Apple TV+, aka the latest streaming service, recently released a trailer for their new series The Morning Show and there was something a bit… off about it.
There’s a lot going on in the trailer (watch below), which features Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell. But I’d like to focus in on one specific potential plotline.
The trailer starts off with Jennifer Aniston announcing on live TV that her co-star Steve Carrell has been fired due to “allegations.”
She doesn’t specifically say the allegations are that of the sexual harassment or assault nature but, in a post-Me Too world, we all know what the term “allegations” usually refers to.
We later see a distraught Steve Carrell who says that his career has been ended “for no good reason.”
Cue to another scene of newbie reporter Reese Witherspoon speaking with Jennifer on TV. Reese says to Jennifer,
“Most people want to trust that the person telling them about the world is an honest person.”
Jennifer looks guilty as hell and the show’s producer looks petrified that Reese might reveal something unsavory about Jen.
Now, I might be pulling at threads, but based on the trailer, it seems like Jen is scared that her career is on the verge of ending and decides to make up false allegations in order to get rid of her co-star.
I truly hope this theory is wrong. Although false allegations do technically exist — estimates say that about 1% of rape and sexual assault allegations are untrue — this storyline would feed into the incredibly dangerous narrative that women lie about sexual assault to get attention and bring down a man’s career.
Women are already terrified to come forward with their own rapes. According to RAINN, it’s estimated that only 230 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police (that’s 23% of all assaults, for those keeping track). So for any television show to take on the issue of false allegations is not only incredibly damaging to the women who are victims of assault but it also supports a terrible rape culture that already attacks any woman who dares to come forward.
Again, I have no proof that this storyline will take place on The Morning Show. This is all based on just a few moments in the trailer.
I truly hope I’m wrong about all of this. But if I’m not? Then I’m ashamed of everyone involved in this project.
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