#TimesUp

Introduction

Figure 1: This picture is a screenshot from the official Time's Up "About" page.

 

The #TimesUp movement was announced on January 1, 2018 through an article in the New York Times as

a direct response to the sexual harassment present in Hollywood and other work places that was brought 

to light by the Harvey Weinstein case and the growing popularity of the #MeToo movement. It was 

launched by 300 prominent actresses, producers, directors, screenwriters, etc. with the goal of making the 

workplace a safe space for all women regardless of age, financial status, racial identity. #TimesUp aims to

take the next steps in eliminating gender inequity and sexual harassment through social media activism, a 

legal defense fund designated to help protect women who report harassment in their workplaces, 

introducing legislation to combat the issue, work with Hollywood agencies and production companies to 

hire more women, and use red carpet events like the Golden Globes in 2018 to raise awareness for the 

cause (Buckley). Since its original announcement, #TimesUp has supported thousands of people with its 

legal defense fund, supported the conviction of Harvey Weinstein, created guides for equity and inclusion 

that can be used in workplaces worldwide, and supported state legislation against sexual harassment in the

 workplace across the United States (“2020 Year in Review”).

 

Context

Figure 2: Female celebrities at the 75th Golden Globes wearing black in solidarity with the Time's Up 

movement. Many brought female activists as their guests. Photo originally found on The Haystack.

Key Terms

Sexual Harassment: “One or more specific sexually-based behaviors, such as unwanted sexual attention

 or sexual coercion” (Feldblum and Lipsic).

Gender Harassment: “Gender harassment can include sexually crude terminology or displays... [and] 

sexist comments (such as telling anti-female jokes or making comments that women do not belong in 

management.) These behaviors differ from unwanted sexual attention in that they aim to insult and reject 

women, rather than pull them into a sexual relationship” (Feldblum and Lipsic).

 

Figure 3: Graphic of the original letter published as an announcement of the Time's Up organization 

and movement. Originally found on the 5050by2020 website.

Background

In a report on the 2015 fiscal year, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported

 that up to 85% of women have experienced some sort of sexual harassment in the professional workplace 

(Feldblum and Lipsic). The Time’s Up movement and organization was developed by some of the biggest 

female names in Hollywood because they recognized that they had platforms and power that could be 

used to shift the conversation (or lack thereof) about sexual and gender harassment in the workplace that 

spans from blue collar jobs all the way to corporate America and Hollywood.

 

Before Time’s Up was #MeToo

Originally founded by Tarana Burke, the #MeToo movement gained popularity and momentum in 2017 

with the high-profile Harvey Weinstein case after Alyssa Milano posted an invitation of Twitter for other 

users to simply write “Me too” as a sign of solidarity if they had also experienced sexual violence and/or 

harassment in their lives (Langone).

Figure 4: Image of Alyssa Milano's original tweet captured from TIME.

After this initial influx of awareness for the fight against sexual violence and harassment in the workplace, 

many other women and celebrities took up the cause. Women from many different backgrounds began 

speaking out about their experiences and demanding accountability for the acts committed against them. 

Their voices were loud enough that in 2017, TIME named “The Silence Breakers” as its Person(s) of the 

Year (Zacharek, Dockterman, and Sweetland Edwards).

TIME Person of the Year Video

 

Time’s Up: Turning Momentum into Action

On January 1, 2018, shortly after the events of the Harvey Weinstein case, the Silence Breakers being 

named TIME’s Person of the Year, and other high-profile cases being brought forward, over 300 women in

Hollywood who announced in a letter that they would be started an initiative to bring equity and safety for 

women (and men) in the workplace through the Time’s Up Foundation.

The initiative started with three main goals:

1.     Start a legal defense fund to help support women from all backgrounds who brought forward

 allegations of sexual harassment and violence against their employers despite facing possible 

retaliation.

2.     Help write and introduce legislation that would provide strong protection for women in the 

workforce against harassment and retaliatory practices.

3.     Encourage more equitable opportunities for leadership positions and wages in industries 

where women are traditionally underpaid and underrepresented (Calfas).

