I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that the trade papers have been keeping up with the Harvey Weinstein story, and Variety and the Hollywood Reporter have even been breaking some of the stories, once the New Yorker and the New York Times initially broke the story. Part of me – the cynical side – believes that many industry journalists knew all too well about all parts of the Weinstein story, they just couldn’t write about it before now. Weinstein still could have destroyed them, withheld access, stopped advertising with them and even gone after journalists personally. So the trade-paper pile-on is probably a lot of journalists and editors feeling like they’re finally free enough to talk about all of this. So here are some interesting and devastating stories about Weinstein and everything around him.
Gavin Polone in THR. Polone has discussed, in THR, the fact that men like Bill Cosby are actually well-known within the industry for years for their perversions, rapes and assaults. While Polone admits that he didn’t know the extent of Weinstein’s crimes, he says that every single person in the industry “heard the stories of his ugly conduct. And if we heard, one would have to believe that almost all of his associates, friends and intimates also heard.” Polone’s point is that many, many people were complicit not just in Weinstein’s crimes, but in the coverups over the years. Polone lists all of the people and organizations who enabled Weinstein, the people and companies who should be answering some harsher questions right now: Bob Weinstein, Disney, the NYC District Attorney, NBC News, the New York Times, the New York Post, and more. You can read the full piece here.
Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg. He wrote a long Facebook post about how everybody knew, writing in part: “Everybody-f–king-knew. Not that he was raping. No, that we never heard. But we were aware of a certain pattern of overly-aggressive behavior that was rather dreadful. We knew about the man’s hunger; his fervor; his appetite. There was nothing secret about this voracious rapacity; like a gluttonous ogre out of the Brothers Grimm.” Ew.
The Italian Connection. Variety did a detailed story about Weinstein’s “Italian Connection,” the sexual-predator enabler Fabrizio Lombardo, and how Weinstein operated around some Italian models and actresses. You can read the piece here. Variety did a more detailed interview with Asia Argento, and she talks about how Lombardo set her up to be raped by Weinstein in what was obviously a scheme between the two men. Lombardo allegedly did the same thing with several other women, lying to them and manipulating them into Weinstein’s hotel suite in Cannes.
Meanwhile, Harvey Weinstein is still delusional. Apparently, he doesn’t understand that he’s been fired from The Weinstein Company, and today he’s going to call into a meeting in New York to claim that “he was illegally fired and has a right to retake the reigns. His lawyer, Patty Glaser, will be in the Board of Directors meeting to make the case.” TMZ reports that “Our Weinstein sources say he knows he’s ‘momentarily toxic’ but thinks with a little time, writers and actors will seek him out again because of his track record. He believes — and probably rightly so — that TWC exists because of him. He believes he can go back and produce movies, or he can just as easily do it somewhere else.” He honestly believes that this is just a momentary blip in his career. Thirty years of rape, sexual assault, harassment and abuse, all coming to a head, and he thinks he can have a “comeback.” He cannot. I’ve said before that I doubt he will ever go to jail, but let me be clear: he’s never going to be allowed back into the industry either.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
He might.
Look at Mel Gibson…
i Agree 100%. He’ll be back in 10 years. I’m willing to believe 70% of the men in power in hollywood use simiar tactics (directors, casting directors, agents etc). If he gets blacklisted, he may fight back and start naming names. There are so many complicit dirtbags in power that this story will be forgotten about until a quick 2017 in review.
While I hope he never comes back, he has the money to self finance movies and there will always be actors and actresses looking to break through who will take parts in his movies. My guess is he will first come back in a foreign market, and, when the movie gets rave reviews, he will be able to distribute it in the US.
While he might attempt to come back and some might even accept it, we won’t ever forget. If we make sure no one forgets, I think that will matter a lot. His name, and the names of people who choose to work with him going forward, will be mud. I know none of them will ever see a dollar of my money, and I’ll bring this up at every possibly opportunity. Just like one of my missions in life is to ensure that no one ever forgets we elected an admitted sexual predator to the office of the president.
Yep. That’s why everyone is making such a big show over Harvey – slam him, denounce him loudly enough, and maybe we won’t look at behavior of all the other abusive men in Hollywood
He was kicked out of AMPAS and the Producers Guild. He’ll never be eligible for an Oscar again. His power is gone. People put up with him because he got them Oscar nominations.
He’s of no use to anyone important now. He could try to make a comeback in foreign markets, but he’ll never be a power player in Hollywood again.
Good point. I can’t stand Mel Gibson. Let’s hope things have changed a little bit for the better and Weinstein won’t ever be mainstream again.
We can also help change that by not going to movies made by known assholes.
And spend our money on movies that give women (onscreen and offscreen more agency, which will make them less vulnerable to these jerks).
God, I hope NOT!
Bill Cosby has no comeback and I hope Harvey has NO comeback either, but seeing that he is a White Male ….well , just saying.
He’s disgusting.
Bill Cosby has no comeback because he is a rapist. HW has no comeback because he is a rapist. White people are not inherently bad, and to insinuate that we are IS racist.
True, but compared to the amount of women who Harvey assaulted? I mean, yes Mel was abusive to his ex and said those anti semetic remarks, but he also had an illness. He was a severe alcoholic. He got better.
This isn’t like Harvey has an illness. This isn’t a substance that is causing him to be insane. His normal is insane. There’s no cure for that. No abuse is ok, but I guess I am willing to forgive someone for taking the difficult steps towards recovery when it comes to addiction.
I’ve had addicts in my family and they have done some evil sh!t, but if they can get better (sometimes they do) then I’m proud of them.
um, alcohol doesn’t make you a misogynist or a bigot.
all it does is bring that to light. in vino veritas. DO NOT excuse his abhorrent behavior because he was a drunk.
