Speaking Out
Article by Ray Schillaci
Yes! Thankfully, it’s getting harder and harder to continue on with the safe refuge Hollywood provides for sexual predators. Not even the industry bloggers are safe. Point proven with the recent allegations launched at Harry Knowles of Ain’t It Cool News fame. Knowles, the founder of AICN, has been accused by multiple women of groping and sexual assault. Multiple women accusing him should not have been the barometer to remove himself from the position. ONE should have been enough. These brave women spoke up and now this abuser is gone from his own website along with three of his writers who quit, wanting nothing to do with what they believe is true. AICN has also erased anything to do with Harry, including his signature logo.
With the Harvey Weinstein allegations piling up, it only fuels the fire for the hypocrites at FOX News and their public whippings of the movie mogul, as they scream out against him. Funny, it was not so long ago that both their CEO and star anchor were put on notice and asked to leave. No mention over their sordid past. Do the names Roger Ailes or Bill O’Reilly bring anything to mind? How soon they forget.
This is not a damnation of FOX News. It’s more like a calling out of all abusers. It’s not just the news outlet, but for every person in the entertainment industry (including news organizations) that has witnessed, been an accessory, and/or supported sexual harassment that should be on notice. In fact, that should include any workplace, period.
Harvey Weinstein did not act alone with his predatory behavior. Every single person that joked about it behind closed doors, whispered it at industry parties, and aided him in meeting the women he assaulted is as much to blame. And those organizations who have expelled him for his actions should take a good hard look at themselves. Especially when some continue to heap praise on people like Roman Polanski.
All you have to do is watch the 2011 Oscar telecast and see Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and Harvey Weinstein, along with a bevy of A-listers, giving a child molester, Roman Polanski, a standing ovation while receiving an Oscar for Best Director. This is the same Academy that recently kicked Harvey Weinstein out of their club. How does the child molester get honored and the sexual predator get booted?
To make it worse, the 1977 account of Polanski drugging and raping a young girl is heinous. He brought her to Jack Nicholson’s home (Nicholson was not there) under the guise of doing a photo shoot and gave her champagne and a quaalude in order to rape her. This 43 year-old man had oral, vaginal and anal intercourse with a 13 year-old girl. Besides that, he’s been accused three other times of sexually assaulting a minor. Yet he continues to win praise and awards from the Hollywood elite. Perhaps Weinstein was not as beloved in the industry as Polanski. Of course, that makes it all the more offensive. The same could be said for Weinstein getting kicked out of the Television Academy, and yet both Bill Cosby (accused by over 50 women of sexual assault) and Polanski remain members in good standing. Shameful.
I know this is The Movie Guys, and you come to this site for entertainment news. So, most of you want to be entertained with that news, and you may not need a diatribe on the evils of the entertainment industry and sexual predators who have been abusing their power in this land of technicolor dreams. But I felt so strongly about what has transpired, I was compelled to put my thoughts out regarding everything from the downfall of Roger Ailes to the toppling of the latest movie mogul, and the self-dismissal of an entertainment blogger. Face it, this is probably the biggest news in the industry right now, and I, being a contributor to TMG/net, felt it would be dismissive if none of us mentioned it.
Thank goodness women all over are becoming brave enough to out these Neanderthals, and I hope the brave fight continues. No one, not women, men or children should be subjected to such harassment or abuse. Those who think nothing of cat-calling, telling a dirty joke or fondling a co-worker or employee should think again, because this will not be tolerated any longer. Unwanted advances should not be acceptable at all, at anytime. Harvey Weinstein’s representative put out this statement, “Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein.” Not only does he deny the allegations, but he tosses in for good measure that he’s “seeking help.”
This is the commonality that glaringly displays the problem with the industry and all organizations, religious and otherwise that have tolerated and hidden this behavior for so long. This unacceptable behavior runs rampant especially with high profile people, people with power; CEOs, movie/TV/music/sports stars that use their PR company to cover up their abuse. All they do is deny, deny, deny, and then they add they are sorry for their alleged behavior when they’re caught. They plead for second chances. They’re changed or seeking help. They’re just words to conceal their true primal predatory instincts. I say put the words to rest, admit your guilt, and demonstrate a dramatic change. Otherwise, you are not welcome back.
I encourage all to speak out against this harassment and assault, and no longer support it with applause and awards. That includes fans and the average public. We can choose to boycott those who continue to support this vile behavior. Stop the abuse now.