 

Going Global at the Golden Globes

In a show of solidarity for the Time’s Up movement, the founders asked those attending the 75th Golden 

Globes in 2018 to wear black as a show of support. Many of the women who attended also brought other 

female rights activists as their guests so as to give them a larger platform and audience for their message 

and their cause (Buckley). Though the movement originally started in the US, more celebrities in other 

countries such as Great Britain and other global organizations soon signed on with letters of their own 

(“Sisters, this is our moment to say Time’s Up”).

 

Taking Action with Big Names

Though Time’s Up did not start as a centralized group with a clear leader and is instead run mostly by 

volunteers, many of the movement’s offshoots have worked to form smaller plans and commissions to 

help further advocate for equality in Hollywood and other workspaces. For example, in December 2017, 

the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace was started by some of 

the female chairs of different companies such as LucasFilm and the Nike Foundation who chose Anita Hill 

to lead it. The goal of the commission is to help make the entertainment industries’ workplaces more open 

and empowering to women (Buckley).

 

Other individuals in Time’s Up worked to start the 5050by2020 initiative, which aimed to advocate for and

bring more intersectional leaders (individuals identifying as women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, etc.) into the 

filming and production industries so that the people who were working behind the scenes and in front of 

the camera more closely reflected the actual demographics of the general population and viewing audience 

(5050by2020). As the world moved into 2021, this work continues under a new title: The Distruptors. The 

new fellowship seeks to continue the progress made by the previous initiative with a specific focus on 

financially supporting the projects of intersectional screenwriters in Hollywood (The Disruptors).

 

Fighting for Equity During the Pandemic

In a continued effort to focus on supporting women of all backgrounds, especially women of color or those 

working in “blue collar” or low salary jobs, Time’s Up working in the last year to develop “The Time’s Up 

Guide to Equity and Inclusion During Crisis,” conducted a survey on COVID-19’s impact on the gender pay

gap and women’s income, provided resources to continue to support diversity in the entertainment 

industry, and pushed for legislation for paid sick leave due to COVID-19 as well as other laws that will work

to support and protect women in the workplace (“2020 Year in Review”).

Key Actors

 

Tina Tchen (@TinaTchen)- President and Chief Executive Officer

Tina Tchen is the current leader of the official Time’s Up organization and is in charge of the foundation 

and making decisions for future action and focus. She was one of the original founders of the Time’s Up 

Legal Defense Fund. Prior to working with Time’s Up, Tchen was Michelle Obama’s Chief of Staff and a 

lawyer who specialized in workplace culture (Time’s Up).

Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes)- Television Producer/Screenwriter/Author

Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW)- Actress/Producer

Hilary Rosen (@hilaryr)- Political Commentator on CNN, Co-Founder of the Time’s UP LDF

Fatima Goss Graves (@FGossGraves)- President and CEO of National Women’s Law Center, 

Co-Founder of the Time’s Up LDF

Lisa Borders (@Lisa_M_Borders)- Former President and CEO of Time’s Up, Former 

President of the WNBA

**NOTE: Time’s Up is a movement that was founded by over 300 women who have played various roles 

in the action being taken. The women listed above are some of those that were frequently mentioned in 

articles about Time’s Up by mass media organizations**

Social Media Presence

Platforms Used: The #TimesUP movement developed on social media by women in industries such as 

film, TV, and theatre in the United States based on the need to tackle sexual misconduct at the workplace. 

 The social media presence--in conjunction with some major live TV events--brought the hashtag and 

movement into the forefront of the societal mind. With more than 500,000 tweets from more than 100 

countries during/following the 2018 Golden Globes, the message was loud and clear. Both Facebook and 

Instagram prove to be reliable platforms as well for individuals to further the message. (Richards) 

Popular Hashtags:

#TimesUP

Originating out of the #MeToo movement, #TimesUP became the rallying point for women to channel the 

feelings and sentiment into definitive action. While many might be more familiar with #MeToo, #TimesUP

aims to further capitalize on the newfound societal awareness in order to effect permanent change. 