Gibson’s “normal” is “bigot”…no “substance” made him that way. and you don’t “get better” from that.
Do the addicts in your family go around calling Jewish people oven dodgers? Mel does not have an ‘illness’ he’s a digsuting person but im not surprised some bitter old lady is defending him
Harvey victimized too many major actors to be allowed back in. Even in his downfall, he has affected people like Meryl and George who gave him the social cover he needed to keep hurting people. (That’s why George focused on the media in his interview. It’s the blow to his public image that he’s concerned about.) And he’s shone a spotlight on other sleazy people like Ben Affleck.
Mel Gibson picked on women without connections and power. Mel’s fall didn’t affect the career of anyone else. No one in Hollywood with capital will expend any of it to provide Harvey with the social cover he needs to stage a comeback.
I don’t know if I agree about Mel. First he is back sort of, but not to the level he left. Also, he only really has had one comeback movie and if this media story keep going Mel’s comeback may be short lived. It looks like it is having an effect on Woody Allen a bit now and he mainly self finances his movie. Also, part of Mel’s comeback is because he was the star and at one point he was a sex symbol. Harvey not so much. Also, Mel didn’t have as many victims as Harvey, and it was ten years ago. Times have changed. Let’s think positive about this as there is so little positive out there about this story other than it finally seems like people are taking it seriously.
Here’s the thing. He has powerful enemies. They used this to take him down but there were a lot of gleeful people who really couldn’t care less about sexual harassment who wanted this man to be destroyed.
Also he isn’t an actor. What he does takes much more money. Lots and lots of backing. He basically would need a director/actor/etc to put their own career on the line in a major way to do this and i just don’t see it happening. Thats not to say i don’t think there are people who really wouldn’t care about working with him again. If anything i see something staring Lindsay Lohan with a likewise D list director but no more of the star commodities. Those days are long gone for him.
I share your cynicism. The abuse exposure was incidental.
Despite that, the removal of his awards and honours signal something major. That didn’t happen for Allen or Polanski or Gibson. This Dog, he’s not coming back.
If nothing more, I hope this scares the blatant molestors, and I hope the actors guild write language into their code of conduct to protect vulnerable people from this in the future,
I know a lot of people are comparing this jerk to Mel Gibson but one thing about Mel was he was genuinely liked by Hollywood. Prior to him torpedoeing his career with the run in with the law and the abusive relationship with the ex gf, Mel was considered one of the actors people liked.
HW on the hand was a jerk. I did remember articles about how he treated people.
He is over and out. He is done put a fork in it, Harvey, the Rapist, is done.
He has been so hated for so long by so many people who have waited for this moment for ages. Now they have it they will not forget what he put them through and what he exposed.
yeah, I just saw a preview for “Daddy’s Home 2” (which I wouldn’t have seen anyway, but…) and it had Mel Gibson in it.
I am hoping that nobody will see this, but the comments on the preview post were all “can’t WAIT to see this, it looks so funny!” etc.
I am very disappointed in Will Ferrell for doing a movie with him.
At least Bradly Cooper, for all his weirdness, refused to have Gibson in Hangover II. I think all the main actors were like NO WAY.
I saw that preview last night, and had a visceral reaction to seeing Mel Gibson in it. Back in the day I used to think he was handsome, but now, my gut reaction at seeing his face was thinking “evil”. Like, cross the street to avoid even walking past him. I imagine there are a lot of stories about him out there too.
I was already a hard pass due to Mark Wahlberg, but I too am disappointed in Will Ferrell for this.
lucy2, I feel EXACTLY the same. when his face appeared, I cringed with a “WHY?” kind of reaction. I also used to think he was HOT (Mutiny on the Bounty? whoa.) but now I have the same “EW” whenever I see him. Like I see the “crazy eyes” now, so clearly.
and how fitting that he’s playing Wahlburg’s character’s dad. two a$$holes.
I still have great affection for the Mel Gibson movie Maverick; such great writing and work by James Garner and Jodie Foster. But yeah, I will never again watch, let alone pay to watch, anything new he stars in or directs.
Actually, I’ve often thought of a scene in Maverick this past week: where a rich Russian is sold the prospect of hunting a man as the ultimate rich man thrill and he excitedly pays to do it. That’s what so many of these a-holes seem like to me: like abusing and assaulting people, especially women, is a refined pleasure reserved for the privileged few.
Trump’s “if you’re famous, they let you do it” was I think I initially understood as describing fame-hungry women or ‘gold-diggers’ putting up with aggressive sexual advances. In fact, as we see with HW, it’s that if you’re rich/famous, women will be too scared, intimidated, worried about their career or reluctant to have their life defined by your ugliness, to report it.
If only it was the rich, though. I came across a depressing statistic recently, that in France, in cases where a woman reports sexual harassment, in 95% of cases, she ends up leaving the company – usually because the harasser isn’t dealt with and she naturally cannot work in that hostile atmosphere. All those bosses who value that aggression over a safe, collaborative work environment, are complicit. As with TWC, they liked the aggressive deals HW struck for them, so they tolerated his other vile, aggressive and illegal behaviour regardless of the cost to others or the company (as though the contribution of the criminal could be greater than that of all the people he or she damages and persecutes out).
Think of this when politicians say corporations should be allowed to run the world unimpeded by laws set by democratically elected governments.
Yep. That’s what worries me. And all the other types who abuse, are still in the industry, but haven’t been busted yet.
I’m really hoping for a permanent change effect from this throughout all industries and the world, but we have to be vigilant. Keep talking, speaking up etc.
Harvey is obviously damaged himself. His own brothers public comments told me this goes deeeeeeep in their family. I hope all the Weinstein company folds and they all go into therapy and stop abusing people. Naive hope but there it is.
