As more and more women come forward with stories about rape and sexual harassment, the allegations made against Harvey Weinstein have become a prominent issue. While the stories are new information to most, a decent amount of Hollywood stars have come forward saying they’ve known about Weinstein for some time now. Furthermore, though nothing has been definitively proven, the accusations seem to come across as far from shocking. Is this because on some degree, we expect that this type of behavior occurs in Hollywood elite society?
According to The New Yorker, rumors of sexual harassment and assault have surrounded Weinstein for more than 20 years. More than 13 women have reported an incident with Weinstein occurring with incidents being reported from as early as the 1990s. The fear these women had of speaking up can be easily understood. Many talk about overwhelming feelings of powerlessness and unwarranted shame that victims have following an attack like this.
The harder part to understand is the strikingly large number of people who have come forward saying they’ve been hearing these kinds of stories about Weinstein for years now. According to the LA Times, the film academy released a statement on Wednesday, calling Weinstein’s alleged behavior “repugnant, abhorrent, and antithetical to the high standards of the Academy and the creative community it represents.” What is funny about this statement is the vast amount of contradictions being made all over Hollywood, telling of the highly evident systematic problem that the Weinstein scandal exemplifies. According to CNN, Ryan Gosling as well as Tom Hanks and many others have spoken out on the issue stating that the case of Harvey Weinstein is emblematic of a recurring problem that goes on in the movie industry more often then we think.
It’s very easy for everyone in Hollywood to suddenly come forward in support of the women who have become victim to their industry after the fact. The issue that fails to be pressed is how it was necessary for these women to put everything on the line in order to receive the justice they deserve. The issue of Weinstein paying for silence and getting away with it is the issue that needs to be pressed and pondered by Hollywood. Rumors of Weinstein’s horrendous actions filled the ears of many for more than 20 years, yet no investigation or inquiry took place until now. This isn’t a question people are asking “why” to, because everyone knows the answer: money.
Every so often the public finds out about successful rich men in power using their position to take advantage of women, all of whom later cry “sex addiction” for sympathy. Although we’ve been taking steps forward to rid society of this kind of abhorrent behavior, it seems to be the case that misogynistic men with money can still get their power trips in Hollywood because if money makes the world go ‘round anywhere, it’s Hollywood.
The good news is that as social media becomes more of a news outlet, the average user has more voice on what becomes news, making it easier for victims to come forward and receive support. We have seen from this case that women now have more of an ability to come forward without being silenced. Hopefully this scandal has made this clear to any others in Hollywood who exist like Weinstein. With any luck, the days of silencing victims are coming to an end.
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