Of moguls, monsters and men

Feminist theory on the inter-relationship of gender and violence is built on an understanding that violence and sexual domination are inherent in dominant and culturally-valued ways of doing masculinity. At the same time, feminists have argued that the discursive creation of a category of monstrous men – paedophiles, serial killers, serial rapists – is an attempt to insist on a distinction between “aberrant” and “normal” men, and so protect male dominance and the social, cultural and political structures which support it. This chapter will explore these issues through a specific focus on media representations of Harvey Weinstein. This builds on the author’s discussion of Weinstein in her book #MeToo, Weinstein and Feminism (Palgrave, 2019) but brings this up-to-date through a consideration of media coverage of Weinstein in the lead up to his January 2020 criminal trial, as well as in coverage of the trial itself. The chapter demonstrates the enduring popular appeal of distinction and individualism in understanding male violence and the challenges this poses for feminists who are committed both to holding individual men like Weinstein accountable whilst keeping in view the broader structures which enabled them to abuse.