You can’t compare the Weinstein situation with Gibson.
Weinstein was done the morning that Paltrow and Jolie confirmed his awfulness to the NYT. Will never work in Hollywood again. Maybe he can make porn films or takes some time off in a jail cell (I hope).
He’s not coming back…comparing him to Mel Gibson? Really…
I agree. As many say around here, false equivalency. What Mel said & did was without a doubt abhorrent and rightfully destroyed his career, but it’s not on par with Harvey’s decades of sexual harassment, assault and rape.
Eh Gibson was incredibly toxic for a while there. Hollywood does not take kindly to antisemites–just look at what happened to Michael Richards.
I also think that Gibson was already starting to veer into Tom Cruise territory in that his acting career would have been expiring shortly anyway.
So even though his directorial career was just heating up, it’s easier to keep someone battling public image issues behind the scenes instead of in front of the camera .
FWIW, I know it’s not on the same scale as HW, but what Gibson did was really atrocious and unforgivable. JMO.
Mel is gross and will never be where he was, and if he pisses anyone off, then he is gone for good. Plenty of doors still shut for him.
Harvey has been hated and loathed by everyone, and they are glad to see the back of him.
I’ve been wondering about this, too, and wouldn’t be at all surprised if he resurfaced in a couple of years. There are so many more like him in the biz that it wouldn’t shock me if they gave him succour and helped him start afresh.
Yes, he might. People may have loads of dirt on HW, but he, in turn, has loads of dirt on other people. I’m quite sure there are loads of men and women who are quaking in their boots thinking about what he may tell about them. I feel sick about the women who felt they needed to indulge Weinstein and what may come out of that.
I’m a cynical old lady and I want to be wrong about this, but I just don’t know if we have seen the last of him.
His bro has been accused as well. So maybe there’s a chance to see justice in this insane world.
Mel Gibson is a real jerk, alright. But the difference is, Weinstien USED HIS POSITION IN THE INDUSTRY to commit his crimes. That’s a whole different level, and why Weinstein should (1) be in prison, and (2) never allowed to make movies again. Because for Weinstein (unlike Gibson), there is no separating how he behaves while doing work in the industry from his criminal behavior.
what gets me are the ones who are forgiven and those who aren’t. he’ll be back.
I hope not. But this is 2017, so you just never know.
He has the advantage of being behind the scenes so its harder to tell if he is involved in a movie. But in Hollywood he is finished. Im confident on that. Its just way too much, I mean the revelations havent even stopped and we know there is so much more. All the powerful people have denounced him and very powerful actresses were personally affected. Add to that that he was losing power anyway and he also made to many enemies besides sexual harrasment just by treating everyone like crap.
I agree I think he’s finished in Hollywood.. but one thing the AListers who may have played the Harvey casting scenerio to climb are probably worried he may tell who did.
He is a Monster. He is so done. imo
If he does tell who slept with him after they were harassed or in order to get ahead, I just hope the collective we let people know it’s rape too. Granted it may not be physically violent but it is mentally violent.
Either way, the telling of or revealing, would only make him look even WORSE. I do think some may be worried though. I was listening to a radio show from LA yesterday and the word is there is a worry he may talk. A industry person was on there and asked who were these supposed Alister’s who were involved and it was like crickets took over the microphone …no response. I think a lot of people are scared.
@noway
Yes! Coercion and threats to make a woman sleep with someone is rape. That is why I don’t care about belief. It isn’t part of the larger picture anymore. He victimized every woman one way or another. Lurid details don’t matter but not shaming any woman he worked with is critical. They don’t need to justify anything but just require acceptance and encouragement that women support them.
I was hoping he was realizing that he is finished and then out of spite take his enablers and other predators down with him. He never had a problem ruining the careers of people who didnt do as he told them. Come on Harvey do us a favour and name names. He must know a lot of dirty secrets of other power players.
there is no chance for a comeback. ever.
Why wouldn’t he think so, though? He got away with this behavior for years (everyone knew), and look at Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Mel Gibson…. our current president for goodness sake. From what I can see, he has every reason to believe he’ll be able to come back. I hope he doesn’t, but I’m not shocked he thinks he can.
I agree with everything said.
Generally I do think its difficult to grasp that behaviour you got away with for decades is suddenly a scandal. I was just thinking about how a person tries to justify this to themselves.
The first instinct will be to downplay it instead of facing what a monster you are.
There are lots of stories of people who help commit genocide and its intellecutal fascinating how they justify it. I remember one nurse who euthanized hundreds of people but from her pov it was all very calm and caring when she gave them the poison.
And Bill Clinton, which pains me to say but it’s true.
Bill Clinton is the reason I first found out what oral sex is. What a childhood! His dealings with Monica Lewinsky were described in my local weekly newspaper in detail. I was 13.
(LOL)
But you’re right: Bill Clinton is a well sexual predator too. It one of Hilary’s many contradictions: publicly putting down Weinstein when he own husband has shown, for decades, too, a pattern of sexual harassment and assault. (I feel the need to add–so I’m not again accused of having voted for Trump–that I voted for Hillary. I don’t have to like or respect her to know that Trump would be a million times worse.)
When I read the original articles, it seemed as if he didn’t really think that what he was doing was wrong. He came across as an aggressive person with no understanding of personal boundaries. He just took what he wanted with little thought to what kind of harm it might cause other people. The thing about people is that we tend to think that everyone else is just like us. So if he has little to no feelings or empathy and gets things done by bullying, he might think that others are just like that, except not as successful as he is.
I don’t know what he’s doing in a treatment facility, because I seriously doubt he’s ever going to grasp what all the “fuss” is about. I don’t think he even has the patience to fake empathy long enough for it to be believable.
