Twitter Reacts to Aziz Ansari's Alleged Sexual Assault

On Saturday, a story came to light about Aziz Ansari allegedly coercing a girl into a sexual [...]

On Saturday, a story came to light about Aziz Ansari allegedly coercing a girl into a sexual encounter, and many fans can't believe what they're hearing.

The graphic story was published on Babe.net. The alleged victim gave an interview on the condition of anonymity. She explained how she met Ansari at an Emmys after-party and planned a date with him for a later time.

Following their dinner date, the alleged victim says Ansari rushed her back to his apartment, where he tried repeatedly and aggressively to initiate sex until she finally left.

In a strange way, the online reactions to Ansari's case are more confused and betrayed than any of the others that have come out since October. Ansari is portrayed as the quintessential "nice guy" in shows like Parks and Recreation and Master of None. His stand-up routines usually revolve around dating and courtship, and he even co-wrote a book studying the sociological impact of modern dating.

Many women online were not only unsurprised by the allegations against Ansari, they were unsurprised by the shock it drew from his wider audience. The story started a conversation about coercion, non-verbal cues and the myth of "mixed signals" across Twitter.

Women who support the #MeToo movement and the Time's Up campaign were quick to distinguish the alleged victim's behavior from a coy act of playing hard-to-get. However, there were some who felt that the story was a distractingly specific case and ultimately detracted from the effect those movements would have on people.

Several people pointed out that, wherever Ansari's actions fall on the spectrum of "misconduct," it's worth noting that he has capitalized off of his persona as a harmless, feminist "nice guy," and yet here he is behaving imperfectly.

0comments