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Harvey Weinstein, serial sex predator.
kimmy:
Last week New York Times published a huge expose on Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein has been one of the biggest executives in Hollywood since the 1990s, but probably won't be any longer, as he's been fired from his own company and there are now a parade of significant industry figures coming forward to relate their own horror stories about Weinstein.
I can't link to the NY Times report, because I already used my 10 free articles this month. :( Nonetheless, here is a New Yorker Magazine piece on the topic that is powerful in its own right:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/from-aggressive-overtures-to-sexual-assault-harvey-weinsteins-accusers-tell-their-stories
Reading through this, one is strongly reminded of similarities with other figures like Bill Cosby, Jian Ghomeshi, Bill O'Reilly, and Donald Trump.
Like Cosby, Weinstein liked to promise to boost the careers of young women who were "nice" to him. Like Ghomeshi and O'Reilly, Weinstein made life hell for female subordinates. Like O'Reilly, Trump, and Cosby, cash settlements and non-disclosure agreements were used to pursuade women to not pursue legal action against him. Like Trump, "when you're a star they let you do it" seems to rationalize everything in Weinstein's mind.
Incidents described in the New Yorker piece range all the way from the early 1990s to one incident just a couple of years ago where Weinstein assaulted a young actress, who went to the police to complain and met with him again later with a microphone provided by the police. The recording can be heard in the New Yorker piece. Weinstein at one point confesses to groping her, and apologizes when she tells him he was too agressive, and yet the whole time he is demanding she join him in his hotel room in a very menacing tone.
Imagine being one of these young actresses who gets inviting to a meeting with Weinstein and a group of executives, only to see the executives exit the meeting and leave you alone with this slime-ball. Imagine working for somebody like that. Imagine knowing that if you did complain, Weinstein had the power to destroy your career, smear you in the media, put you up against immense legal resources. The New Yorker mentions that women they've interviewed for this story asked their names be removed after receiving legal threats from Weinstein's lawyers. Weinstein is also planning to sue the New York Times.
The author of the New Yorker magazine article, Ronan Farrow, also says that he's been informed by Weinstein himself that he'll be facing a lawsuit. Farrow is a freelancer who had originally begun working on this piece for NBC News, and when asked why his article wasn't published by NBC, he said “You would have to ask NBC and NBC executives about the details.”
-k
BC_cheque:
I contemplated creating a thread on Weinstein but I didn't think it would garner many responses. It's sensational, but not the least bit controversial given that we'd be hard pressed to find anyone willing to defend the man.
But now that you brought it up, I'll play devil's advocate and I'll address the topic with what I think may be the only argument to be made in his defense.
Weinstein is not some anomaly, he is typical of how Hollywood treats women. Casting couches and sexual harassment are nothing new and serious actresses often defend their acting skills by boasting about never having had to resort to demeaning themselves in order to get started.
I was reading about an insider who said assistant jobs for executives often require the candidate to have 'tough skin' which within the industry is code for the ability to put up with abuse and not be phased by it.
Harvey Weinstein has now become the poster child for this inappropriate and toxic environment, but let's not kid ourselves, he is just one of the many.
The entire industry is complicit, he is merely the the scapegoat.
Michael Hardner:
--- Quote from: kimmy on October 10, 2017, 10:06:13 pm ---
Reading through this, one is strongly reminded of similarities with other figures like Bill Cosby, Jian Ghomeshi, Bill O'Reilly, and Donald Trump.
--- End quote ---
Except that most people haven't heard of Weinstein before this.
--- Quote ---Like Cosby, Weinstein liked to promise to boost the careers of young women who were "nice" to him. Like Ghomeshi and O'Reilly, Weinstein made life hell for female subordinates. Like O'Reilly, Trump, and Cosby, cash settlements and non-disclosure agreements were used to pursuade women to not pursue legal action against him. Like Trump, "when you're a star they let you do it" seems to rationalize everything in Weinstein's mind.
--- End quote ---
The difference being that - as I mentioned - most of the public hadn't heard of Weinstein, which makes it harder to 'tarnish' his 'public' reputation. Also, he had more power to make stars than any of these people. He wasn't a 'star' like Trump. He made stars.
--- Quote ---Imagine being one of these young actresses who gets inviting to a meeting with Weinstein and a group of executives, only to see the executives exit the meeting and leave you alone with this slime-ball. Imagine working for somebody like that. Imagine knowing that if you did complain, Weinstein had the power to destroy your career, smear you in the media, put you up against immense legal resources.
--- End quote ---
It has been this was since the beginning. You can thank the network of gate keepers for that.
--- Quote ---The author of the New Yorker magazine article, Ronan Farrow, also says that he's been informed by Weinstein himself that he'll be facing a lawsuit. Farrow is a freelancer who had originally begun working on this piece for NBC News, and when asked why his article wasn't published by NBC, he said “You would have to ask NBC and NBC executives about the details.”
-k
--- End quote ---
At last we have found a real conspiracy. The NYT didn't help cover it up, though,they helped expose it.
--- Quote from: BC_cheque ---
Weinstein is not some anomaly, he is typical of how Hollywood treats women. Casting couches and sexual harassment are nothing new and serious actresses often defend their acting skills by boasting about never having had to resort to demeaning themselves in order to get started.
--- End quote ---
Many of your favourite stars arrived this way.
--- Quote ---Harvey Weinstein has now become the poster child for this inappropriate and toxic environment, but let's not kid ourselves, he is just one of the many.
The entire industry is complicit, he is merely the the scapegoat.
--- End quote ---
I wonder if the audience can be blamed for this too ? Seems to me the system has been around for too long to not have been challenged.
guest18:
Obviously the important story is whether Hillary has any comment. /s
You would think Trump supporters (like his son) would refrain from commenting, seeing as the only difference between Weinstein and Trump is that Weinstein is facing consequences. But nobody ever became a Trump supporter by being logical and self-aware.
But incognito mode on your browser will allow unlimited NYT articles, though I'm looking at getting a subscription because real journalism costs money.
JMT:
Everyone wants Hillary to shut up - except for now, now she should talk.
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