Harvey Weinstein scandal (Mod warning in op.)

iguana wrote: »

I guess there will always be parents willing to exploit their children. My son, like most kids his age, loves watching youtube videos of children playing video games or opening toys. Which seems relatively harmless but the most popular of these channels are produced by parents who are film professionals and produce an output of videos that mean their children have to be working for hours and hours each day. Their home and family lives, their play, their enjoyment of toys, holidays, trips to playgrounds and restaurants are all turned into a commodity and sold for profit. Instead of just being able to chill out after school or instead of getting to spend time in learning if they are homeschooled, they have to work really hard because producing a 15 minute video requires hours of repetitious work. The parts of their lives that should just be about pleasure are turned into a boring drudge. Even their birthday and Christmas mornings are filmed and rigorously worked at so they look perfect.

I know that pales in comparison to the abuse so many children are alleged to have undergone from the likes of Dan Schneider. But it still goes to show that there is a type of parent who will commodify their children for money and notoriety.

You heard about the 'daddyoffive' channel, right? The abuse they put their kids through was absolutely horrific. Encouraging them to hit one another-then targeted abuse of one of their children, physical violence and mental torture. All for those youtube dollars.

The first I ever heard of that channel was when the scandal broke. So glad I never watched it.

JupiterKid wrote: »

Now I do know there are child actors who willingly chose to enter the profession - like Jodie Foster and Elijah Wood - but look at how many get deeply f*cked up, become drug addicts and die at a tragically early age. Look at Judy Garland. MGM property at a tender age and drugged up to her eyeballs on the set of Oz. She never really recovered. The sad thing is that her daughter Liza Minelli has sort of gone down the same road.

Look at Drew Barrymore. Starred in ET aged 7, was drinking alcohol by age 10 and on cocaine by 12. Where were her parents?? At least she is a survivor. Poor Corey Haim and many other child actors weren't so fortunate.

Garland was also forced to undergo an abortion, by her then husband and the film studio she was under contract with. She was 18/19 at the time, and the studio didn't want her 'image' to be corrupted. That did further damage.

Barrymore had an awful home environment-she didn't speak to her dad, I think saying a few words to him before he died,because he was an abusive jerk. Physically beat her mom, while pregnant with Drew, so she would miscarry. Didn't work, obviously. He was pretty messed up as a person as well. Spielberg was her godfather, and he actually looked out for her. She was off the rails well into her teen years, and I think he took action when he saw her family weren't gonna do squat. Staged an intervention, etc.

Earthhorse wrote: »

We obviously read different accounts and that's awful if true. But my overall point is he's not a groper or sexual harasser even if he's a huge disappointment.



He obviously has a penchant for casting stunning women in main roles and but parts (being reluctant to cast the actress who played Tara for instance). I don't know why these women would be worried about being fired for getting pregnant if they are only in bit parts?!?

We saw how easily a producer can kill a still young career. Google Clint Eastwood for example, he killed Sondra Locke's career once their relationship ended-no rape involved there, just awfulness.

You're trying very hard to paint him in the worst possible light. His criticism of others work, such as JW, a criticism many people agree with, is just that, and doesn't mean he himself is free from being criticised. And his flaws don't prevent the huge body of work he's produced having lots of strong writing for women.

Unsolicited critique-critique he himself cannot take. And the JW criticism was ridiculous-he made it in response to women fawning over Chris Pratt, and he then cried misogyny because the heroine was wearing heels. Never mind the Age of Ulton poster has a bizarre 'look at Scarlett Johansson's butt and boobs' pose. And a 'she's dating Hulk' romance arc that comes out of nowhere.
The strong writing for women...is questionable. There's a very good reason Firefly didn't continue for a second season...many of his plots focused on rape. Which he often puts into his stories, tbh.
http://legendsrevealed.com/entertainment/2016/08/24/did-joss-whedon-nearly-have-a-bleak-rape-plot-on-firefly/

To put that alongside guys who barge into women's hotel rooms, forcibly rape them, or pursue minors aggressively is a bit much.

It's more harassment-I wouldn't place him alongside Weinstein and co, more so along side Trump and company.