I would say no but lets be real hollywood will welcome him back once the public consciousness forgets
I mean… look at the White House.
yup
Exactly. A sexual predator was elected President. So the real possibility exists of a HW comeback. And because a sexual predator was elected President, maybe HW believes he can comeback.
Hard to compare individual cases. Weinsteins victims are partly very famous and its easier to police behaviour in one industry than its to police every voter.
The academy kicked him out. That’s huge. I think he’s done. He’s in denial right now, but Hollywood has thrown him under the bus to save face. And if he starts trying to take others down with him, he’s really done for.
Yes was blatant is he has powerful enemies that want him out of the business. They are using these stories to kick him out. But Hollywood is done with him irregardless.
As much as I would like to believe he is over, we are talking about industry facinated with comeback stories. I hope that with more and more women coming forward that the chances of comeback are decreasing. given the information is true he probably has received more that one call of support from some of his male colleagues in Hollywood who are not jumping at his defense now not because what he did for so many years is wrong but because it would be a “bad taste” to support Harvey the Hollywood super mogul and movie wizzard. I mean Mel got his second chance ans that shows tbat there are people who just do not care and the fact of assault and violence is not a dealbreaker for them and it does not matter in my view how many people you assault, which is the main difference here as long as we are things about differences in nareative. One is still one to many
I hope that doesn’t happen. But Hollywood has a history of forgiving and supporting horrible men. Just look at Mel Gibson, Woody Allen, and Roman Polanski.
Well, Donald “grab em by the p*ssy” Trump is president, so I guess anything is possible. However, I hope and pray that a new era is dawning in Hollywood and the days of men like Weinstein, Affleck, Polanski, Allen, Cosby, etc. are coming to a close.
His brother also needs to be kicked out.
The unfortunate reality of this country is that wealthy white men almost invariably land on their feet, so it’s depressingly possible.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he could move to a foreign country and start fresh down the line, but it looks like France and England will not be welcoming him a la Polanski.
Italian press is totally slut shaming Asia Argento and his other victims, so I fear we’ll find him here for his career renaissance… I’m ashamed of my country.
He’s been been accused of rape in the UK. An actress says he raped her in the 80s and continued to harass her for years. There’s no statute of limitations on sexual assault in the UK, so he could be put on trial if he goes back. I think that’s why he’s staying in the US. I wonder if he could be extradited, I hope so.
I think this is the truth. He may go abroad like Polanski and find a place.
I am de-lurking because I totally feel the need to say something under this article (I don’t wish to share the countless stories of abuse and I am a rape survivor too, so this has been the week from hell for me).
One of the reasons I totally regretted to have reported one of my exes to police (for a long series of abuses and rape) is that it came out the guy had done that before to other women and walked out scott free. Not. Even. A. Slap. On. The. Wrist. A serial abuser and rapist. Proved. Not even accused (let alone convicted).
What do you think happened to me? Apart from the ‘being called a liar….
I had to disappear. From the record. Changed name/address/phone nos. Etc etc.
Gone (nearly went for real as I attempted suicide).
The reason why I think this POS will go back to his assetts/circles is that rape culture is so ingrained in every field and society strata that his ‘downfall’ moment will be forgotten without any legal judgement against him and even if he gets some jail time, the damage he has inflicted to his victims would warrant a million years in jail, which current justice systems do not apply to rape/sexual assault crimes.
Ladies, the world is against us, better we wake up to this sad reality and start fighting back (for the record, I am unattractive and was always dressed to the max, so can Bialik’s fans please shovel all your misogynistic tropes where you think appropriate?)
I am so desperately sorry to hear about that Silver Unicorn, I so admire your bravery in carrying on. We need more strong defiant women, as Steinham said ‘women are not angry enough’ and I think she’s right, ((hugs))
Thanks frisbee ((internet hugs back)). I do think we are not angry enough too. I know it’s draining, I know the temptation to go back to ‘routine’ is strong…. but we need to stay angry (no matter the names they will call us, crazy, b!!chess, and on and on) to see a change…. it can only come from us. Or we won’t ever see a different outcome to any of these stories.
Women are not angry enough because come are complicit and support this type of behavior. Look at all the female Trump supporters who discounted his sexual assault allegations as “boys will be boys.” There were even women wearing “Grab my by the pussy” T-shirt’s at Trump rallies. So many women have been psychologically conditioned to accept this behavior and it’s going to take a lot of effort, shouting and demanding that justice be served. We need another Women’s March Against Sexual Assualt/Harrassment to make our voices grow louder.
@ IlsaLund, you are absolutely right, we have all been socially conditioned to accept the status quo of male patriarchy for a couple of thousand years and it’s going to take a hell of a lot to get over it. I read last year ( can’t post a link sorry) that it’s going to take at least another 100 years to achieve anything like equality at the snails pace we are going now. The problem is men have to want to change to and let’s face it, if you had been in charge with no challenge and no comeback for a couple of millennia would you want to give that up easily, especially when you have spent your entire life accepting it as normality?
I, for one, do not think we need another women’s march. We need a f*cking men’s march because this is a problem created, perpetuated and sustained predominantly by men.
Men are the ones that need to fix sexism/misogyny and the culture of toxic masculinity. It is NOT on women to change the deeply-ingrained problematic behavior of men.
Also I’ve reached my breaking point listening to men and women alike blaming women for Trump.
Why aren’t we asking MEN why they voted for Trump?
Oh yeah, because it’s just expected that men will vote in their own self interests at the behest of the safety and health of every other marginalized community while women must continue to carry the torch of morality and if we don’t?
