On December 6, TIME Magazine revealed their 2017 Person of the Year (POY), and it was a far cry from the 2016 pick of Donald Trump. The POY was “The Silence Breakers”, a title designated to all of the people involved in breaking the silence around sexual harassment and assault. The overwhelming response garnered positive responses, as well as some critical ones. The positive responses focused on the importance of TIME giving such a huge platform to the voices of the previously silenced.
These are The Silence Breakers.
Actors, tech, hospitality workers…every walk of life.
This happens in every workplace.
This video is heartbreaking and empowering. ❤️#Metoo#TimePOY#WednesdayWisdomhttps://t.co/a7Ci9plju8
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) December 6, 2017
This is a cover worth sharing. TIME #PersonOfTheYear2017 , “The Silence Breakers”. To everyone out there, women and man, girls and boys, #TellYourStory. Know that you’re heard, loved and seen. pic.twitter.com/e0ZJCnFxrJ
— Jesus Flores Diaz (@Jesus_manuel92) December 6, 2017
Many also applauded the “anonymous elbow” in the corner of the cover photo, which is assumed to represent the countless victims who must still remain silent and anonymous for a variety of reasons.
The criticism, however, varied. Some were upset with Taylor Swift being featured on the cover. Swift has a well-documented history of trying to silence people who say things about her that she does not like, and some find her to be an “opportunistic feminist”.
So, how are we calling Taylor Swift "silence breaker" when the only time she bothered to break her silence is when the shit happened to her?
— Genie Lauren (@MoreAndAgain) December 6, 2017
But others defended her position, saying that her widely publicized sexual assault trial more than qualifies her to be part of the “Silence Breakers”, and that saying otherwise is a form of silencing itself.
Taylor Swift was sexually assaulted.
Taylor Swift was SUED by her ASSAULTER for millions because he couldn’t get a job due to his actions.
Taylor Swift dealt with the victim-blaming, the jokes, and harassment by media, but still chose to countersue.
She IS a silence breaker.— 🌻Maleigha Sari (@MaleighaSari) December 6, 2017
Still more criticism came in regards to “white feminism”, with many stating that previous activists, such as Gabrielle Union, have been tackling this issue for decades but it is only “heard” once white women speak up about it. Others also noted that the original creator of the Me Too movement, although featured in the article, was not pictured on the cover.
But for most, the positives outweigh the negatives. An all-woman team was behind the Person of the Year issue, with Stephanie Zacharek, Eliana Dockterman, and Haley Sweetland Edwards behind the reporting and writing of the cover story and the portraits taken by the photo team Billy & Hells along with Anke Liz and Andreas Oettinger.
This was conceived, reported and written by women. It was fact-checked by women. The video was shot and edited by women. The layout and photo spread were designed by women. It's one of the reasons I'm proud to work at @time https://t.co/ekMMIBV0Vc
— Charlotte Alter (@CharlotteAlter) December 6, 2017
So while there may be some flaws, and some criticism of the issue may be valid, it can still be considered a wonderful step forward for all of the women affected by sexual harassment and assault and a great dedication to the positive shift in society that has contributed to a breaking of the silence.
By: Cianna Allen