment on sexual assault allegations against Hollywood producer and Democratic donor Harvey Weinstein.

“Thoughts on Harvey Weinstein?” he tweeted at public figures ranging from comedian Jimmy Kimmel to former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, a beneficiary of Weinstein’s political fundraising.

Put simply,  the younger Trump reacted to news of the suffering and oppression experienced by dozens of women in the entertainment industry the way children react to Christmas morning. And sure, there’s a lot to unpack here, but for starters, if you’re going to pretend to care about societal misogyny and the sexual subjugation of women, it would be a lot more convincing if you actually showed some remorse. The president’s oldest son certainly wasn’t this happy — nor this loud — at this time last year when leaked Access Hollywood tapes revealed his father had boasted about how his celebrity status allowed him to nonconsensually grope women, and over a dozen women came forward to accuse the then-Republican presidential nominee of sexual misconduct.

But the president’s son is hardly alone in taking this episode reflective of a larger epidemic in patriarchal society and leveraging it for political gain. Following reports from The New York Times and The New Yorker detailing Weinstein’s actions, the National Republican Congressional Committee called on Congressional Democrats to return all funding from Weinstein. Indeed, perhaps Democrats should, but the demand is ironic coming from the party that rewarded a man with the same record as Weinstein with its nomination, and then with the presidency.

It’s important to remember allegations against Weinstein have nothing to do with party politics, where allegations against President Donald Trump dominated and continue to dominate the national political dialogue because the way our president and elected representatives view women affects us all. But where Weinstein is concerned, revelations against the influential Hollywood producer speak to an issue that transcends politics — that is, whether or not we as a society trust and respect women. And as dismal as this may sound, the dark reality is that we continually fail to. There’s no shortage of people and historical traditions to blame for this, but the decades-long Republican war on women is one starting point.

There are a lot of reasons that women who experience sexual harassment and assault don’t come forward. A crucial one is that despite the exhaustiveness of the reporting process, many cases often go dismissed or are swept under the rug. This is exponentially more likely when the assailant is male, wealthy and powerful. Weinstein and Trump may not be united by party, but they are united by the extent to which male privilege — in a society built on the social and political disenfranchisement of women — has allowed them to act without consequences.

For years, that social and political disenfranchisement has been propagated by the party that unapologetically handed Trump the presidency, where, at the very least, Democratic stars and politicians have come out in droves to unequivocally disavow Weinstein. For years, policies and rhetoric by Republican lawmakers related to American women have been united by a common theme — that women cannot be trusted.

Following core conservative ideology, women cannot be trusted to make basic bodily decisions; instead, the government must make these decisions for them and hamper their access to the resources requisite to their autonomy.

In both the House and state legislatures across the country, bills to invest in rape kits and provide survivors with additional resources have repeatedly been shut down by Republican lawmakers. Republican lawmakers in the state of Texas recently passed legislation that would require women to buy separate insurance plans in order to receive abortion coverage, with no exceptions for cases of rape. The bill was widely criticized for ignoring the fact that women have no power over whether or not they are subjected to rape and sexual assault. And that is the core of the right wing assault on women’s rights — a ruthless approach that involves not only victim-blaming, but also the punishment and neglect of women with unwanted pregnancies and of women who are abused by men.

Trump said in 2016 that if his daughter Ivanka faced sexual harassment, he hoped “she would find another career or find another company.” His son Eric said “strong and powerful women” like his sister don’t “allow” workplace sexual harassment to happen to them. In her 2009 book, The Trump Card, Ivanka Trump said that women complaining of sexual harassment just need to learn how to take a joke. The unifying theme of the first family’s approach to sexual harassment is that women must either quietly shoulder the burden of harassment, or come forward and accept the blame for it.

Exploiting the Weinstein reports in an attempt to mock the Democratic Party is disgraceful in its opportunism, but the problem at hand is deeper, even, than that: Those in positions of power often either abuse women or distrust and silence women who come forward. And whether these influential figures are billionaire presidents or billionaire Hollywood producers is irrelevant because, for women, the outcome is the same.

And as for Donald Trump Jr. and all those who have joined him in his equal-parts smug and ironic anti-Weinstein Twitter parade, perhaps Death and Taxes managing editor Maggie Serota put it best when she tweeted on Saturday, “If you only care about sexual harassment and women’s safety when it’s the opposing side doing it, maybe you don’t actually care about women.”

Kylie Cheung is a sophomore majoring in journalism and political science. She is also the editorial director of the Daily Trojan. Her column,“You Do Uterus,” runs Thursdays.

55 replies
  1. Brent Leavitt
    Brent Leavitt says:

    What BS. Weinstein was cut from the same mold of Bill Clinton. He was a Democrat through and through. Feminists cut Democrat sexual abusers slack because they align with their agenda. This grants Democratic abusers a latitude not shared by others.

