Trigger Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault of a minor, which some readers may find distressing. Please proceed with caution if these topics are triggering for you. Reader discretion is advised.
Meet Cody Ko, a golden boy on YouTube famous for his Vine presence and popular commentary on the "That's Cringe” series, which has amassed millions of views. I have previously stumbled upon his YouTube videos and have seen glimpses of his life, from his short-lived rap career to his podcast with colleague Noel and his marriage. I also recently saw that Cody Ko is in the spotlight once again, now with allegations of sexual assault from fellow YouTuber Tana Mongeau.
Tana Mongeau is an influencer you may have encountered floating around the internet since 2015. From her questionable past of saying racial slurs, TanaCon and her marriage to Jake Paul, she has constantly been in the limelight. However, before all that, at age 17, Tana had just left her abusive home in Las Vegas to fend for herself in Los Angeles. She had no family, came from a low socioeconomic background and was exposed to drugs and alcohol at a very young age. Tana and Cody met when Tana was 17, and Cody was 25. And Tana claims to have engaged in sexual intercourse with Cody, which under Californian law is statutory rape.
In the wake of these allegations made in …, the dominant discourse surrounding the situation was, “Did it really happen?”, “Maybe she enjoyed it.” , “Is she making it up for views and attention?”
I am not here to say whether Cody Ko did or did not sexually assault Tana Mongeau. What Tana has done in the past does not erase what happened to her. Her story is not less credible compared to other women, because there are no conditions to the condemnation of statutory rape.
Tana’s allegations have been circulating for a few years, but exploded when fellow commentary channel D’Angelo Wallace recently created a video, “An uncomfortable conversation about Cody Ko.”,amassing 2.7 million views and creating a media storm for Cody, who had spent years trying to sweep the story under the rug. Throughout this, Tana, now 26, felt comfortable enough to re-address the situation on her podcast, where she immediately talks about being targeted by online hate. Even after the change in public opinion, users on X still echo thoughts of misogyny and support for alleged abusers. One user said that admission is the only way they could believe these allegations: “Person admitting it > Tana Mongeau word, and it's not even close”. Another user laughed at the situation: “Cody Ko is Canadian… their age of consent 16 😂”. Another sympathised with him, “cody ko doesn’t deserve this smh”.
This misogyny is also reflected in another aspect of the allegations, as D’Angelo highlights that fellow influencer Gabby Hanna was in the same circles as Tana and Cody. Hanna spoke on her podcast, telling a friend that the girl he was kissing was “underage”, yet he continued with his advances. Once again, this ‘evidence’ may be inadmissible as Gabby can be considered an unreliable source herself, as she has been deemed a manic pariah online after having a public breakdown throughout lockdown. One user on X said, “I’m sorry, am I missing something here with the Cody Ko situation? Tana Mongeau and Gabbie Hanna are the “reliable” sources of these allegations? Are there any other credible sources?!”
The influx of online misogyny seems to result from the “perfect victim” myth, which the Victorian Women’s Trust described as “an ideal that sets every survivor up for failure, for judgement and to bear the burden of their own victimhood.” A perfect victim does not have Only Fans, post exploitative content, or marry Jake Paul. Of course, she does not because the “ideal victim” does not exist. As a controversial figure, Tana is not what many people are willing to accept as a victim. This reluctance only adds insult to injury, as predators may target people who are weaker or have bad reputations to use this effect to their benefit. The danger of the “perfect victim” archetype in the court of public opinion is that it makes others with equally valid experiences afraid to speak up.
And this is not the first or last time a commentary channel has had to amplify a woman’s voice. Around this time last year, Daz Reacts
It is truly heartbreaking to witness history repeating itself in these cases of sexual assault, especially with the rising rate of femicide. I hope that, throughout this process, Tana can heal and grow and find the support she needs. I also hope that it brings awareness to the dangers that the “perfect victim” narrative perpetrates. As highlighted by an X user, the silence of men only hurts the women in our lives: “Somehow, Brittany Broski, Tana Mongeau, and Kelsey Kreppel are the focus of the Cody Ko fallout. How are you all making the women the centre of a situation that a man is said to have created? Keep the heat where it needs to be.” The key to dismantling the “perfect victim” archetype is believing stories from people like Tana, believing our imperfect victims just as much as our perfect ones.
