Hollywood Sexual Harassment: Salem Witch Trials?

We all know that Hollywood has always been a bacchanalia of a sexual deviancy and casting couches. Fat producers getting some from sexy actresses has been par for the course since Hollywood started. I'm sure Shakespeare was dipping into the honey pot back in his day too. Certainly, many of the women were co-signing to further their careers right or wrong.

It seems like daily there is some new story coming out about some powerful Hollywood actor, director, or producer now being exposed/accused for sexually harassing some actress (or actor). Just saw a few about Dustin Hoffman and Jeremy Piven. Another about Andy Dick.

Part of me can't help but wonder if this is some sort of weird virtue signaling to boost clout or status for actresses or is it some type of Salem Witch Trial like frenzy where any little compliment (or consensual act) is now being taking as sexual harassment. Almost like some of these chicks gladly gave a BJ or two and thought nothing of it, now all of a sudden they've been triggered and what was once consensual is now sexual harassment. Or is it like when psychiatrist put false memories in people?

To be clear, I am not saying none of these women were sexually harassed. The frenzy and reporting just seems odd to me.

a reply to: Edumakated

It's about abuse of power.

A lot of it does seem a bit "engineered" but then again raising awareness about what sexual harassment is cannot be a bad thing.

It happens everywhere power exists, India had a big case recently where a guru was up for multiple sex charges, a lot of Indians figured that was all bs too, that was more of a cult following though.

As I see it, with the raising of awareness a lot of women (and men) are understanding just what constitutes as abuse of power and sexual harassment.

All humans have equal rights. It's that simple, many women feel powerless about sexual harassment, so do men.

At the same time though, the public love all this naming and shaming, I'm not sure about the journalistic integrity associated with naming and shaming people...

I mean if they have evidence they shouldn't be reporting but aiding police investigations, if they don't have evidence?

It's defamation.

I was talking to my wife about this last night.

While I do not doubt that Harassment and even rape and pedophilia runs rampant in Hollywood, and other institutions...but this thread is about Hollywood....I think there is something else going on.

I think people are jumping on the band wagon so as to be a part of "the cool kids victim club". It seems to be in fashion right now to be a member of the #metoo group, it is a badge of honor or status symbol. It also adds more media exposure for them and maybe even more money down the road.

Again, I do NOT condone those actions that have truly taken place by Weinstein or Spacey and anybody else. But I do think it has started to be more than just the truth coming out.

For example, I know Ashley Judd has been abused her whole life, and I truly feel for her...it was not fair to her at all. However, when they did the women's march the day after inauguration, she railed against Trump, who has never abused her, instead of coming out against Weinstein when she had the national platform to do so. In light of the Weinstein revelation and Ashley 's accusations after it came to light, it totally nullified that march as anything but political grandstanding, and actually mars the victims in actual assaults.

a reply to: Edumakated


Just heard on the radio that Dustin Hoffman was reported by a woman about harassing her in 1985 on a movie set, she was 17 at the time.

This whole frenzy today makes you wonder why it's being brought forward today.
Is Hollywood under attack?
Is somebody using this dirt for a reason?

a reply to: Edumakated

Just letting you know as an LA resident, the Hollyweird sex scandals has been well known in LA ever since the 80s. According to my professor, there are feminists that tried to bring up the issue but they were under-reported.

Also Howard Hughes (The aviator who also was a film producer), tried to make a movie about the Hollyweird sex scandals as far back as the 50s or 60s, but he got shot down for that.

He only survived thanks to his wealth and political connections. Ask ATS member SayonaraJupiter for more information on this.

I worked in Hollywood for a decade as an audio engineer. This is just the tip of the iceberg. As for Shakespeare dipping into the honey pot... women were not allowed on stage at the time, so... well, to each, his own.

As usual Hollywood's Left try to tell us how to live - but are in fact the scum of the Earth....

I'll play the devils advocate again.
Some, not all, These actors/actresses need a good look at and find at the time of the assault how much money they had. If it proves the their million were earned after the event or it boosted their entire career then say take their money off them and say now we can go along with the assault charge.
Yes. sexual assault is wrong, but if someone want to come and assault me with the understanding that 99% I'll be a multimillionaire for the rest of my life.
Think on this one. Prostitutes do it every day for a lot less yet you don't see them queueing up to prosecute "clients".
Because as god's my judge these people knew, yes knew, what the game was before they entered the profession.

It is about critical mass. Same as with all the Catholic church sex scandals. Most victims will only come forward when they feel that it actually will make a difference and at the same time hopefully not automatically destroy their career.

