#MeToo TV: Essays on Streaming Rape Culture

The #MeToo movement has heightened awareness about the prevalence of sexual violence across professional, public, and private spheres. Since the movement began, many individuals have bravely stepped forward to share their experiences within media industries that historically protected predators while silencing survivors. Television and streaming content also conveys messages about gender, sex, consent, and power that influences public consciousness. These portrayals of sexual violence warrant re-examination from the perspective of the #MeToo movement. 

This essay collection explores sexual violence within television and streaming media, building on the previous work, Screening #MeToo: Rape Culture in Hollywood (SUNY Press 2022). The current anthology features essays covering a diverse range of genres--from documentary and true crime to drama and comedy--across various platforms, including network television and streaming services. The contributing authors analyze representational tropes through an intersectional perspective and examine how trauma, memory, romance, and fantasy intersect the narratives presented. Prompting further exploration from readers, these perspectives serve as a foundation for discussing rape culture in American television and streaming.

Ralph Beliveau is a professor and head of Creative Media Production and Professional Writing in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma.

Lisa Funnell is an award-winning author, media educator specializing in EDI and representation in gaming, film, and TV and leading expert on gender and feminism in James Bond and other action films.