  2. RDLA
    RDLA says:

    This article, its author, and this newspaper that would give her a column to spread this illogical, hypocritical garbage are nothing short of an embarrassment. This author is going to call Trump Jr. smug, while pounding out this trash? Someone else on here said it best — get this young lady a job at DailyKos and the F away from the university I once thought was above this level of poorly-thought out excrement.

  3. DiaKrieg
    DiaKrieg says:

    “Following core conservative ideology, women cannot be trusted to make basic bodily decisions; instead, the government must make these decisions for them.”

    Funny how, in the progressive worldview, government is the bad guy when it comes to regulating abortions, but the good guy in almost every other regulatory role it plays.

  4. jpfoursc
    jpfoursc says:

    as a fellow trojan… i’m honestly a bit embarrassed. this is some seriously low grade trolling. step your game up kylie.

  5. gwvanderleun
    gwvanderleun says:

    On second thought, this little drooler is doing the world a favor by keeping the concept of “dumb c unt” alive in the 21st century.

  6. Calvin
    Calvin says:

    Typical socialist. Deny responsibility and blame your political opponents.

    It’s all part of the Left’s War on Women.

  7. Burn_the_Witch
    Burn_the_Witch says:

    This author and publication are a shining example of how the US university system (and education system) has devolved. No doubt the child who wrote this screed fails to grasp the mysogyny of a weekly column which simply objectifies female reproductive organs.

  8. Arafat
    Arafat says:

    I’m pretty sure this article was an attempt at satire. Baaahahahaha…

    But the satire was on Kylie and she doesn’t even know it.

  9. COMANCHE6
    COMANCHE6 says:

    She must have thought she was submitting to the other Daily Trojan. You know. That company that makes condoms labeled “Monday,” “Tuesday,” “Wednesday,” …”

  10. Cardin Drake
    Cardin Drake says:

    A career in the MSM awaits. If the author doesn’t see the hypocrisy of Hollywood braying about women’s rights for decades and all the while elevating predators like Weinstein to positions of power, journalism is the right profession for her. She will fit in perfectly.

  11. j yung
    j yung says:

    Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Harvey Weinstein. All Democrat RAPISTS. Do they teach accurate History at USC?

    • Arafat
      Arafat says:

      Let’s not forget Ted was also a murderer. He swam away from a drowning woman – a woman he drowned. The evidence suggests that she lived for many hours in the car as it slowly sank and as the oxygen dissipated. Meanwhile he told nobody. And at his funeral the Clintons and Obamas called him one of the greatest democrats ever.

  12. RBT1
    RBT1 says:

    I would like to offer up that it is actually possible to discuss Harvey Weinstein without mentioning Donald Trump. No really. Try it.

  13. John
    John says:

    Do you even read these comments? You’re consistently met with strong counterpoints, and I’m surprised your general narrative doesn’t budge.

  14. AmerigoChattin
    AmerigoChattin says:

    If Ms. Cheung wishes to have a career in journalism (other than at Salon), I would recommend that she take down this article and issue an immediate retraction and apology. This is an absolute career killer. No one will hire you if they Google your name and this article surfaces.

    The way it works in modern American journalism is that the deep-seeded hatred 90% of the press have for those on The Right is supposed to be suppressed and concealed. This is tantamount to taking your mask off and revealing yourself as a bigot.

  15. AmerigoChattin
    AmerigoChattin says:

    “Exploiting the Weinstein reports in an attempt to mock the Democratic Party is disgraceful in its opportunism . . .”

    But exploiting “the Weinstein reports” (whatever that Orwellian turn of phrase is meant to imply) in attempt to mock people on the political Right is totally fair game?

    This person is the editorial director of The DT??????

  16. AmerigoChattin
    AmerigoChattin says:

    So the Daily Trojan is now printing the psychotic ramblings of someone who clearly should be in therapy? Wonderful. Maybe next week they can print an article from Ted Kaczynski arguing that Apple has finally now gone too far with the iPhone X.

  17. shimauma
    shimauma says:

    LOLS mz kylie if you are wondering how you got so much traffic, it’s because no one can believe the level of stupid you have hit.

  18. Moltar
    Moltar says:

    Just drop out now. This disugisting man is a huge Democrat donor. You’re kidding yourself if you think his enablers (and his victims) are Republicans. We now know where the real war on women is – Liberal Hollywood.

  19. COMANCHE6
    COMANCHE6 says:

    I can’t add anything to the astute observations of other posters here except to say that the breathtaking stupidity displayed by this “Journalism Student” must be obvious to even the most imbecilic reader. Over time I believe perhaps that even some partisan democrat-progressives will see the ridiculousness of the writer’s opinions if they think about it long enough and someone explains it to them.

