Harvey Weinstein: Why is it about so much more than Harvey Weinstein?

[Datepalm]

We don't seem to have a thread on this, which makes this, as far as I can tell, the single quietest corner of the internet with regard to the whole thing. This isn't to suggest that Weinstein doesn't appear to have been the perpetrator of a really long list of acts ranging from the heinous and criminal to the garden variety creep, or to minimize that, but why is this one such a big deal?

Apparently, this is a watershed moment for feminism and equality, a point where everything will change and sexual harassment, objectification and belittling officially become a thing of the past, AND, also, somehow a staggering revelation with regard to deep fault lines in the very concept of liberalism and alltogether the dawn of a new age. (for example, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/21/harvey-weinstein-liberal-world?CMP=fb_gu)

What am I missing? Why is this particular guy - whose name, I swear, I had never heard in my life before this month - front page news around the world for weeks on end? Is it because of the hollywood associations and famous names involved? The tittilation? A distraction from Trump? I just don't understand what makes this particular scandal weathervane for all of politics, feminism and culture, apparently.

[kairparavel]

Because he's one of the most powerful men in Hollywood that has ever been. And he's been protected by a conspiracy of silence since Day One. Because it's full-on public confirmation of the long-held beliefs about the 'casting couch'. Because he's the tip of the iceberg and if he can finally be outed, it will hopefully spell doom for his peers who subscribe to the same philosophy of abusing power and position. SPOILER It won't, but it's a nice thought. 

[maarsen]

I would guess in s small way Trump is responsible. People look at Trump and realize that for all his misogyny,  he still managed to gain a position of power. I suppose those that were waiting for things to get better suddenly realized that there is no point in waiting for someone else to solve the problem.  The thought could be that they could not wait anymore for others to fix the situation but that they needed to stand up for themselves. And so they did.

[DMC]

On top of what's already been said, it maximizes the internet's outrage capacity as all sides have reason to be appalled and/or revel in the downfall of a liberal tycoon.  Plus the fame aspect traffics the scandal to non-political consumers, generating ubiquity.

[Altherion]

2 hours ago, Datepalm said:

What am I missing? Why is this particular guy - whose name, I swear, I had never heard in my life before this month - front page news around the world for weeks on end? Is it because of the hollywood associations and famous names involved? The tittilation? A distraction from Trump? I just don't understand what makes this particular scandal weathervane for all of politics, feminism and culture, apparently.

By far the most important reason is that the media mostly lives in its own society and the events of this society are far more important to them than whatever is going on outside. I'd never heard of this guy either, but apparently he was a titan of this miniature world and his fall warrants more attention (and longer lasting attention!) than the murder of over 350 people in the attack on Mogadishu or anything else in the real world.

In addition, there's an uncommon confluence of factors which makes media outlets of various ideologies maximize coverage of this story. The left is interested in doing so for obvious reasons, but Breitbart et al are also interested in dragging it out because to them, it is an opportunity to expose the hypocrisy of Hollywood and run a bunch of stories about how various celebrities (whom their audience despises) almost certainly knew for a long time.

[Rippounet]

Two reasons I would say:
1) There is always some popular glee when the rich and powerful fall. And Weinstein seems to have been quite powerful in his own little world.
2) It reflects the larger issue of how sexual predators benefit from the silence of the majority, and how this type of behavior is far more tolerated than we generally believe it is.

Plus, as has been said, it's an issue that can be easily politicized by both left and right.
I didn't know who this guy was either btw.

[Darth Richard II]

4 hours ago, kairparavel said:

Because he's one of the most powerful men in Hollywood that has ever been. And he's been protected by a conspiracy of silence since Day One. Because it's full-on public confirmation of the long-held beliefs about the 'casting couch'. Because he's the tip of the iceberg and if he can finally be outed, it will hopefully spell doom for his peers who subscribe to the same philosophy of abusing power and position. SPOILER It won't, but it's a nice thought. 

Yeah, this. You know that movie you like? He made that movie you like.

[Dr. Pepper]

I was familiar with the Weinstein name just because, as @Darth Richard II says, his name is slathered all over every single movie.  

This will change society the same way rich mostly white movie stars demand pay equity has changed society.  Meaning, it won't.  Gretchen Wilson opened up the way for taking down powerful men who harass women when she took on Roger Ailes and that trend has continued.  But again, it's for rich, mostly white, women.  It's great that these powerful men are being revealed for their crimes, and I'm glad their victims will get some measure of justice or relief.  I just wonder about the rest of the women, the average woman.  People like Angelina Jolie aren't harmed by speaking up now.  They are powerful enough that they can do this.  What about Jane the Plumber or Financial Broker?  She can't, she'd probably be fired or ostracized.  It happens everyday.  When Jane the Accountant can out a sexual harasser without fear of reprisal, I'd say that's when we can congratulate a fundamental change in society.  Better yet if the sexual harassment never happens to begin with.

Also, can we just talk about the male response for a second?  Like, there was a lot of silence, and those who weren't silence typically had plenty of video evidence that they've been nasty fucks in the past, too.  So much condemnation from men who needed to also be condemning themselves or else complete silence from others.  Not to mention the #mentoo, which was an offshoot of #metoo.  It's as bad as #notallmen.  I'm definitely all for discussing harassment or assault men have faced, but this was a moment in which women were trying to show how prevalent this shit is and how we're harmed by it everyday, and instead of something like #holdmeaccountable or #illdobetter, they had to insert themselves into the stories.  Ugh.  Nothing changes.