Figure 5: Flyer from the TimesUP GoFundMe page. 

Figure 6: Image from the 2018 Women’s March. 

#MeToo

With earlier beginning dating back to MySpace, MeToo is one of the most well known hashtags to ever 

trend on Twitter. Many users include the MeToo hashtag in combination with the TimesUP to remind 

readers of the continuance within the movement. 

Figure 7: Another image from the 2018 Women’s March.

#GoldenGlobes/#WhyWeWearBlack

In a unified show of solidarity, numerous Hollywood members donned black to raise awareness and 

highlight the pressing issue during the 2018 Golden Globes. Both women and men came together in order 

to raise awareness for the cause. 

Figure 8: an image from the official goldenglobes instagram account after the blackout in solidarity. 

#MuteRKelly

Continuing the long awaited justice of the Bill Cosby conviction, the #TimesUP organization turned its 

focus to R Kelly over his allegations of sexually abusing women, including some minors in certain instances. 

Figure 9: one of several images put together to raise awareness about the famous R&B singer’s allegations. 

Memes:

While many people use movement slogans as a punchline to a bad joke (test taking images with TimesUP 

and numerous movie allusions right before some character meets their demise), others harnessed the 

momentum to unify people into direct action at the voting booth. While now former President Donald 

Trump was far from the only target of the movement, he became a symbol of the disgust so many people 

felt about men who commit levels of harassment/assault with little to no repercussions. 

Figure 10: a singular meme that captures the totality of the movement culminating in a women’s march to 

inspire voter turnout. 

Impact of the Movement

Women’s March 2018: what began the previous year as a direct rebuke of President Donald Trump’s 

presidential election continued with new layers of activism that originated with numerous Hollywood 

celebrities. While TimesUP is not solely responsible for the march, it certainly helped fuel the continued 

solidarity and feeling of growing resentment in the country. (“Women’s March…”). 

Aftermath of Golden Globes and Celebrity Women: the shocking truth. “1 in 3 women ages 18 to 34

have been sexually harassed at work, and 71% of those women said they did not report it” (Cowan). What 

originates from famous individuals with a national if not global platform shifts to the everyday woman as 

700 female farmers who are part of the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas organization. Inspired by the 

women of Hollywood, the goal was to ensure that working class women were represented too (Cowan). 

Even today, the movement is credited with supporting survivors in their search for justice. Both #MeToo 

and #TimesUP have continued the initial movement in advancement of public policies in order to protect 

employees from various forms of sexual harassment. Forming coalitions, TimesUP helped push Congress 

to “pass emergency sick days and paid leave” is available for all workers. While oftentimes the federal 

government has remained stagnant, more than 19 states have passed new projections against workplace 

harassment and 16 states have initiated new pay equity laws. Additionally, 10 states have passed 

legislation expanding rights of pregnant workers (TimesUP). 

Critiques of Movement

From the very onset, TimesUP has not been exempt from criticism. And some of that critique stems from 

the very women the organization claims to protect. Weinstein accusers Rose McGowan and Asia Argento 

called out the Golden Globes blackout as “Hollywood Fakery.” Many point to the lack of diversity in the 

movement and call attention to Hoolywood’s penchant to perform photo ops without making any 

necessary changes for true reform. The fact that the majority of the spokespeople--at least in the 

beginning--possess wealth and celebrity status, many questioned whether this was truly a movement 

representing all women. While the “open letter of 300 women'' aimed to represent a wide array of women, 

many noticed a select few become the vocal agents for the movement, at least initially. The “out of touch” 

critique often lobbed at Hollywood elite did not silence the same criticism at potential social activism 

(Wilson). 

Conclusion

Despite initial criticism, TimesUP has continued to spread its message in the continued fight against 

harassment. What might have begun as a Hollywood moment has expanded to reach every living room 

and workplace in America. That progress has not led to any slowing down as recently TimesUp initiated a 

4 percent challenge, asking production companies to display their support and commitment over the next 

year and a half. So far numerous companies have pledged to do so, including Universal Pictures, MGM

 Studios, Paramount Pictures and Amazon Studios (Kilday). 

