Worst Kept Secret in Hollywood: Powerful Men Behaving Badly

This week Hollywood has been racked with a scandal of epic proportions in the allegations of sexual harassment and assault perpetrated by Hollywood powerhouse Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein has been the name in industry when it comes to the independent film industry. However, over the last thirty years, he has used his power and influence to take advantage of countless women in the industry.

The thing is that as much as men in Hollywood and even the general public are “shocked” by these revelations, the truth is that this is an old story. Weinstein’s actions aren’t a new phenomenon in the industry. This is old hat. Tales of the “casting couch” go back decades. It’s been a trope in cinema for years. Of course, most often, we are looking at a “by-gone” era that no longer exists, but the truth is that this type of behavior never went away. We just hid our heads in the sand and deny the truth.

However, as the days go by more and more women are coming forward. This is great that they no longer have to feel the shame or worry that often pushes women into silence about their abuse and assault. As I heard the news and read more and more accounts, I grew more disgusted. The problem is that it wasn’t the behavior that disgusted me the most. Of course, I was disgusted that all of this happened to these beautiful talented women from Rose McGowan, Ashley Judd, and Gwyneth Paltrow, but I was more disgusted by the fact that I wasn’t surprised that this still happened.

Here is a link to an article with all of the women who have made allegations so far: 

Harvey Weinstein: All of the Women who have Made Allegations against Him so Far

We live in a world where a man can brag about sexually assaulting women in a recorded conversation and still be elected President. His talk was dismissed as “locker room” talk. I wrote a blog earlier this year about the Women’s March and why feminism still matters. This is exactly why it still matters. We cannot ignore that “leaders” of our country profess to be disgusted by this type of behavior in one breath but still hold up a system which allows it to happen. In the face of the infamous Hollywood Insider video, Billy Bush lost his job for his participation in the conversation, but the GOP did not withdraw Trump from their party’s nomination. So many Republicans condemned what he said but did nothing when it came to withdrawing their support for Trump as the representative leader of their party. 

One thing that has been nice to see in the wake of these allegations are the men who are standing up and recalling their own victimization by the powerful in Hollywood. The truth is that women are not the only victims of this kind of behavior. Young men experience it as well. It is sheds an important light on the issue of sexual abuse and harassment when men tell their own stories. Not only because it is important to recognize that they can be victims, but it also breaks some of the stigma that often surrounds this topic. 

Women who come forward years after an incident are often criticized for waiting so long to tell their stories. Pundits will question the veracity of their claims because they waited. However, men like Terry Crews and James Van Der Beek are recounting events that happened to them years ago. If these strong and capable men waited so long to tell their stories can we really blame women who have much less opportunity for recourse. Accusations like this levied against directors and producers can damage a career. The possibility of being black-balled for roles is a very real prospect that many of these women face.

The truth is that the actions of Weinstein were some of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood. People would warn friends about possibility of being harassed or assaulted by Weinstein. They would recount their stories, and actresses like Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale often refused to work with Weinstein. Weinstein would even joke about how Beckinsale "lived to tell him 'no'" as if the idea that a woman would refuse to work with him because of his behavior was a joke. After all, Weinstein was a very powerful man who headed a major film studio and distributor. Seth MacFarlane took a very personal and public jab at Weinstein when announcing the nominations for the 2013 Academy Awards. Everyone knew, and no one really did anything. Most out of fear of reprisal in the case of the victims, but there were some complicit in these actions. That’s perhaps what disgusts me the most. 

Weinstein isn't the first powerful man to be accused in this way, and he certainly won't be the last until we fix the fundamental problem. This is where feminism not only helps women but men as well.