Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST WEEK, NEWS broke that a series of sexual assault allegations had been meted against Hollywood power-player Harvey Weinstein. The claims span nearly three decades and put the once-revered producer of films like Pulp Fiction and Sex, Lies and Videotape at the centre of one of the biggest scandals to shake the film world in years.
According to the New York Times report, the allegations come mainly from young girls who had been struggling to break into the industry and include Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan and Asia Argento. Accusations levelled against the 65-year-old run the gamut of sexual harassment – from forcing women to massage him and watch him naked to, in more severe cases, forcibly performing or receiving oral sex and forcing vaginal sex.
Harvey Weinstein’s position at The Weinstein Company has been terminated but the prolific producer’s response to the claims remains conflicted. “The way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologise for it”, Weinstein said, before later refuting the New York Times report.
Rumours circulating for years
Rumours about Weinstein’s aggressive sexual behaviour have been circulating Hollywood for years. Reports indicate that people either abetted his actions or stood by and said nothing.
This, after all, was the co-founder of the production-and-distribution companies Miramax and the Weinstein Company, the magnanimous benefactor of countless charities and the champion of the Democratic Party. Weinstein had the power to make or break careers and people were cowed by that.
The most shocking thing is that this is nothing new. Since the dawn of Hollywood, women have been made to feel that this kind of behaviour is the norm, that it is necessary for them to get a tougher skin, that tolerating lewd remarks or worse is all part of the sacrifice of making it.
Budding actresses are often plunged into the queasy dilemma of extricating themselves from an uncomfortable situation without damaging the ego of the person who could make them a star. This predatory power-play lurking behind the silver screen is a lurid example of workplace harassment everywhere.
Undertone that success lessens abuse
What makes it more complicated is that all this seediness is inextricably linked with films adored by the public and accolades won by the cast. There is a disturbing undertone that somehow success or “art” lessens the weight of abuse.
Take the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Woody Allen and Roman Polanski whose careers have long been mired in controversy and conjecture. These figures are largely veiled by their work. The public doesn’t want their favourite film tainted by something unsavoury and so they laud the art rather than demonise the artist. And it’s not just the audience that is guilty of this tacit compliance.
Hollywood predators are often responsible for winning people their Oscars. “I have great respect for Harvey as an artist, and owe him and his brother a debt of gratitude for the early success in my career, including the Oscar,” actress Mira Sorvino told the New Yorker as an explanation for why she has struggled with whether to report Weinstein’s unwelcome overtures for so many years.
Wrapped up with all that fear and revulsion is an uneasy gratitude. Things are hushed up, people are paid off and the cycle continues.
On shaky ground finally
Lena Dunham tweeted: “Hollywood shines light on Catholic Church, sex trafficking – let’s shine it on ourselves a second and what we’ve condoned.” Tinsel Town’s misogynistic bullies may finally be on shaky ground. The whole world is watching. The film industry’s dirty little secret has become a glaring, unavoidable truth and women are rallying together in shock and horror.
The resounding battle-cry from Lena Dunham, Rose McGowan and other heroes is that women will not tolerate this anymore. Actresses can step out from the shadow of men and make their own success. Hollywood has always been the first to interrogate things that are “wrong”.
Just listen to any awards acceptance speech for a litany of ways to better the world – from climate pontificating to Trump bashing. But now Hollywood is forced to interrogate itself. And the industry is doing this not just through public statements but through the production of fresh art.
New wave of cinematic feminists
Creatives are channelling all that jaded, dispirited feeling about the industry’s sexism into film. Chief amongst this new wave of cinematic feminists are Claire Bermingham and Dani Alvarado.
Fed up with the whole scene and disheartened by the endless stream of rejections, crummy one-directional roles and unwelcome advances from big-name creeps, they decided to put their energy into a project of their own. The result, Lost Beneath the Stars (which they have written, produced and starred in) blithely showcases the truth behind the veneer. This is the kind of work we need now more than ever.
Anna Timoney is a lifestyle writer and advertising copywriter splitting her time between London and Margate. Lost Beneath the Stars is heading to the Warsaw International Film Festival but win or lose, Claire and Danny have firmly established themselves as Hollywood’s new guard of feisty stars. Lost Beneath the Stars will be released Spring 2018. Black Cove, a thriller/horror, will be shot in Ireland in 2018.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Any chance of some balanced journalism and report on the siege by Turkey and its head hacking allies in Afrin?
Indiscriminate bombing? Check
Civilians being massacred? Check
Lots of kids being blown to bits? Check
Maybe it’s too real and the status quo is afraid Call it for what it is, 100 years since the Greek and Armenian genocide, the Turkish establishment haven’t lost their Mongol slaying instincts
@Chicinho Hear Hear!!! But balanced journalism doesnt fit the US led Neoliberal western agenda..
