Following Harvey Weinstein's expulsion from the Motion Picture Academy, the BBC published an interview of director Woody Allen, who had worked with Weinstein on several films in the past. Allen called the wave of allegations "tragic for the poor women that were involved," but "sad for Harvey that his life is so messed up." Allen maintained that he never knew anything about any misconduct by Weinstein on any of their movie sets and that no one ever told him any "horror stories with any real seriousness." However, Allen also emphasized the dangers of a "witch hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself."
In 1994, Weinstein allowed Allen to produce a film through his company Miramax Films despite recent accusations that Allen had sexually abused his 7-year-old daughter, saying that "shunned by Hollywood means nothing to Miramax."
Is Allen right? Is there truly a present danger of a witch hunt or are predators finally being held accountable for their actions?
7 comments:
I think Allen's statement is a bit of an exaggeration, especially given that in these cases, we should be focusing on what happens to victims of sexual assault as opposed to how it may affect the perpetrators of such acts. Especially given the recent accusations made against Allen, I don't know if we can fully trust his statement.
In general, I am glad that predators are finally being held accountable for their actions. Especially in an industry that is sometimes notorious for its history of sexual harassment, I think it's good that people aren't afraid to speak out against one of the "biggest names" in Hollywood. Because it's something that is common in the industry, I think they should focus more on sexual harassment as opposed to the resulting "witch hunt atmosphere."
I disagree with Woody Allen. I think predators are finally being held accountable for their actions, which is undoubtedly a good thing. I agree with Kamille's point that there are accusations against Allen that force us to be apprehensive about any input he has on this subject. It seems as if he is trying to save his own skin, as well as trying to defend and sympathize with known sex offenders and abusers. I think it is great that these people are being held responsible for what they've done, as it lets the rest of the world know that they can't get away with it. Historically, many predators have gotten away with their actions and it has led others to believe that what they are doing is okay. Nobody should have to be harassed, objectified, or abused, especially today.
Having a famous man like Weinstein be implicated for his actions is a milestone in the fight against sexual abuse and harassment, but people like Woody Allen who defend these people are contributing to the arguments or victim blamers and rape apologists.
Woody Allen has been accused of sexual assault and should not be commenting on Weinstein's removal, but should be kicked out of the Motion Picture Academy along with Weinstein. Like Cole Sprouse tweeted, Weinstein's removal seems a bit like a publicity stunt rather than a true step toward exposing predators, because if the Motion Picture Academy was trying to do good to the community victimized by sexual assault, they should have expelled all predators(including Allen who assaulted his own daughter). The witch hunt comment is illogical. Allen knows that he and Weinstein and every other person convicted of sexual assault has done way more than just wink at a victim. It's definitely good that these people can't hide in Hollywood anymore and are held responsible for their actions.
I agree with all prior commenters. I never understood this mentality treating of rapists and sex offenders as pseudo-victims. I understand that "innocent until proven guilty" is a fundamental, crucial part of our criminal justice system, and that this principle cannot be circumvented, even in the cases of the most abhorrent crimes. At the same time, the current state of Hollywood must not be conflated into this circumvention, and it is not a "witch hunt" in which all males are presumed to be rapists. The myth that most cases of accusations of sexual assault are fabricated or exaggerated could not be further from the truth, and its perpetuation wounds our society as a whole. Moreover, a culture in which accusing one of sexual assault is made equivalent to a "witch hunt" makes it more likely for victims of sexual abuse to remain silent. This trend, this general attitude, from Woody Allen about Hollywood to Betsy Devos about colleges(don't get me started), is a malignancy on the psyche of our nation, and ought to be expunged as such.
I think that Hollywood specifically is a community that is notoriously known for sexual harassment and countless allegations have been made against offenders in the movie industry. Therefore, Allen's statements are completely unwarranted and he should not have the right to claim that Weinstein should be treated as a victim. He is the source of a ridiculous amount of accusations and should be investigated. However, in society in general, I think that it is true to a certain extent that people who are accused of sexual harassment with no basis find it extremely difficult to integrate themselves into society even when they are acquitted or proven innocent, and that this issue should be resolved.
I think that allegations of a "witch hunt" are completely unfounded and derogatory in nature. Women who report sexual harassment should be helped and commended for their bravery, rather than denounced for "exaggerating." I'm glad that movements such as the popularization of #MeToo are bringing awareness to the unbeknownst prevalence of sexual harassment and assault on women in every context, in this situation being in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. These women are not trying to antagonize anyone but merely are finding the courage to expose their harassers that they had previously kept under wraps due to degrading fear.
I think Allen, who has been accused of sexual abuse and is married to someone who was like a daughter to him, should definitely not be warning about a “witch hunt” in a situation where there is plenty of evidence that Weinstein may have committed horrible acts. Victims speaking out about their abuse encourages other victims to do the same, which increases the likelihood of abusers being held accountable (though reporting isn’t right for each victim for many reasons and I’m not trying to say that victims has a responsibility to do this). Allen’s quote could also discourage victims from reporting due to shame or fear of what may happen. In addition, by equating rape accusations to a woman pressing charges for a man winking at her is ridiculous (side note: maybe women could just not be hit on at work and people could focus on their jobs? Radical right…) because no one takes sexual harrassment lightly, and even if more women do report abuse accusations, that doesn’t mean that it will escalate to the point to where men will “[have] to call a lawyer” because of a wink.
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