With the momentum gained, TimesUP continues today attempting to bring about social and ethical reform

 at both the federal and state levels. A movement that capitalized on the social media fervor has only 

continued to expand in development of hierarchical structure and goals that most closely resemble prior 

social activism of the 1960s prior to social media. Now, it appears their goal is to capture the essence of the

 most successful rhetorical strategies and activism within the online and physical world to bring about long

awaited change. 

Works Cited

“2020 Year in Review.” Time’s Up, 2 Dec. 2020, https://timesupnow.org/2020-year-in-review/. Accessed 7 March 2021. 

5050by2020. The Center for Cultural Power, 2020, https://site.5050by2020.com/. Accessed 7 March 2021. 

 

Buckley, Cara. “Anita Hill to Lead Hollywood Commission on Sexual Assault.” The New York Times, 

15 Dec. 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/movies/anita-hill-hollywood-commission-sexual-

harassment.html?auth=login-google. Accessed 7 March 2021.

 

Buckley, Cara. “Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harrassment Action Plan.” The New York Times,

 1 Jan. 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/movies/times-up-hollywood-women-sexual-

harassment.html?_r=0. Accessed 7 March 2021.

 

Calfas, Jennifer. “Hollywood Women Launch Time’s Up to End Sexual Harassment. Here’s Their Plan.” 

 TIME, 2 Jan. 2018, https://time.com/5083809/times-up-hollywood-sexual-harassment/. Accessed 7 

March 2021.

 

Coggan, Devin. “See How Time’s Up Took Over Twitter During the Golden Globes.” Entertainment Weekly,

08 Jan. 2018, https://ew.com/golden-globes/2018/01/08/times-up-golden-globes-twitter/. 

 

Felblum, Chai R. and Victoria A. Lipnic. “Select Task Force on Study of Harassment in the Workplace.”  

US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, June 2016, https://www.eeoc.gov/select-task-force-

study-harassment-workplace#_Toc453686302. Accessed 7 March 2021. 

 

Harris, Ida. “#MuteRKelly is Working.” Elle, 30 May 2018, https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/

a20965079/muterkelly-is-working/. 

 

Kilday, Gregg. “Universal, MGM Studios Accept 4 Percent Challenge to Hire Women Directors.” The 

Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2019, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-becomes-first-

studio-accept-4-percent-challenge-1180949. 

 

Langone, Alix. “#MeToo and Time’s Up Founders Explain the Difference Between the 2 Movements--And 

How They’re Alike.” TIME, 22 March 2018, https://time.com/5189945/whats-the-difference-between-the-

metoo-and-times-up-movements/. Accesses 7 March 2020.

 

“Our Staff.” Time’s Up, https://timesupfoundation.org/about/our-leadership/our-staff/. 

Accessed 7 March 2021.

 

Richards, Katie. “The #TimesUP Movement Dominated Social Media During the Golden Globes.” AdWeek,

 08 Jan. 2018, https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/the-timesup-movement-dominated-social-

media-during-the-golden-globes/.

 

“Sisters, this is our moment to say Time’s Up.” The Guardian, 17 Feb. 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/

world/2018/feb/18/sisters-this-is-our-moment-to-say-times-up. Accessed 7 March 2021.

 

The Disruptors. The Center for Cultural Power, 2021, https://www.artistdisruptors.org/. Accessed 7 March

 2021.

 

Wilson, Lena. “Thandie Newton, Asia Argento Criticize Time’s Up Movement for Exclusivity.” Slate, 24 Apr. 

2018, https://slate.com/culture/2018/04/thandie-newton-asia-argento-criticize-times-up-movement-for-

exclusivity.html.

 

“Women’s March 2018: Protesters Take to the Streets for the Second Straight Year.” New York Times, 20 

Jan. 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/20/us/womens-march.html.

 

Zacharek, Stephanie, Eliana Dockterman, and Haley Sweetland Edwards. “TIME Person of the Year 2017: 

The Silence Breakers.” TIME, Dec. 2017, https://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-silence-breakers/.

Accessed 7 March 2021.