Professor Peter Smudde
Communication Professor Peter Smudde was interviewed by The Washington Post about Matt Damon’s response to the Harvey Weinstein controversy. The interview was published on October 13 in an article titled “As ‘the fathers of daughters,’ they were offended by harassment. But what did that really mean?”
Damon generated controversy in responding to the Weinstein controversy when he responded that “As the father of four daughters, this is the kind of sexual predation that keeps me up at night.” The article notes that every crisis has its own clichés and the Weinstein allegations led many men to cite their daughters when denouncing him. Smudde noted that many find the ubiquitous use of such clichés as hollow even though they may be heartfelt, leading to a backlash against Damon.