Well then we get criticized by both men AND other women. I know a handful of women who voted for Trump and hey guess what? Most of them voted for the exact same reasons that men voted for Trump: because they always vote Republican or because they thought he would be great for the economy or because they hoped that he would get rid of the ACA. And I’m sure some voted because they are racist aholes.
I’m really just exhausted after over week of listening to more and more women sharing experiences like SilverUnicorn’s only to have the collective conversation revolve around women doing more. We already did a march after Trump was elected. WOMEN DID THAT. And what did men do, exactly? Oh yeah they didn’t do shit. A handful of them marched alongside of us but most just stayed home.
When oh when will we stop putting the onus on each other and start asking men what they’re going to do to step up, to show solidarity to women, to police their own behavior?
And believe me, I understand how empowering it can be to have our voices heard but are men REALLY hearing us?
@ Kitten, I have nothing to add to your comment, just want to shake your hand. Are men hearing us? I don’t know. I think some are starting to. But as another poster stated, this snail’s pace will take 100 years.
Same, Kitten. I’ve had my fill of men lately who Don’t F*cking Get It. I have had my fill of men in general. I had to get off Facebook for awhile because I absolutely lost my shit in an argument with one of the guys on my union Facebook who stated – without any irony – that he didn’t appreciate me singling him out for his gender after I told him off for implying I (and a few other women) didn’t have a right to be annoyed by Bernie Sanders being asked to speak at the Women’s conference. I seriously could not f*cking believe he had the audacity to type that sentence a day after the president ended birth control coverage requirements in a presidential Order. I am done being nice about it. This isn’t an abstract fear for me anymore – it’s a very real possibility of me losing my rights, and I’m not here to listen to you turn yourself into a fake victim on my time.
@kitten 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🕸
@ Veronica- You are speaking to me so much with your comment because what you describe is exactly what I’ve been dealing with the past week or so on social media. Men inserting their ignorant opinions on a thread where women are discussing misogyny, men tone-policing us or accusing us of alienating allies by being too “aggressive” or forthright in how we express ourselves, men speaking to us in a condescending and patronizing manner, implying that we should feel *grateful* for having them as allies and on and on.
I’m done tip-toeing around these aholes. If you can’t handle some tough talk from women who are understandably emotionally raw after last week’s display of the most atrocious and revolting male behavior, then maybe you just aren’t cut out to be an ally. If you think that you get some sort of hall pass or cred because you claim to be a liberal and because you voted for HRC then you need to check yourself.
DO MORE, MEN.
Men NEED to be emotionally stronger when it comes to the subject of women expressing their feelings regarding sexual violence. Men NEED to show solidarity and support and they NEED to listen and validate, not interject or talk over us with their puerile, simplistic and uniformed views about OUR victimization at THEIR hands. They need to find a balance between truly HEARING us and showing support. Support means taking up our cause as their own BY OUR DIRECTION, not imposing their idea of how they can help. Support means TALKING TO OTHER MEN and telling them to check their misogynistic views.
But the majority of men I’m seeing are more interested in telling us what we should do differently, or opining about matters that they have no personal experience with. Gah. Sorry for the rant—I’m just so DONE with dudes lately.
Oh and don’t get me started on Bernie Sanders being tapped as the opening speaker at the f*cking women’s convention and the outcry from Bernie Bros because how DARE WE not support their god. FFS they have MAXINE WATERS SPEAKING yet she is not the opening speaker?!?!?
I WANT TO TEAR MY HAIR OUT.
This is a topic I only VERY briefly touched on with my BF because we are at the point where we don’t discuss Sanders anymore because it’s is literally the ONLY thing we fight about. Literally. It’s been a year and we’ve only ever had three fights and every. single. one. about Bernie.
Sorry for the novel and thanks for allowing me to vent. Sigh.
I’m currently ignoring a Not All Men post on FB by someone who literally compares the Me Too with blaming all Muslims for terrorism.
I’m not going to engage, because I do not have the f*cking energy. Why bother? If all he hears in this is It’s All About Me, then he isn’t going to be capable of better.
This is why I flinch every time another white woman whines about White Feminist comments. FGS, we ALL live in this culture. I try damn hard not to be a White Feminist but I am well aware I will fail sometimes. Because I grew up in this culture white. How can I not fail, in that situation? How can I possibly understand the breadth and depth of experiences I have not had to share? The least I can do is suck it up and listen.
As with those women, the male feminists are always the most indignant at being told about anything men have done. They want a cookie because they aren’t actively raping women.
@SilverUnicorn keep on going. I hear you.
Please stay de-lurked, darling!
And *hugs*.
@SilverUnicorn, my heart hurts for you. As a woman and a survivor, so much of what you said resonates deeply with me. But the most striking part of your post for me was, “I am unattractive— because it makes me wonder if you are measuring your beauty on the patriarchy’s scale. Now it might seem like this site is an odd place to be making an argument against superficiality, but it feels to me like there is a supportive sisterhood going on (even though I mostly lurk). Please know you are worth so much more than how you feel you look. Be good to yourself. Take things a day at a time, and if you need to, moment by moment. If you are ok with hugs, I’m sending you a big one.
@ SilverUnicorn-I’ve missed your comments greatly. Sigh. Your post broke my heart. Lots and lots of hugs and positive wishes for continued healing. I would imagine the past week has been incredibly trying for you. We are standing by in solidarity ♥
Hugs and hugs to you.
You aren’t unattractive. I refuse to believe that no matter what you say. Men don’t get to tell us we are not attractive and they don’t get to set the standard.
I am sorry you were hurt and abused so horribly, and you are right. We need to be angry and stay angry.
You aren’t alone. None of us are as long as we support each other and listen.
Stick around you have wise words. 🙂
SilverUnicorn, that’s hideous and I am so incredibly sorry you went through that.