@Nigel O’Neill: It’s actually a Neo-con agenda being delivered by neo- lib reporters who are owned by Neo- cons. You couldn’t make it up.
@Chicinho: The lack of media coverage of what’s going on in Afrin is disgraceful. It’s been under bombardment for weeks now, and has had no water for over a week since Turkey shut of supply from a nearby dam and treatment plant. All we hear in MSM is Turkey’s version of events. And it’s not like the US are nowhere to be seen as their allies are slaughtered. They are actually watching from a few Km’s away and not lifting a finger to intervene. Disgusting.
@Chicinho: Not to mention Zionist Israel getting the US to fight a proxy regime change war to install a puppet president. The UN previously recognized Assad’s Syria until Israel and the US decided he should go. Putin is no saint but I’m glad he stuck in there because otherwise they would have establish anew front in Iran and that would not be nice for anyone.
@JimmyMc:
Don’t forget Fake News RTE.
Goal are really taking sides in this complex 6 year civil war….Seeing things from the Sunni Jahadi side…..Many of the 400000 civilians in Ghouta don’t support the Sunni Jahadi and wish they would take up the offer from Syrian army to surrender and safe passage to another rebel held area to fight on…..Saudi Arabia and Qatar have armed and trained many of these rebels in Saudi proxy war against Iran…..Whatever about been democratic moderate rebels at start of conflict as John Kerry and Joe Biden called them….For many years they are Sunni Jahadi similiar to IS…..Very wrong of Goal to support them…
@John003: well said
@Jamie Thornton: ‘Sunni jihadists similar to IS’. and backed by the US of course. why can’t journalists report it like it is? because they are owned by corporate greed who have no concept of people suffering.
The official policy of the west – ‘Regime change’ for Syria has been stymied by Russian military intervention. This policy of Regime change, has involved Britain, the Us and and their allies arming and promoting ‘ moderate rebels’ to destabilize the Syrian Government and destroy the country and it’s people. These moderate rebels are terrorists. The west, for all it’s talk of freedom and Liberty and morality, has descended into a pit of double standards, lies and murder. Everyone who has backed the west’s narrative is also in this pit of blood and shares responsibility – this includes the media here in Ireland and around the world esp. state propaganda outlets like RTE and the BBC.
It is no wonder there is huge anti Russian sentiment at the moment as they have ruined the complete destruction of Syria for western and Israeli geopolitical goals.
@raymond grehan: This is not in interest of Israel ….Obama administration did train and arm the rebels in early days of conflict….It was in Jordan not Israel….This Syrian civil war has been a disaster for Israel …. Iran’s proxy army are now on their border with Syria as well as in Lebonan….Israel are close to the Druse in Syria who support Assad….Jews are not stupid supporting a Sunni Jahadi takeover of Syria with one of the main groups Al Nusra in charge would be disaster for Isreal….One of the few things Sunni and Shia agree on is destruction of Israel….Only group Israel support are the Kurds in Northern Syria….
@raymond grehan: well said
@Raymond well said and to add also that this is in Black n white, its not a conspiracy theory. Go check out the white paper named ‘Project for the new American Century’..it tells you all you need.
Sounds like another Whitehelmet story.
work is going well to cleans the Islamic terrorism when you here this propaganda.
@Jamie Exactly. Have you ever wondered why there are none such articles with inside stories from people in Yemen ?? They have been under constant bombardment by US backed Saudi forces for months and months now and theres a humanitarian crisis underway. I recall a funeral of a family member killed by a dropped bomb and then they blew up the funeral home while all the mourners were there, as one example
@Nigel O’Neill: I know nigel its a sad state of affairs in Yemen at the moment and will be for a long time as long as the UK USA are backing the slaughter.
@Nigel O’Neill:
May and the British have blood on their hands. They are arming the Saudi killers.
That’s why I can’t take their self-righteousness about the Rusian guy seriously.
In the future the world should look back in shame on events in Syria, which were utterly preventable.
@Walt the events are awful but whi exactly should be ashamed for what exactly?
@Nigel O’Neill: the apathy
@Walt Jabsco:
Yes because getting involved in regime change has work out so well in the past.. #Iraq
@Walt Jabsco: don’t know what to believe anymore. The American paid “rebels” fight on, and the Syrian government drops bombs. I’m sure it’s awful, but the dripfed white-helmet type nonsense doesn’t get attention anymore. No Twitter in Yemen it seems.
These people are trying to drag us into their war. If they want to stop the violence, they should call on their jihadi buddies to leave Ghouta, and to set the civilian population there free.
I’m sick of all the chancers that have spring up–Whiite Helmets etc. A few months back I saw video of the White Helmets (they took off the helmets) cutting off the head of a Palestinian kid. I have no sympathy for them now.
Goal are an extension of the US foreign policy nexus…always have been.
have your say