Hypocritical Hollywood: Mixed Signals In The War Against Sexual Harassment And Abuse

It’s a tough time in Hollywood for the male elite at the minute, as their history of heinous behaviour towards women gradually becomes common knowledge. Some of the most well-respected stars have started to fall (or more accurately, have been extinguished) as a wave of women unite, and find the courage to speak out against the mistreatment inflicted onto them by vile men who abuse their positions of privilege and power.

Every week a new allegation seems to crawl out of the woodwork; it all began with Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, and now some new names have been added to the list, like James Franco, Michael Douglas and Morgan Freeman. (A grand total of 219 celebrities, politicians and CEOs have been accused of sexual misconduct since April 2017. 219. Stats found here.)

Regarding the Weinstein case, almost 100 women came forward with a story concerning the perverted producer, yet he was only charged with rape and a criminal sex act on two women. Unfair justice is not only being served in this case, but in most cases against Hollywood’s sexual predators. Their status in some ways has granted them immunity from punishment. If they were Average Joe’s out of the public eye, they’d be behind bars. Fact.

If the law won’t punish them, then Hollywood needs to provide their own reprimand and shun them out of the film community. The institution needs to model the obvious yet crucial notion that harassment and abuse is never okay and will never be tolerated. Why, then, does it feel like blind eyes are still being turned? How are some of the most notorious predators still working for the industry?

Stop Working for Sex Offenders!

One of the biggest examples of this contradictory behaviour within Hollywood comes in the form of Woody Allen. Most will be familiar with the allegations against Allen: Sexually assaulting his then seven-year-old adoptive daughter, (as well as having an affair with, and marrying another one of his other adopted children.) This unsettling accusation and questionable parenting hasn’t diminished the actor, writer and director’s career, as Allen continues to churn out big movies with Academy Award-winning actors like Steve Carell, Emma Stone and Colin Firth. It feels like a kick in the teeth when another highly respected actor goes off to work for a sex offender.

In an interview with Kate Winslet, she talks about working with Allen on his 2017 film Wonder Wheel, and Margot Robbie’s expression during the conversation speaks for itself. It is iconic people like Winslet who should be setting an example for the rest of us, and as she is a woman, wife and mother, it is baffling to see her talk about the filmmaker with such admiration, especially in discussion around women in film. Watch the full interview here.

Winslet has not only worked for Allen, but also Roman Polanski in the 2011 film Carnage. Polanski pleaded guilty to raping a minor and has previously been convicted of sexual assault. Once again, this does not seem to dilute his filmic achievements, as he has somehow continued to have a thriving career in the film industry whilst being a fugitive from the U.S. criminal justice system since 1978. He even landed himself an Academy Award and a BAFTA for his 2002 film, The Pianist, whilst simultaneously being an outlaw.

She’ll Never Let Go, Woody!

It is extremely confusing to see an Academy Award winner like Winslet – one of the most in-demand actors today, a British sweetheart, somewhat banalise sexual abuse through her choice of projects. Her clouded judgement infers that a filmmaker’s merit outweighs the importance of unity and severity of sexual abuse, and contradicts important movements such as Time’s Up and #MeToo. Winslet’s weak moral compass and selfish need to say she has worked with brilliant (yet predatorial) filmmakers, makes the end scene in Titanic no longer seem so out of character. (There was always room for 2 on that door, Rose.)

Actors such as Rebecca Hall and Timothée Chalamet, who star in Allen’s forthcoming A Rainy Day in New York, have both publicly stated that they regret their decisions to do the film and will be donating their salaries to charity. Other actors and directors such as Greta Gerwig, Natalie Portman and Ellen Page have also said they believe he is guilty and will not work with Allen in the future, but Selena Gomez who is also in his latest movie is yet to comment, although she has faced intense pressure on social media to speak up.

Other predatorial men in the film industry include Victor Salva – writer and director of Powder and the Jeepers Creepers trilogy. He is a convicted child molester who sexually abused a 12 year old boy on the set of Clownhouse in 1989. Actors who continued to work with Salva include Justin Long and Gina Philips. Brett Ratner, Jeremy Piven and Jeffrey Jones are a few more names amongst many, who have been named and shamed for indecency, however they still continue to work.

“Innocent Until Proven Guilty”

Morally, it is clear what is right and wrong, however, the lack of conviction in these cases comes down to the lack of evidence which blurs the ethics on the matter. It’s a shame that the word of one woman, or in Weinstein’s case, almost 100 women, simply isn’t enough for true justice. Big names in Hollywood have to make conscious and intelligent decisions regarding who they are to employ and work for, as their actions are observed by the world. Unfortunately, many wish to cower away and turn a blind eye (like Winslet) on accusations because living in denial is the easiest thing to do, however denial ultimately sides with the accused.

Due to the large number of accusers, many think that some of the stories must not be true, and one can only hope that is the case, although there is no smoke without fire. “Innocent until proven guilty” no longer stands, since predominantly the only proof available is one word against another, but when the guilty begin to be treated like the innocent, it becomes essential for Hollywood to never tolerate these behaviours or the men who carry them out – and that starts with not hiring/working for them.

Conclusion

There is an almighty amount of frustration around the war against sexual harassment and abuse, and it seems as if film fans have to simply sit and watch this conflict play out. Everyone is waiting for the latest news article to be released; accusing another hero as a pervert, and then a follow up article where a different hero defends said pervert and works with him on a movie several months later. At this rate Tom Hanks will be the only good soul left. There is however, something that audiences/film fans can do to increase awareness and educate themselves on those who are accused:

Rotten Apples is a searchable database that lets people know whether or not a film or television show is tied to a person who has been accused of sexual misconduct. The goal of this site is to further drive awareness of just how pervasive sexual misconduct in film and television is, and to help make ethical media consumption easier. Currently the database is missing the likes of Morgan Freeman and Geoffrey Rush, so more information is needed to help it grow, and that’s where you come in. Click here to use/add to the database.

Movements like Time’s Up and #MeToo fluctuate in development as they strive forward and fall back due to individuals within the very same industry, and this civil war is why progression is incredibly slow. Just because they wore the Time’s Up badge or black to the Golden Globes doesn’t make them a saint by any means. They need to stand up and speak out against misconduct (not live in denial or defend it to get their name credited on a big director’s movie). Hollywood has to unite, because otherwise it undermines the movements, trivialises the issue, ignores the victims and makes the entire institution look like a group of hypocritical morons. Please, don’t be like Winslet.

What’s your view on accused sex offenders still thriving in Hollywood? Share your thoughts and comments!