Part of "Cat Person"'s viral success likely has to do with the timing of its publication: the story came out right around the same time that film producer Harvey Weinstein was publicly accused of pervasive and frequent sexual assault and harassment against his female employees. The accusations against Weinstein gained momentum as women from across all different industries began candidly sharing stories of their sexual trauma online, proving how unfortunately widespread sex-based discrimination and creepy behavior remain. This led a number of women to tweet about their experiences of sexual assault and harassment, hashtagging their tweets #MeToo as an act of solidarity: hoping that if enough women came forward and shared their stories, the pervasiveness of sexual misconduct would be recognized and eventually the culture could change.
The climax of "Cat Person" takes place when Margot decides to have sex with Robert despite being repulsed by him, because it would take too much effort to stop the encounter when there was already so much momentum. This moment seems to have hit home with a chilling number of readers, who were encouraged to reflect on times in which they had unenthusiastically—or even non-consensually—proceeded to have sex with someone in order to avoid making things uncomfortable or hurting their feelings. This sparked a debate about where Margot's experience in the story might fit into the broader framework of #MeToo: were women whose experiences had felt like hers considered victims of sexual assault? Because the timing of "Cat Person"'s publication coincided with the public rise of #MeToo, the story was framed in a different light than it might have previously been: Margot was not just an indecisive, egotistical flake, but also potentially a victim of a broader culture that devalues women's comfort and encourages them to prioritize men's pleasure above their own safety. Whether or not one agrees that Margot's experience with Robert constitutes sexual assault, it's certain that the #MeToo movement offers some insightful lenses through which one might consider the nuances of Margot's feelings and responses following her unwanted sex with Robert.