The shrieks that women should report or its on them… the blind determination to find a woman to blame is incredible. The risks women who report take are immense, in so many ways.
@kitten. I mostly read the theads here and I only make a comment every once in awhile. I just wanted to say that I always like to read your comments and your view on the world, and totally agree with you. This isn’t a problem that women are responsible for fixing, it’s the men that are responsible to fix the social system of patriarchy.
As women I am not a free person.
I always have to watch my back. If I’m in a crowded area I have to be aware that someone can start pushing their parts against me.
I can never go outside when it’s dark (or even during the day) without watching my back and I can never know that I’m safe if I’m alone with a strange man. I don’t know how many times I’ve had strangers masturbate infront of me. The first time I was only 6yrs old. And I been pushed in to having, men have tried to force me, and I’ve been in relationchips were my boyfriend have gone mad if I accidently made contact with other men. I saved that problem by always walking with my had down watching the street.
At work I will have to tread careful to not let men think I’m available but at the same time not make that stand in the way of my career (I’m in the entertainment business in Sweden). I often have to say that I’m married in the beginning of a conversation because a lot of men wont hit on a “taken” woman out of respect for their husband but just a no from me wont stop them.
English is not my first language and I’m a bit angry right now after reading how many of my friend on have been haressed and assaulted (even though I knew that this is the world we live with). It’s really time for men to step up and to say no.
So I’m not a free person.
@kitten. I mostly read the theads here and I only make a comment every once in awhile. I just wanted to say that I always like to read your comments and your view on the world, and totally agree with you. This isn’t a problem that women are responsible for fixing, it’s the men that are responsible to fix the social system of patriarchy.
As women I am not a free person.
I always have to watch my back. If I’m in a crowded area I have to be aware that someone can start pushing their parts against me.
I can never go outside when it’s dark (or even during the day) without watching my back and I can never know that I’m safe if I’m alone with a strange man. I don’t know how many times I’ve had strangers masturbate infront of me. The first time I was only 6yrs old. And I been pushed in to having, men have tried to force me, and I’ve been in relationchips were my boyfriend have gone mad if I accidently made contact with other men. I saved that problem by always walking with my had down watching the street.
At work I will have to tread careful to not let men think I’m available but at the same time not make that stand in the way of my career (I’m in the entertainment business in Sweden). I often have to say that I’m married in the beginning of a conversation because a lot of men wont hit on a “taken” woman out of respect for their husband but just a no from me wont stop them.
English is not my first language and I’m a bit angry right now after reading how many of my friend on have been haressed and assaulted (even though I knew that this is the world we live with). It’s really time for men to step up and to sa@kitten. I mostly read the theads here and I only make a comment every once in awhile. I just wanted to say that I always like to read your comments and your view on the world, and totally agree with you. This isn’t a problem that women are responsible for fixing, it’s the men that are responsible to fix the social system of patriarchy.
As women I am not a free person.
I always have to watch my back. If I’m in a crowded area I have to be aware that someone can start pushing their parts against me.
I can never go outside when it’s dark (or even during the day) without watching my back and I can never know that I’m safe if I’m alone with a strange man. I don’t know how many times I’ve had strangers masturbate infront of me. The first time I was only 6yrs old. And I been pushed in to having, men have tried to force me, and I’ve been in relationchips were my boyfriend have gone mad if I accidently made contact with other men. I saved that problem by always walking with my had down watching the street.
At work I will have to tread careful to not let men think I’m available but at the same time not make that stand in the way of my career (I’m in the entertainment business in Sweden). I often have to say that I’m married in the beginning of a conversation because a lot of men wont hit on a “taken” woman out of respect for their husband but just a no from me wont stop them.
English is not my first language and I’m a bit angry right now after reading how many of my friend on have been haressed and assaulted (even though I knew that this is the world we live with). It’s really time for men to step up and to say no.
So I’m not a free person.
Men have to sort out this mess
Scott Rosenberg’s facebook post almost deserves a post by itself. He was the most honest from the industry shedding light into the sanctimonious hypocrisy. He evens calls up on Meryl Streep’s lies without saying her name.
Yes, I just read his post, and it was amazing. I’m done with the denials from the Hollywood bigwigs. They knew, and their denials reek of wanting to save their own skin and careers and not really caring about the victims. I would recommend reading it for an isnide look at why people turned a blind eye.
He made a lot of people a lot of money and that usually trumps any bad behavior. He’ll have to go away for a few years, lay low, and probably won’t have the same level of power/prestige, but he will be back.
..and he knows way too much.
And behind the scenes all the other scumbags are calling to say “we’re with you bro, this will blow over, you’ll be back big guy” in the hope of holding him off long enough so that he doesn’t take them all with him. Personally I’m hoping his vindictiveness and spite will ensure that he does just that when it finally dawns on him he really is finished.
This is exactly how I’ve been picturing the interactions between the Hollywood bros and Wankstain.
I bet he is threatening people, in fact I know he is that is why he was stripped. They are trying to make sure he can’t come back. Cowardly but I hope it works.
I can’t help wondering if he won’t write some huge expose. Because he will genuinely not get that what he did was wrong precisely because other people did it too, and/or knew that he was. And if they won’t protect him, he may well want to punish them, if that’s all he has left in his arsenal.
Part of me hopes he does. I don’t want him to have the satisfaction, but he could take a lot of people who need it down with him.
Freudian slip there, reins to reigns?
We see you Dog, and you aren’t coming back.
Without a criminal or civil conviction I suspect he may have grounds for returning to his company, or at least suing for unfair dismissal – as it stands there is nothing but accusations (which let me be clear, I believe), and certainly his legal team would argue that?
I suspect that if he manages to return to The Weinstein company it will finish the company completely. Knowing what is public knowledge so far who would want to associate themselves with him?
