In “From ‘MeToo’ to “TooFar,” Bianca Fileborn and Nickie Phillips write that “the #MeToo movement has exposed a long-standing tendency for discourse to devolve into what philosopher Kate Manne calls ‘himpathy’—undue sympathy for victimizers that sustains patriarchy by reinforcing gendered norms and expectations” (110).
The outrage expressed by many supporters of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford brought allegations of sexual assault against him is an example of “himpathy.” Can you think of others? What impact does “himpathy” have on sexual assault survivors’ willingness to share their stories?
