The virtues of listening: Epstein and the #MeToo memoir

This short article offers a reflection on the importance of listening to the reparative politics made possible by the #MeToo movement. It does so via a close reading of a recent public essay by a male philosopher who managed to write an entire piece ostensibly about the Epstein files without mentioning the women and girls victimized by Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplices. Viewed through the lens of “himpathy,” Peter Ludlow's essay about the virtues of Noam Chomsky—in spite of the latter's chummy relationship with Epstein—testifies to the importance of centering women's stories.

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Publication Details

Journal
Feminist Theory
Published
2026-10-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/14647001261496850
Primary Topic
Gender, Feminism, and Media
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

The virtues of listening: Epstein and the #MeToo memoir

Megan Gallagher
1 links
Feminist Theory
Gender, Feminism, and Media
article

The virtues of listening: Epstein and the #MeToo memoir

Megan Gallagher
article en

Abstract

This short article offers a reflection on the importance of listening to the reparative politics made possible by the #MeToo movement. It does so via a close reading of a recent public essay by a male philosopher who managed to write an entire piece ostensibly about the Epstein files without mentioning the women and girls victimized by Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplices. Viewed through the lens of “himpathy,” Peter Ludlow's essay about the virtues of Noam Chomsky—in spite of the latter's chummy relationship with Epstein—testifies to the importance of centering women's stories.

Feminist Theory
University of Alabama (US)
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Gender, Feminism, and Media
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