Of course the firing itself can be illegal. He could also blackmail them into taking it back by threatning to release info on all the other people there. But he still needs people willing to work with him and he needs people to give him money. I really dont think that will happen.
Weistein name on a film is finished. He was just taken off of the Paddyington Bear 2 film , all credits of Weinstein removed.
I am hoping to see the criminal charges begin to be filed soon. With all these rape accusations, the next step is for one or more of the victims to press charges…and hopefully lock him up. Way too late for sorry and a little rehab in prep for a comeback that will never happen. Harvey is done.
I know zero about laws surrounding all of this, but I wonder if all of his victims could file civil suits and at least bankrupt him?
I’ve been wondering this too. How many are needed for a class action lawsuit?
That is a possible solution and I hope they do it.
I think he’ll go to Europe and set up shop like Roman Polanski and work from there.
I can’t think of anywhere in Europe who would want him.
He may set up shop behind another person in the industry’s name in Europe. Has the PalmD’or Canne’s Film Festival organization or committee kicked him to the curb yet?
Just wondering?
Look at Polanski, they give him Awards still. It’s crazy.
If Scotland Yard gets enough evidence to bring charges, he won’t go anywhere in Europe. He’d be brought to the UK for trial under a European Arrest Warrant. Even after Brexit.
@ Sixer, my hope is for Scotland Yard, they successfully prosecuted abusers in the wake of Saville, I’m hoping they can pull it off with this POS, as well.
Well, thanks to Savile and Operation Yewtree, the Met does now have the infrastructure and the trained officers to get prosecutions if it’s at all possible. We can but hope.
Harvey is insane. He ruined too many powerful men’s good time, and they will happily keep backing the bus up to throw him back under it in perpetuity. If only as an example of excess.
I am feeling cynical about anyone suddenly giving a tinker’s damn about the women he attacked, used and terrified. They are upset it is now public knowledge.
Gavin Polone made a very good point. People need to have long, hard look at Disney, Bob, etc. My fear is that the entertainment journalists will just avoid it though since they will worry about having set visits and interviews curtailed for future Disney projects.
Momentarily toxic? I don’t think so! He’s like nuclear waste, toxic for a thousand years. I’m hoping that there will be lawsuits against him personally, and his company. I hope he has to pay huge settlements, and that his wife walks away with the rest of his money in a divorce. I hope he ends up penniless and homeless, the drunk who other barflies laugh at as he brags of past glories
We have people defending Roman Polanski and voting for Trump. Don’t count Harvey out yet.
The disgusting thing is – he is probably right.
Hollywood loves a good “redemption” story and while they are really feeling their woke, self righteous feelings right now, the bottom line is this guy is a money maker and he get results and that is all that really matters to the studio heads. He’ll slime his way back in some form or another.
Let’s not fool ourselves, the only reason he got nailed is because he’s not raking in as much dough any more:
http://nypost.com/2017/10/14/this-one-incident-sums-up-how-hollywood-feels-about-women/
Keifer Sutherland – serious alcoholic if you believe the tabloids – continued to work on “24”.
Charlie Sheen – big-time substance user, possible wife abuser and gun-toting idiot based on the tabloids – look how long Two and a Half Men ran. A woman pulling that S#(+ would probably have been out on her A$$ long before their shows fizzled out.
Both. Still. Working. Etc, Etc, Etc ad nauseum. Despite all the talent out in Hollywood that could perform just as well without being a$$hats about it.
What does Harvey Weinstein get? He gets “professional help”.
What does Woody Allen get? He gets “counselling.”
Roman Polanski? Forgiveness and being able to whine about a comfortable exile in Europe.
What do the victims get – freaking years of bad memories.
Disgusted. I think men had better just not lecture me or so much as look sideways until Trump (Pence, etc. on down the line) is out of power. These men are not as strong as we are. They could not withstand these abuses and walk upright.
For all of those who believe the suicidal story here’s the proof that he’s not. The proof was there from the beginning, he has absolutely no remorse for what he’s done.
I think Harvey and his brother Bob are in cahoots together. Bob playing yet another “victim” of Harvey in the public so that their company is not affected and later on bring Harvey back to the company.
He’s dreaming.
I believe he will be back. Hollywood has a short memory and they love the underdog.
I do too. He can make too much money for too many people for them to banish him forever.
What I find most repulsive about Hollywood, after the serial rapists and pedophiles, is how two-faced everyone is. Gavin Polone and Scott Rosenberg and hundreds of others will jump on the bandwagon and call Weinstein a pig today. But if he is refurbished and reappears they will have not ONE SPECK of a problem working with him again.
Hypocrites all.
100%
I don’t really believe Weistein could have even in his most influential could have destroyed Variety or Hollywood Reporter, they are such huge established magazines for the industry. More like some people working for them did it care enough to take a risk when people in Hollywood are kind of used to similar behavior.
Watch out põrN0 movie industry – Swinestein Productions may be opening soon.
Not everyone who messes up so royally makes a comeback though. Anthony Wiener tried a few times to reenter politics and every single time his inability to quit his sexting was his downfall. Now he’s in jail for sexting inappropriate content to a minor. I realize Anthony Wiener was not as a big of a player in politics as Harvey Weinstein was in movies. But there’s always hope.
Not at all surprised he thinks that. White male entitlement, esp the rich ones, is a helluva drug.
Maybe he also thinks this is just a blip that time will overcome because he’s holding cards that could take large numbers of serious power players down with him? Not so much a case of entitlement or self-delusion, more Weinstein publicly letting it be known that if they wash their hands of him, they should prepare themselves for equally ‘merciless’ retribution.
Which actually would be the ideal outcome here. Let them all burn.
All narcissists are delusional.