  20. Thekatman
    Thekatman says:

    Thanks to MSM Mania: Trump only talked about his observation that “when you are rich and powerful, women let you grab their . . .”, Harvey Weinstein practiced the GRABBING FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE, and the women who are FEMINISTS AND themselves famous rich and powerful already KEPT SILENCE when they are savagely treated by this Weinstein creep, and they let the PIG grabbing them and raping them at his will. And they screamed at Trump? And they kept silent about their rapes, molestations and humiliations. This picture is very wrong in every way? And now you have guys like Ben Affleck doing the same thing. How many other male Hollywood types have gotten away with this behavior?

  21. Im_Rick_James
    Im_Rick_James says:

    As a Trojan, I am deeply embarrassed by this mindless twaddle. Delete your account, miss. Then, maybe think about transferring to Berkeley, where this garbage passes as discourse. #ByeFelicia

    • Thekatman
      Thekatman says:

      And take today’s [piece, Kylie, that you wrote trying to backup the need for a Fall break before Thanksgiving. THat is your Fall break. And now you poor mistreated children insist on having a 2-3 day day break at the 8-10 week mark in the Fall semester? Just because some other school sdo it doesn’t make the policy right or needed. If you and your peers are having such a hard time with school (emotional and mental disorders as you mentioned), then perhaps university level education is not for you. The university bubble is so much easier on day to day basis than real life, working a job, managing your career, being the best you can be every day…… And most companies don’t have a company holiday after New Years until Memorial Weekend. Just because there’s a Federal holiday doesn’t require companies to take off on that day. Geez…… If you are an example of your generation, then you guys are in for a whole world of hurt upon graduation, and American society will be composed of a bunch of emotionally sensitive cry babies.

  22. saywhatsaywhat
    saywhatsaywhat says:

    It’s important to remember allegations against Weinstein have nothing to do with party politics — It’s important to know that Democrat party politics AND BIG DONATIONS have protected this animal from the police for decades.

  23. ReeFungorio
    ReeFungorio says:

    LOLOLOLOL This is a pretty good parody of the brain-dead sheep populating the left today. Oh wait–it’s not a parody? SERIOUSLY?

    Young lady, if you ever grow up and develop any sort of self-awareness, I hope you can look back on this and laugh with us at your mindless naivete and utter willingness to ignore reality in order to repeat the tired, pathetic liberal tropes that are rapidly destroying your party.

    If you don’t in fact ever grow up, good luck with your regular “diary entries” at dailykos. They won’t laugh at you, but the rest of the world will.

    Sadly, there really IS a war on women happening, it’s just that you have wildly misidentified who is propogating it.

  24. R Suttie
    R Suttie says:

    So much needs to change across the board is the kindest way to affirm this article. The absurd attempt to politicize bad behavior when there is no evidence whatsoever that political party (gee, lets just go to JFK, LBJ, and BC as opposed lets say to RR, GHWB, and GWB) has the moral high ground here. Best I can say for this effort is OMG. We all want better. This makes it worse..it divides when it is completely unnecessary and baseless to do so.

  25. Scot Jenkins
    Scot Jenkins says:

    “Exploiting the Weinstein reports in an attempt to mock the Democratic Party is disgraceful in its opportunism…”

    Cue Alanis Morissette.

    The sheer demagoguery in this piece is epic. I would echo other comments here about the naivete and/or delusion it takes to follow this line of thinking, but I actually think it has nothing to do with that.

    It’s pure hate from someone whose only interest is throwing rocks, and it does NOTHING to foster real discussion.

    If the author aspires to be in media, she will fit right in.

  26. M. Stanley
    M. Stanley says:

    You’d do well to turn your focus to the USC sporting teams, Osa Masina is no poster child to promote USC’s safety for young women seeking a degree…and he’s not alone in his overwhelming disrespect towards women. He’s part of a very entrenched mindset right there at the university, maybe he just misunderstood his victim in your eyes?
    Step back little girl, you haven’t been out in the workplace fighting it for decades like so many of us have – it’s just a concept to you and you’re in a bubble. It has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with a mindset that has to be addressed regardless of who possesses it, not only the powerful and political believe they can act inappropriately and get away with it or blame it on alcohol, drugs, “stress” or any other non-excuse for aggression on another person.

  27. journogal
    journogal says:

    Weinstein was a huge Democrat donor and supporter.

    Always enjoy hearing about Republican’s so-called “War on Women.” You want to experience a type of war? Look at what conservative females are called. Dare you to, but you won’t because like a good little Liberal, you believe they deserve whatever they get.

    • satriale_1
      satriale_1 says:

      The article is one-sided and lacks historical framing, but your own partisanship and refusal to accept republican misogyny is just as obvious.

      • roccolore
        roccolore says:

        You Democrats are the misogynists who pay women less, defend honor killings and female genital mutilation, and blame everyone but Harvey Weinstein’s action.

