Harvey Weinstein-the start of something?

[Estrella]

I read this yesterday about Affleck and Damon: https://www.google.com.au/amp/www.refin ... on-you-lie

[Lily]

God. He sounds almost DESPERATE in that audio, sometimes.

I wondered not long ago what happened to Mira Sorvino after the huge success of Mighty Aphrodite.

[Marth]

I don't really think it is much more fair to blame male actors than female ones though, do you? I know it did not happen to them personally, and I appreciated that at least some of them must have known, but as much as a female actor's career was on the line so would a male actor's have been if they had spoken up against a powerful producer. I also think it will have been compartmentalised, so that George Clooney might well have known what had happened to Gwyneth but would not have seen the complete picture. The blame lies with the perpetrator and I think his company, as they must have covered for him.

I agree with this. Perhaps Clooney thought it was a one-off years ago; he's not the one to be angry at.

This is interesting though I think. I mean, its commonly understood that it's not really enough to do nothing when you have privilege/power. For example as white people it's seen to be not enough to be "non racist", we really need to be "anti" racist, actively against racism, willing to speak out, challenge, oppose because we have the structural safety that being white affords us. Active allies really. This way of thinking is applied to every "minority" really apart from women (I know we are not a minority) and I often wish more than anything for more men to stand out and shout against misogyny because horrible as it is, other men will then learn and listen.

[Ruby]

I have thoughts about this that are just bouncing around my head and are yet to form any kind of cogent argument. The shocked-and-horrified is annoying me, and so is the 'I have daughters so this matters to me'.

I feel like there's a bizarre hypocrisy at work when people like Roman Polanski and Woody Allen still get work and plaudits. And Arnie has had multiple sexual harassment charges. And fucking TRUMP! Why is anybody even pretending to be surprised?

I'm struggling to summon up fresh horror or outrage because this literally happens every single day and NOTHING CHANGES.

[Turtle Bean]

The front page of the Daily Mail today is disgusting. If you don't want to give them clicks it is on the BBC papers today bit.

[Ella77]

I agree, Ruby. It's everywhere, across every sector. The "surprise" is disingenuous.

[smalex]

Yes, I kind of feel like that too. Stories of the hollywood 'casting couch' are as old as the invention of Hollywood, so c'mon, who's actually surprised? And that's putting aside that this is everyday shit. Its loads of men, its loads of women, in every walk of life.

[ParisGal]

They've just made a bio-pic of Gaugin, starring Vincent Cassel, which paints a rosy and blameless picture of the painter going over to Tahiti riddled with syphilis aged 43, and "marrying" a 13 year old plus frequently sleeping with other 14 year-olds. The actor says "It was different then" and clearly we're also supposed to think it's different when it's just non-white women too. But apparently it's not possible to even say that someone who's been dead for over 100 years was an amazing artist but a terrible human being and should have suffered some consequences.

/disclaimer - I've not actually seen the film but have read several articles and seen tv things talking about it/

[Marth]

Yep the shock is sickening. Ditto the same shite about the mass shootings.

[Mrs Danvers]

Yep the shock is sickening. Ditto the same shite about the mass shootings.

In this kind of vein, I also read an article that said something along the lines of the fact that we never talk about the fact that all the mass shootings are done by men.

[Mrs Danvers]

It wasn't

Code: Select all

this one 

but was along the same lines.

Essentially white male privilege kills and nothing is likely to change. Bear shits in woods, shocker.

[Mrs Danvers]

I'm not sure why I get that message when I try and embed hyperlinks. Has the way to do it change from =code?

https://thinkprogress.org/shootings-whi ... 8cfad534b/

[Bat Macdui]

Anyone who has ever read a Jackie Collins novel knows all this, yeah? I can't engage with this at all. Someone tell me if something out of the ordinary happens, like he doesn't actually get rehabilitated right back into the business after 3 weeks in a clinic and an appearance on a talk show wanging about being the victim of sex addiction.

[Zoomer]

Meanwhile, in France, Bernard Cantat, who punched his girlfriend to death is on the front cover of a major magazine promoting his new single. :woteva:

It was only a woman he killed, though, so that's ok.

[Mrs Danvers]

No! Fucking hell.

[Lily]

This is interesting though I think. I mean, its commonly understood that it's not really enough to do nothing when you have privilege/power. For example as white people it's seen to be not enough to be "non racist", we really need to be "anti" racist, actively against racism, willing to speak out, challenge, oppose because we have the structural safety that being white affords us. Active allies really. This way of thinking is applied to every "minority" really apart from women (I know we are not a minority) and I often wish more than anything for more men to stand out and shout against misogyny because horrible as it is, other men will then learn and listen.

I agree that we need to be SEEN to be vocal, men, women, misc but it isn't always so easy. I am ashamed by how pleased I am that so many men are speaking out, and that his wife is leaving him too.

A few years ago I was at a friend's house with her and her brother. A mate of theirs joined us. We all got a bit drunk and when he left he hugged me and then put his hand down the back of my pants. I was so shocked I didn't do anything. When the door shut behind him I was quiet for a bit then said to the others "He just put his hand down my pants". They went mental and asked why I hadn't said anything at the time (not blaming me) but it was so unexpected - it's not like when you pull yourself away from something which is burning you, which is an instinct. I felt so uncomfortable about even saying anything to them, I can't imagine what it would be like to be treated thus by such a hugely famous, charismatic, important man.

I saw the link about the producer saying it was an open secret and I thought she made it clear why women couldn't speak out. I can't imagine that anyone would have done anything if they had, to be honest. Just told them to stay away from him/not be alone with him.

[Estrella]

Meanwhile, in France, Bernard Cantat, who punched his girlfriend to death is on the front cover of a major magazine promoting his new single. :woteva:

It was only a woman he killed, though, so that's ok.

I really fucking despair. Really. That’s appalling.

[Estrella]

Lils, that flashes me back to teenage years going to gigs and being crushed up front and random guys shoving their hands up my top and having a grope. I never did anything about it :shame: Now I’d turn round and give them what for. I recall this coming up on here and realising that it wasn’t just me.

[Ella77]

tell me if something out of the ordinary happens, like he doesn't actually get rehabilitated right back into the business after 3 weeks in a clinic and an appearance on a talk show wanging about being the victim of sex addiction.

Word seems to be that much of the reason he's got away with it for so long (and the main reason he thinks he'll be back to a normal life within a couple of weeks) is that he's exactly the sort of person who has a LOT of dirt on a lot of other people, and won't hesitate to leak it (apparently he has form for this already). Rather shines a spotlight on some of the people who have been especially slow to condemn him, doesn't it?

[Lily]

Lils, that flashes me back to teenage years going to gigs and being crushed up front and random guys shoving their hands up my top and having a grope. I never did anything about it :shame: Now I’d turn round and give them what for. I recall this coming up on here and realising that it wasn’t just me.

Yes. It just seemed to be the norm. It would never have occurred to me to say anything about it or protest. I've posted before about a bloke grabbing my breast in a club - I slapped him and he slapped me back, then I told the bouncer who told me not to make trouble. So, actually, until I came on here, I wouldn't have said anything if someone groped me. In fact I remember posting on here or Handbag being a bit "Eh? Why did the police get involved?" when a man was arrested for grabbing a woman's breasts and BEL said "It's horrible when someone does that" and I said that yes it was horrible but who was going to do anything about it? I genuinely thought it was something you just had to put up with as part of life.

Every young girl and boy should have TMT as a sounding board!