Are there #metoo attention seekers and over zealous characters? Are there all kind of shades of grey? Of course there are! As is the case with any topic that gains traction. That should not distract us from the fact that there truly are victims that need to be heard though. As there are perpetrators that need to face justice!

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Edumakated

This whole frenzy today makes you wonder why it's being brought forward today.
Is Hollywood under attack?
Is somebody using this dirt for a reason?

Those are good questions. In 2013 creative industries led by Hollywood accounted for about $504bn, or at least 3.2% of US goods and services. But maybe even more important is the soft power impact. China and Russia among others come to mind as probably having an interest in undermining these aspects.

The worst thing about these rampant accusations is that people are losing their jobs and positions without a trial. An accusation is enough to destroy them. And what have they done? This is not all about Cosby injecting women with drugs and raping them or Weinstein being a complete douche. It's along the lines of "Somebody touched my butt thirty years ago" or "So and so asked me to go to bed and that was inappropriate (even though I said "NO" and he said, "OK.") These kinds of accusations are nuts and they are destroying lives.

originally posted by: theatreboy
I was talking to my wife about this last night.

While I do not doubt that Harassment and even rape and pedophilia runs rampant in Hollywood, and other institutions...but this thread is about Hollywood....I think there is something else going on.

I think people are jumping on the band wagon so as to be a part of "the cool kids victim club". It seems to be in fashion right now to be a member of the #metoo group, it is a badge of honor or status symbol. It also adds more media exposure for them and maybe even more money down the road.

Again, I do NOT condone those actions that have truly taken place by Weinstein or Spacey and anybody else. But I do think it has started to be more than just the truth coming out.

For example, I know Ashley Judd has been abused her whole life, and I truly feel for her...it was not fair to her at all. However, when they did the women's march the day after inauguration, she railed against Trump, who has never abused her, instead of coming out against Weinstein when she had the national platform to do so. In light of the Weinstein revelation and Ashley 's accusations after it came to light, it totally nullified that march as anything but political grandstanding, and actually mars the victims in actual assaults.

Agreed.

No one deserves to be sexually assaulted, and yes men are too! However we can't ignore the push by the Marxist institutions who are pushing "Toxic Masculinity" and the bogus rape culture being propagated on college campuses either.

As usual we can be assured there is more than meets the eye going on here.......

a reply to: schuyler

This. This is what I take issue with...when the Weinstein stuff first came out I had to go through a few different news articles to find out what he had actually been accused of beyond 'sexual assault/harassment' and when I did some of it just looked like casting couch culture. (Dirty and seedy but I think it's a stretch to call it assault). Other bits less so of course, but it's making it all vague to hide the not so bad stuff in with the really bad stuff.

News outlets are rushing to spread incredibly vague allegations and people are having their livelihoods completely altered over it.


If we are going to 'out' everyone who has ever had a failed overt flirtation, over half the population is going to to lose their jobs. And a lot of what is coming out seems to be just that. I'm sorry but as a guy I have had girls I found attractive grab my rear-end in a club, and had girls I did not find attractive grab my rear-end in a club. It wasn't suddenly sexual assault when I didn't find them attractive.

Especially when referring to old cases when the culture was different. It's a slippery slope to dragging your grand-parents into court when you start down that route.

I'm so glad someone has made a thread about this, I've been thinking this myself recently. And whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty. A lot of the accused, innocent or guilty have had irreparable damage done to their careers without any proof being offered.
Rose McGowan reminds me of a bully with alot of her comments.
I am absolutely not condoning this type of behavior being a woman myself...but its all going a bit mental!

a reply to: Edumakated


Except it isn't just women reporting this, there's men as well.

originally posted by: Edumakated
The frenzy and reporting just seems odd to me.

They can't get Trump, so they're getting these guys.

just gave these a read... they're strikingly consistent, and they are horrible.

thanks for ruining tootsie for me dustin :L

www.hollywoodreporter.com...

originally posted by: crayzeed
Because as god's my judge these people knew, yes knew, what the game was before they entered the profession.

They didn't call it the casting couch for laughs... The big question I have is was it wrong back then? Maybe right/wrong are not correct to use... was it acceptable practice back then?

Except for a few people in Hollywood, this reminds me of the Star Wars Movie Scene, where storm troopers turn on the Jedi and shoot them in the back. Order 66, in Revenge of the Sith, is executed in Hollywood.

www.youtube.com...