[Darth Richard II]

Oh fuck me sideways, I had not heard of #mentoo until just now. Just...fuck. Dear aliens, just blow us up already. We deserve it.

[Kelli Fury]

I don't know how any of you managed not to know who Harvey Weinstein was. He made basically every movie in the 90s and early 2000s. Every credits roll had his production company called by his last name or Miramax, which he founded with his brother. Basically every movie you ever loved.

[ants]

I knew the Miramax name.  Had no interest in who owned/ran it. 

[Mladen]

I think it is more about the fact that even those beautiful, rich women whom we deem powerful were subjected to sexual harassment and abuse. When I have read the news, I was amazed by the fact that likes of Jolie and Paltrow, who, like them or not, are big names were subjected to Weinstein's unwanted attention. On the other hand we have many ordinary women who didn't put up with the abuse and reported it. So, it gives a whole new perspective and kinda points out that Hollywood, for all its virtues and flaws, isn't that different from the rest of the business world.

The sad thing, proven by the sheer number of reports after this was revealed is how many of them actually went through that and how many others knew about it. We are not speaking about dozen of people, but actually hundreds and hundreds of individuals. This is more horrifying than anything. For them, this was OK. Or at least tolerable. He was so deeply rooted in Hollywood that he worked with everyone that matters in industry. I honestly have serious doubts that ALL of them, men and women, were feeling THAT threatened by him to stay quiet for so long. On the other hand, Variety had interview with Tarantino in which he basically said the most decent thing one can say about all of this. "I should have done more" (paraphrasing)

This was just another "First they came" case... Luckily for many new actresses, someone broke that vicious circle. 

 

[James Arryn]

To be completely fair to those who 'knew', in the entertainment industry there are like a million rumours about everyone, and gossip has historically been weaponized in Hollywood, so many people just kind of tune it all out. 

[Ormond]

8 hours ago, Kelli Fury said:

I don't know how any of you managed not to know who Harvey Weinstein was. He made basically every movie in the 90s and early 2000s. Every credits roll had his production company called by his last name or Miramax, which he founded with his brother. Basically every movie you ever loved.

I hate to break this to you, but very few moviegoers are film buffs who pay any attention to the credits. Whenever I go to a movie theater, the majority of viewers leave the theater when the credits start to roll, and though I myself often stay for them, I'm looking for the names of the actors and pay no attention to the producers. The average person doesn't pay attention to the names of Hollywood producers any more than he or she pays attention to the names of the CEOs of automobile companies or any other business.

[Yukle]

17 hours ago, Dr. Pepper said:

Also, can we just talk about the male response for a second?  Like, there was a lot of silence, and those who weren't silence typically had plenty of video evidence that they've been nasty fucks in the past, too.  So much condemnation from men who needed to also be condemning themselves or else complete silence from others.  Not to mention the #mentoo, which was an offshoot of #metoo.  It's as bad as #notallmen.  I'm definitely all for discussing harassment or assault men have faced, but this was a moment in which women were trying to show how prevalent this shit is and how we're harmed by it everyday, and instead of something like #holdmeaccountable or #illdobetter, they had to insert themselves into the stories.  Ugh.  Nothing changes.

It's also extremely and horrifically stupid when women take that side.

That lady whose name I don't respect enough to look up from the Big Bang Theory showed exactly why she is comfortable acting on the most misogynistic show on TV with her garbage about women bringing it on themselves.

[Dr. Pepper]

Roman Polanski has been accused of sexually assaulting yet another young child.  

He has a string of accusers and has admitted to at least one rape of a minor.  I remember how Hollywood sort of excused it at the time with stories of how he had such a hard life, what with the Holocaust, and his wife and baby being murdered and somehow that made it ok.  Hollywood rewarded him despite it all.  He still isn't shunned from Hollywood.  

[Dr. Pepper]

2 minutes ago, Yukle said:

It's also extremely and horrifically stupid when women take that side.

That lady whose name I don't respect enough to look up from the Big Bang Theory showed exactly why she is comfortable acting on the most misogynistic show on TV with her garbage about women bringing it on themselves.

OMG yes!  I couldn't believe it.  Ok, I guess I could but I had this weird idea that she was intelligent and so much have been decent.  Nope.  

[Dr. Pepper]

Excuse the triple post, but another story broke over the weekend or James Toback being accused of sexually harassing or assaulting at least 28 women.  As of now, the author of the story states that the number of women who have reached out to him has doubled.  Toback denies using the excuse that he couldn't have done any of it because he couldn't get a boner for the past two decades.  

https://www.mediaite.com/online/writerdirector-james-toback-accused-of-sexual-harassment-by-38-women/

[Mladen]

13 hours ago, James Arryn said:

To be completely fair to those who 'knew', in the entertainment industry there are like a million rumours about everyone, and gossip has historically been weaponized in Hollywood, so many people just kind of tune it all out. 

That makes sense, but the sheer number of women who were harassed by Weinstein is truly astounding. I mean from Paltrow and Jolie, over Judd and Lupita Nyongo all the way to Lena Heady. IDK whether Variety or Vanity Fair compiled all the testimonies and there were more than 50/60. With such number of high profile actresses being harassed by one man, I doubt they were able to just tune it out. It is just horrifying to what extent this went.

 

[Darth Richard II]

2 hours ago, Yukle said:

It's also extremely and horrifically stupid when women take that side.

That lady whose name I don't respect enough to look up from the Big Bang Theory showed exactly why she is comfortable acting on the most misogynistic show on TV with her garbage about women bringing it on themselves.

Big Bang Theory is blackface for nerds/people with autism.