【Deborah Sullavan Archives】

The Deborah Sullavan Archivesannual Time100list debuted Wednesday with a shocking juxtaposition: The magazine recognized Christine Blasey Ford as an "icon" but also honored Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the man she said drunkenly assaulted her during high school, as a "leader."

For those who believe Ford, seeing Kavanaugh on the same list as her is more than an insult — it's a cruel reminder that even in the #MeToo era, men credibly accused of assault can nevertheless rise to power while being lauded and celebrated as one of the world's most "influential" people (see also: Donald J. Trump).

Letting Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praise Kavanaugh's character, citing his "resilience," "loyal devotion to family and friends," and "undeterred reverence for the law," is akin to casting a long shadow on not just Ford's claim, but also the profile Senator Kamala Harris, a Democrat, wrote on her behalf.

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When read next to Kavanaugh's entry, which describes the Congressional hearings as "unhinged partisanship," it feels like the powerful have failed Ford once again. Harris writes that Ford made an "unfathomable sacrifice" by testifying, and Kavanaugh's inclusion on the list is yet another example of how it surely cost Ford more than most can imagine.

Honoring Ford and Kavanaugh in practically the same breath also reveals how American culture makes it inconvenient and even difficult to fully believe survivors of sexual assault. There's no splitting the difference here by recognizing Ford's bravery and then casting Kavanaugh in the same heroic light. You either believe Ford, or you don't.

Despite evidence that it happens with alarming frequency, the public still struggles to accept that accomplished, charming men who are trusted by their families, friends, and peers can also be capable of heinous acts. Putting Kavanaugh on the Time100 reflects a collective, deep-seated resistance to admitting that predatory behavior has nothing to do with a man's resume or social standing; it's about his willingness to abuse the power he holds.

Perhaps Time's own editors struggled with this question. Perhaps they argue that the list is no endorsement of the individual featured, just an acknowledgment of their influence. Maybe they worried more that choosing between Ford or Kavanaugh would result in accusations of media bias. Instead, including both figures led some critics to see Time's choice as a maddening example of the media's obsession with offering "both sides" of an argument.

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It's also worth noting that neither entry actually names what happened: that Ford accused Kavanaugh and that Kavanaugh was accused. If you weren't familiar with the news story, you wouldn't know the Timelist recognizes both a victim and her attacker. That Timecouldn't bring itself to print those details, or successfully insist that McConnell and Harris include them, suggests the magazine wanted to avoid controversy as much as possible.

Mashable reached out to Time for comment, but the publication has yet to offer an explanation for its decision.

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Regardless of why Timechose to include Ford and Kavanaugh on the same list, the decision sends a disheartening message to survivors who see it's now possible, even acceptable, to cheer on victims who stand up for justice while simultaneously hailing the accused as a leader for our time. That unexpected combination of encouragement and callousness may well convince some survivors that coming forward is not worth the resulting heartache, now rendered in newly agonizing ways.

In that regard, we can only hope that the Time 100list is far less influential than it aspires to be.