Plus now that he sees himself as the victim, betrayed by his wife, brother and board, his paranoia will cause him to further self-destruct.
He will be so hypervigilant that he will be unable to establish the relationships so necessary for his line of work.
I’m not surprised he thinks this way, and I’m sure there are those that would welcome him back if the $$$ was enough. But I think this has been a big enough story that he’s done in Hollywood.
But don’t forget he’s not the only one.
The fact that Woody Allen and Roman Polanski are still working tells me that Weinstein can make a comeback after a suitable amount of time in the doghouse.
He has no chance for a comeback. He was done the day both Jolie & Paltrow shared their sexual harassment stories. Plus his harassment stories has affected Clooney, Streep, Winslet, Dench, Damon, Lawrence, Glenn Close & other A Listers…I’m not including the Afflecks…their trouble for their own reasons, that they will never work with him again. I only including Damon because of his ridiculous statement he issued in response to reports he killed a 2004 story about Weinstein. But there’s been nothing to indicate he’s problematic like Ben is…ie substance abuse, groping women…he’s not woke. I know that before anyone comments.
Hollywood needs to take a zero tolerance approach towards all known sex offenders and their apologists.
The nail was in the coffin when Katzenberg published the letter. Notice that is when the deluge began because it was a signal that boyfriend was done. I think Bob has a significant stake in making sure it is permanent.
“Polone lists all of the people and organizations who enabled Weinstein” — this is what needs to be reported more. People complain that posters (including me, I admit) call out actors or actresses for working with Weinstein and enabling his continued career instead of calling out the “money” behind the scenes. But I think most of us don’t know who the money behind the scenes is, or the agents, producers, etc., who enabled him. We would call them out too, if we knew.
He could also think he’s an aubergine. Doesn’t make him an aubergine. Just reacting to the headline.
He might want to worry more about criminal proceedings before deluding himself about a comeback.
I bet he thinks not taking anyone down with him is going to protect him when these pervos in waiting legit need a scapegoat.
For years and years I never understood how his wife which is aboslutely stunning and breathtaking married this monster. He gave out such a bad vibe and was repulsive, all before the news broke about his tactics. To be married to this pig and find out all the things he has done, is sickening…
I was also thinking…Okay..many women are coming out saying they had no clue, they heard some whispers but nothing about rapes and assaults, and then others are coming out and saying they were assaulted..
but I’m sure that there are hundreds of young women that would do anything to give their dream of having a career in Hollywood a boost and for them letting this big, fat, ugly monster masturbate watching them, or giving him a bj, or whatever “sexual” favor he asked for is a small price to pay next to getting a big role, or becoming a big star.
So I’m absolutely sure that a lot of Hollywood stars gave in to him, and that’s the other side of the story and the big secret behind the Shhhhh…don’t talk because they were mortified this would come out and the truth would shine. That their big break came from him and because at some point in the beginning, they said yes to his demands. Imagine being one of the many “Stars” that said yes and got their break from Weinstein, how they are feeling now, the shame that they were naive, or weak, or that they tried the easy road to have a career and not because they deserved that part, but because they were the flavor of the month. What do they do now? How do they respond? Because I haven’t seen one come out and say yes, I said yes, I gave in..It will destroy their career. The sacrifice will be worth nothing. So what do they do now? Lie? Say they had no idea? Say they are shocked?
I can’t help but look at every known actress and think did she give in, is that why she became huge, or ohhhh now I understand why all of sudden some actresses disappeared from the scene..I feel like I’m trying to solve the Hollywood mystery all of a sudden, and every day more news and confessions are coming out. Crazy times..
This story is HUGE and it affects almost every actor-actress in Hollywood. This story is going to have a huge domino effect, like nothing we’ve ever seen before..
I’m glad that the truth will finally shed a light on this dark well known secret.
Good points-yikes!
“…huge, or ohhhh now I understand why all of sudden some actresses disappeared from the scene..I feel like I’m trying to solve the Hollywood mystery all of a sudden…”
Seriously. One of the most horrifying things about this is how Weinstein had the power to make actresses with everything ahead of them essentially disappear or never happen. It’s like following a caught serial killer’s trail—in hindsight, the pattern and number of victims is plain as day.
The guy is a delusional narcissist. He’s been kicked out of AMPAS, the PG, BAFTA… it’s totally unprecedented. He could try to come back and make small movies with little known people in a few years (if he isn’t in gaol) but he won’t get anywhere near the adult’s table again.
Hollywood liked Gibson, thus they wanted him to redeem himself. He generally treated people well until he totally went off the rails, which means it’s easier for them to write off his behaviour as an isolated incident that didn’t have anything to do with the industry, make him pay penance for a while and then welcome him back. Hollywood never, ever liked Weinstein, they tolerated him because he made money. He’s hurt a massive number of people over many years and damaged the industry’s reputation too. There’s a huge sense of schadenfreude now.
Why hasnt he been charged with a crime yet? What are they waoting for? The 1000th person to come forward abkut his aweful behavior?
I agree with @msd: Weinstein might be able to make small movies with little known people in a few years but that’s it. But I don’t think that’ll be enough for his ego.
Here is the thing everyone keeps overlooking:
As disgusting as Roman Polanski, Woody Allen and Mel Gibson are? They are still talent. Their films can garner Oscars for their actors, studios, etc. What is Harvey Weinstein’s talent? He is the money guy. He’s a bully. He is replaceable. Those other creeps are much harder to replace and have alot more to offer.
So no I don’t think Weinstein has any chance at making a comeback in Hollywood. At *best* he could privately finance a film but would that make him happy? Like all good narcissists he loves the attention. He wants to be in the mix and hobnobbing with the stars. That will *never* happen again. Even if his money isn’t toxic he himself is.