        • satriale_1
          satriale_1 says:

          I’m not a democrat and you’re repeating false information. I have large problems with the middle east’s misogyny. I also have problems with the vast majority of Americans who refuse to blame U.S. involvement for middle eastern attitudes towards America. It’s ignorant and imperialist. Screw weinstein

      • Burn_the_Witch
        Burn_the_Witch says:

        Nowhere did he refuse to accept any Republican misogyny, whatever that is. As if it’s a campaign platform. The fact of the matter is that when it comes to tangible acts, Democrats have a more virulent history of sexism and misogyny once you get past their platitudes.

      • Leslie Strongcheese
        Leslie Strongcheese says:

        The problem here is that folks like yourself love repeating phrases like “republican misogyny” and asserting that it’s “obvious”, but never quite manage to point to any evidence.

  28. Thekatman
    Thekatman says:

    The problem with kids these days and their older peers up to the mid to high 40 year olds is that they have been educated by leftist owned and operated US Dept of Education, run by liberals. Liberals own the narrative right now via Hollywood, the alt-left media and the secondary and post-secondary education markets, so you can’t blame these kids for their thought processes. They know not what they are doing, as quoted by a young philosopher 2000 years ago. :-) Someday they will grow up to be conservatives, as most of us have.

    • Arafat
      Arafat says:

      I for one am glad Hollywood lectures middle-America about morals.

      It’s little wonder the democratic party lost 1,000 seats during Obama’s tenure.

      Now that’s what I call “Hope & Change!”

      And it’s people like Kylie that will ensure this republican tsunami grows in strength. People are tired of the Leftist education system where feelings Trump facts. Time to change the education system from a snowflake manufacturer into an education system. Now that would be something new.

  29. Harlan Roberts
    Harlan Roberts says:

    Trump just put a woman in charge of Homeland Security. A talented woman. A woman with VAST expertise in not only the job, but also with the agency itself. She did not have to whine about “glass ceilings” or “toxic masculinity”. All she had to do was what all professionals do: Their best.
    Try it sometime, child.

    • COMANCHE6
      COMANCHE6 says:

      Kirstjen Nielsen (nominee for DHS) was the 6th female cabinet-level appointment. Democrat progressives seem to like awarding critical positions based upon some irrelevant and artificial formula based on race, gender, sexual identification or whatever the targeted demographic-du-jour is. I prefer selections based on merit regardless of the irrelevant characteristics of the candidate.

      • Thekatman
        Thekatman says:

        Affirmative Action is a leftist Democrat policy that awards employment, education opportunities and other social advancements to a person based on skin color. It is one of the most racist pieces of legislation to come out of Washington DC. What happened to promotions and academic scholarship awards based on merit?

  30. Cousin Ed
    Cousin Ed says:

    Dr. Dre makes Weinstein look like a choir boy, with a well-documented history of beating and assaulting women. He and the “artists” on his label have rapped about women in the most-vile terms, yet USC congratulates itself for refusing a gift from Weinstein! Where is the outrage? The irony would be funny were it not so sick!

  31. Lunderful
    Lunderful says:

    Intellectually lazy tripe. Equating what someone says (Trump) with someone’s serial actions against women (Weinstein) over decades is a non-starter. You are a hater of Trump and Republicans, and will try to pin blame for any and all events on them. No matter how tortured, you’ll find a way. You crammed your grievance list into this article which made it narrow and shallow: abortion, white male privilege, rape, oppression, workplace harassment, war on women, free birth control, yadda, yadda. Everything you wrote was predictable, banal and devoid of statistical backing.

  32. Thekatman
    Thekatman says:

    So now the DT censors commentary? What do you think you are? Twitter? You have removed my supporting comment to OcamsBlunt’s comment. Why have you censored an opposing viewpoint?

  33. OcamsBlunt
    OcamsBlunt says:

    What a disgusting article and diversion from the facts. My guess is this student has never had to work in workplace environments. The idea this started with Trump or with any political party is a despicable diversion. Are we forgetting about Bill Clinton? He did not have one two assault or harassment accusers but several, in addition to his assault issues he went after a 19 year old subordinate and lied about it under oath.

    I’m 40 now but went through 20 years of it. I worked Silicon Valley where 90% of the corporate leadership is Democrat and where deep sexism, and toleration of harassment was utterly typical.

    What is the author trying to say, one political side, Republicans leadership and big wigs, have a problem (and they do); but abject hypocrisy on the Democrat side is irrelevant?

    This issue with Weinstein is about the industry sector that has by far the largest problem with it, both in perpetration and widespread tolerance. If you have been a working professional woman with long term friends you now it. I have friends who work in every sector and it is the entertainment industry that is absolutely the worst cesspool of occurrence, tolerance and hypocrisy on this.

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