The Cut - ‘Call Me a Scammer to My Face’

The headlines were bad. Vicious, even. “DIY Rape Kits Are a Terrible Idea, Says Basically Everyone,” Vice sniped. “The Misguided ‘MeToo Kit’ Asks Us to Accept the Inevitability of Sexual Assault,” wrote the executive director of a Boston rape crisis center. “The At-Home Rape Kit Start-up Is a Useless Mess,” this magazine scoffed. Nearly two years to the date after the Me Too movement erupted, 23-year-old Madison Campbell announced her plans to sell a product borrowing its name: MeToo Kits, an at-home alternative to the rape kits used in American hospitals nationwide.

The idea seemed so simple — after an assault, survivors could swab themselves for DNA in the comfort of their own home instead of being examined by a professional. Campbell was shocked by the blowback. She’d had dozens of meetings with lawyers, nurses, and investors prior to going public, she says, and insists the public furor was her first encounter with real criticism. Namely, that the kit would never be admitted in court; allowing survivors to collect it at home introduced too much risk of contamination. Her product couldn’t help survivors, critics said; if anything, it would exploit them.

Why adults older than 40 perceive themselves to be, on average, about 20 percent younger than their actual age. Tax season is upon us, and The City has created a handy guide to filing for free in New York. In other local news, this story about city streets can get filed under “no shit.” Check out the winner (and runners up) of National Geographic’s Pictures of the Year photo contest. On the link between inflammation and depression. Young voters are often more liberal than their grandparents, but that’s not the case in Israel. Airline fees are out of control — TikTokers have a hack. Mayor Pete’s finally in Ohio. And need something feel-good this afternoon? Here you go.

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