Author Topic: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment in Entertainment World  (Read 22468 times)

Sandy

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 12075
  • "The life we build, we never stop creating.”
    • Sandy's Cinematic Musings
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #90 on: February 01, 2018, 03:03:31 PM »
The Ripple Effect. Grateful it's finding its way to expose doctrinal control. If you think Harvey Weinstein was powerful, play the God card to see the damage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83PcITGfLt0
« Last Edit: February 04, 2018, 04:53:28 PM by Sandy »

Sam the Cinema Snob

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26795
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #91 on: February 04, 2018, 02:08:28 PM »
I'd recommend going to read the comic The Fade Out or watching Hail, Caesar! as both of those perfectly capture the history and culture of Hollywood. I read all this stuff at school and knew I could never work in the business because I'm too confrontational when it comes to men abusing women.

It's also the main reason I decided to not become a film critic/journalist after getting my BA. I saw all the corruption and greed going on unchecked and heard the messed up stories of people like Woody Allen and Roman Polanski that people seemed quick to overlook. I also called Quentin Tarantino a racist in a class full of white guys and that did not go over well.

I got an MA just to see if I could do some education at the college level and teach these kids to not just accept what they see on film as neutral. Every collective art is a compromise of worldviews but there's always someone who wants to be the king of the production and run the place and some kings are absolute jerks to the people around them.

That's not so much a Hollywood thing but a life thing but I've seen how this was a long time coming and honestly, I think it'll be healthy in the long run to cut these men off and give them a chance to get the help they need with the hopes that some of them will come back with humility (See Mel Gibson/RDJ). I believe in second chances, but you also need to be shrewd about having someone keep everyone else involved safe. It's why I make every conversation with a women with at least a third party witnessing in my work. It's a professionalism thing and there are lots of men who get the power and then just think they can bully women into whatever they want to do with them.

PeacefulAnarchy

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2132
    • Criticker reviews
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #92 on: February 04, 2018, 02:28:08 PM »
It's why I make every conversation with a women with at least a third party witnessing in my work. It's a professionalism thing
Do you do this for men too? If it's about professionalism I imagine you do. Seems like a very awkward and cumbersome way to do your job.

Sam the Cinema Snob

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26795
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #93 on: February 04, 2018, 04:17:15 PM »
You can PM me if you want more details, but what I said is all I can say here publicly.

1SO

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 36128
  • Marathon Man
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #94 on: May 17, 2018, 10:14:47 AM »
The internet is upsetting me today. John Lasseter's forced exile is expiring and Bob Iger is expected to make some announcement on Monday about his future with the company. Internal word at the moment is that Lasseter will return, but in a much diminished capacity. He will be allowed to give creative input but will be working under many and over nobody.

Reaction on the internet is overwhelmingly negative, many saying this is like returning Harvey Weinstein to his job. Talk of white privilege and how it's mostly men who support this idea. Of course being a white male and someone who believes Lasseter's creative input has been extraordinary and often genius level, I can see my thoughts being dismissed, but here are three which I think come from stepping back and taking a dispassionate look at this.

1. Nothing that has come out about Lasseter has been near the level of Weinstein. If Lasseter's behavior is worse than reported than it shouldn't be hidden and if not, then that means...
2. Disney has been terrible about doing their part to make it acceptable for Lasseter to return, this year or any year. At the moment, it looks like they are playing down Lasseter's behavior so that he can come back and make them lots of money. They need to be doing their part (and not small steps) to smash the toxic work environment some claim Laseter created at Pixar and Disney. They need to get in front and create a new business model for the MeToo era. One where there is no doubt others like Lasseter or worse will get away with nothing.
3. I'm most disheartened about the attitude that Lasseter can and should NEVER be forgiven. That he should be banned for life. This ties into my first point as well. If we cannot educate, enlighten and forgive then what are we doing here? Let's just kill the man now. I think this point shows that the movement is still strong and it is still perhaps too soon for Lasseter to return. Again, back to my first point, what is the proper amount of exile for Lasseter's crimes? Because it doesn't seem right that he gets the same treatment as Harvey Weinstein.

MartinTeller

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17864
  • martinteller.wordpress.com
    • my movie blog
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #95 on: May 17, 2018, 10:50:05 AM »
It's not about "forgiveness" or punishment for his crimes. It's about creating and maintaining a work environment where everyone else can feel safe. Other "crimes" in the workplace don't have an expiration date. If you're caught skimming from petty cash, you get fired and you stay fired. What message does it send to the female employees that there's even TALK about bringing him back?

roujin

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 15508
  • it's all research
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #96 on: May 17, 2018, 12:05:35 PM »
Let other people make movies.

MartinTeller

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17864
  • martinteller.wordpress.com
    • my movie blog
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #97 on: May 17, 2018, 01:05:08 PM »
Also, "let's just kill the man now"? Seriously? How many millions (billions?) does Lasseter have? I think he'll be okay.

PeacefulAnarchy

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2132
    • Criticker reviews
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #98 on: May 17, 2018, 04:11:19 PM »
2. Disney has been terrible about doing their part to make it acceptable for Lasseter to return, this year or any year. At the moment, it looks like they are playing down Lasseter's behavior so that he can come back and make them lots of money. They need to be doing their part (and not small steps) to smash the toxic work environment some claim Laseter created at Pixar and Disney. They need to get in front and create a new business model for the MeToo era. One where there is no doubt others like Lasseter or worse will get away with nothing.
This is true, but also, what has Lasseter done to merit redemption? He's not the victim in this, he's the cause and if he's changed he needs to show it and clearly atone for what he's done. Disney shouldn't be "doing their part to make it acceptable for Lasseter to return" they should be doing their part to make their work environment discrimination and harassment free. Lasseter should be making amends and making himself a better person who will not do the things he did. If, eventually, these two separate processes of self-improvement result in a reunion where both parties can work together without stigma or concern that the past is being ignored then so be it, but that reunion should not be driving the process, and it certainly shouldn't be that such a reunion is the primary expected outcome and everything else is just ticking boxes to make it acceptable (which is what this looks like)

On the one hand, I do agree that people who are harassers should be able to establish careers and work and in general should have a path to redemption. On the other hand, redemption and opportunity need to actually be earned. Saying sorry is a good first step, but it's not the last step, and simply getting out of the public eye and waiting for things to blow over is not the same thing as becoming a better person who has actually learned and made amends for their past misdeeds. Yes, some people seem vindictive in wanting these people to just go away forever, and that focus on harsh punishment is not necessarily conducive to a better world, but at the same time the argument that "he's suffered enough and went away and did his time" is equally lacking in actually addressing the problem. Both views put a primary focus on punishment (not enough, too much, it's over) rather than on helping the victims and creating better workplace environments and making the former harasser a better person (and through that making other harassers and would be harassers better people which makes the other two goals easier to accomplish and more durable).

If they show personal progress (not just contrition and shame, but actual understanding of how what they did was wrong and take actual steps to not make similar actions in the future), then people like Lasseter can attempt to come back on their own terms and prove themselves all over again as if they were starting anew. They already have the advantage of money, name recognition and industry connections, there's no need for a large corporation to parachute them into a cushy top role. Just because someone merits redemption doesn't mean that path should be handed to them.

pixote

  • Administrator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 34237
  • Up with generosity!
    • yet more inanities!
Re: #MeToo: Sexual Harassment Bonanza 2017
« Reply #99 on: May 17, 2018, 07:20:21 PM »
Nicely said!

pixote
Great  |  Near Great  |  Very Good  |  Good  |  Fair  |  Mixed  |  Middling  |  Bad

 

love