#MeToo and the Promise and Pitfalls of Challenging Rape Culture through Digital Feminist Activism

(Opening paragraph) On 24th October 2017, the #MeToo hashtag began trending on Twitter. Although the phrase was initiated by African American women’s rights activists Tarana Burke in 2006, it gained widespread attention when actress Alyssa Milano used it as a Twitter hashtag in response to allegations of sexual assault by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Through the #MeToo hashtag, Milano encouraged members of the public to join in to showcase the magnitude of the problem of sexual violence. Capturing both public and media attention, the hashtag was used 12 million times in the first 24 hours alone (CBS, 2017).