Important News for Men
Anyone who has actually listened to actresses and other women in the entertainment industry knows that the sexual harassment that’s currently creating a scandal in Hollywood and (hopefully) ending careers of powerful executives has been going on since the film and music industries began in the early 20th century.
BUT MEN DON’T GET IT.
That “non-sexual touching” that doesn’t bother you boys? The crude jokes that you think we take too seriously? The men who stand too close, loom over women, stare at women’s chests or butts, maybe cop a quick, “harmless” feel, or are overly familiar with complements? Those are the early warning signs of a man who will go much further if he can get you alone in a room or even a dark corner. Women recognize them. They’ll cringe and move away from a guy like that.
But most guys don’t notice those behaviors. They aren’t threatening to guys, or ever aimed at them. Besides being sexual behaviors, they are also dominance behaviors, and subconsciously, most (not all) men find both types of behavior acceptable toward women. Can’t let the little ladies get too far out of line, after all.
The Matt Damons, Ben Afflecks, Oliver Stones and Quentin Tarrantinos of the world certainly won’t notice. To them, this is just how guys act. If women want to join the workplace, they need to learn to join in with the normal competitive atmosphere that’s already there.
You know, like the one Casey Affleck created on the set of his movie I’m Still Here, which resulted in the only two women who were working on the crew suing him for sexual harassment. The behavior Ben and Matt overlooked and tacitly supported when they promoted Casey as an Oscar nominee. The behavior they are now shocked, SHOCKED I TELL YOU, to discover Harvey Weinstein has been engaging in for years, even though Ben, at least, has known about it for 20-odd years. Quentin is doing them one better. He’s stunned AND heartbroken, having never noticed any signs of this behavior in his longtime collaborator.
But it’s easy to think something isn’t a big deal, when it’s not affecting you, right guys? It’s not like someone’s grabbing their balls, after all. It’s not like someone’s holding them down in public and threatening their macho reputation. It’s not like someone’s threatening their paychecks. That would be terrible.
Except, the women of Hollywood, besides having physical and emotional consequences from their rape, abuse and harassment, do face monetary consequences as well. That’s how these powerful men keep most women quiet. They threaten their careers. They blackball them, spreading rumors and calling in favors to make sure that a woman won’t be able to find work and her projects will be cancelled. That’s why even the bravest and most famous of women usually don’t talk.
But, it’s just a joke, or a little non-sexual touching. He didn’t mean to put his hand there. What’s the big deal?
In related news, the NY Film Festival has cancelled the red carpet for the Saturday night (10/14/17) premiere of “alleged” child molester Woody Allen’s new film. The film was produced by Amazon Studios, former home of recently ousted “alleged” sexual harasser Roy Price. The New Yorker story that broke the allegations of rape and sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein was written by Ronan Farrow, brother of Dylan Farrow, both of whom are Woody Allen’s children. Dylan Farrow is the child that Woody Allen “allegedly” sexually molested when she was a young child, before he had an affair with her teenage sister, Soon Yi, while he was in a long-term relationship with the children’s adoptive mother, former actress Mia Farrow. According to Deadline, the festival thought that letting the press near this stinking stew of quasi-incest and other sordid acts probably wasn’t a good idea right now.
Dylan Farrow has stuck to her story for 25 years. Woody Allen has had multiple affairs with women who were underaged when the relationship began. Maybe the allegations against him will finally be taken seriously by Hollywood. And those against Roman Polanski, and Bryan Singer, and…too many others to list. It’s as popular as playing golf.
Or it’ll be business as usual by Thanksgiving. What’ll it be, boys? Until you take it seriously, it won’t stop.
Metawitches 