Two very different pieces of art—Tom McCarthy's film Spotlight and Marvel's Jessica Jones on Netflix—are intricately crafted dramas that deserve all the praise that they are receiving. But they're also advancing pop culture discourse of sexual abuse by featuring strong characters who either are victims and are imperfect, but still functional people, or they are characters who listen to victims and ask for more to come forward.Pop culture has the ability to help goad people into thinking about their own actions or missteps. Recently, we've a wider array of LGBTQ stories in film and television that have helped hold society's hand and move many people forward in acceptance, while also assist in making more individuals feel safer to self-identify to their families, friends, and co-workers. When dialogue is being pushed by pop culture for any marginalized group, it can help self-actualization. Of course, on the other side, when Hollywood shows itself to be resting on progressive laurels, they often expose themselves as being behind the times. For example, in the past month we've seen a movie studio apologize for casting almost exclusively white actors to play Egyptians in Gods of Egypt. An apology is a rarity, but it was necessary. As we've become a more connected society, there's an opportunity for more representation, with more people having the voice to say they'd like to see themselves—or others—in pop culture.[caption id="attachment_507769" align="alignright" width="350"]spotlight-john-slattery-michael-keaton Image via Open Road Films[/caption]