A fantasy, possibly, but then again he did make fun of kids with cancer. Even when the article he was mocking had the 'Paul Ryan meets teen survivors of cancer' title. So it's not beneath him. (That references the fantasy thing-I had to edit that for brevity, and lost the original post. Not referencing Weinstein and co).

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/27/joss-whedon-tweet-demeans-cancer-survivors-hit-rep/

So could this #irishwiendstein thing backfire?did he do anything other call a woman fat and ask for a massage?

strandroad wrote: »

Ugh I remember when they revealed it, horrific. Inara is also constantly slut shamed by Mal, and all the women apart from Zoe maybe are cast really young. Inara is supposed to be this famous experienced master courtisan, training and coaching others, and he cast Baccarin who was 22 at the time. Yeah "Firefly" has not aged well.

Not to mention "Dollhouse", such a creep fest of a concept.

Nowhere near Weinstein of course, to be clear.

Yeah, his plans were...just disgusting, at best-the whole idea of her 'gaining respect' for being raped ...:(:(:( And apparently that was the story idea he sold so many of the writers on. He also had a rape storyline in Buffy-an attempted rape that is.

I was never a fan of Firefly-it wasn't a show I watched, and I'd gone off of his shows due to Buffy nosediving so quickly after my initial liking of it.

Dollhouse is like a creepier version of Joe 90. It got an absolute bashing from his 'fans' when it premiered. Fox saw something in it that wasn't there, and tried to push it for a second series-but the ratings got even worse. (They cancelled a show or two to pay for it-it was a waste).

I was amazed how Orphan Black managed to do everything right that Dollhouse did so, so wrong. Seemed like Dollhouse was written by an adolescent, not a grown man. (I also tend to think Whedon cast Dushku because he had a thing for her, rather than her actually having any talent-even brought in his own staple cast to try to keep the show going. Dushku faded out of view after Dollhouse died).

Yeah-he's no Weinstein-but pretending to act pious while pulling the crap he pulled...that's a real stinker.

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Yup, and now he's posted saying he's taken a break from posting there as a result.

His second account, the ABECFoundation (I think that's the one) has blocked Asia Argento on twitter-that says quite a lot. About him.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5050493/Uma-Thurman-opens-sexual-assault-Hollywood.html

A very cryptic message from Uma-seems like she may very well have suffered at the hands of Harvey. She's getting support, and called on to speak out.

Richard Dreyfuss's son saying Spacey groped him when he was 18 and in front of his old man.


https://twitter.com/THR/status/926939236556771333

strandroad wrote: »

Whedon had multiple female characters in shows when it wasn't a standard, I give him credit here. But their portrayal was often creepy, and looking back we can wonder if he cast so many to build adoring harems and dating pools. He certainly had a type and an age bracket.

Yeah-I often, looking back, saw more 'progressive' writing in shows like The Golden Girls. (Charlie's angel's was a real forerunner too-as was the Wonder woman show. When it was announced Whedon would be adapting the character of Wonder Woman-people thought it was a perfect match. Thankfully it didn't happen-the leaked script had them counting their blessings. David E Kelly, he of Ally McBeal, shot a pilot for the show-it never aired, buy was torrented-absolutely dreadful. Really bad).

The 90s was when there was good women lead shows-Ally McBeal was good for a while, My So Called Life, Dana Scully in X Files. The disappointing thing about them, including Whedon's Buffy, was much of the writing was by dudes-even in Sex and the City-so it was this 'not really'women's/ young women's voices-just male writers imagining what they would say.
And that really shows in Whedon written tv shows-they don't age well.

HandsomeBob wrote: »

I don't know what Baldwin would have to gain about making that statement publicly so I doubt he's covering for anyone. He's made himself a target needlessly so I can take him at his word.

As for the mansplaining, I don't think he attempted to justify anything.

When someone uses the word 'mansplaining' it's literally an attempt to bully someone-it shows they're close minded and not open to debate. It's usage is similar to 'you on your period, love?' Both are ridiculous. Claiming someone is mansplaining is pretty much openly admitting you have no rebuttal.

As you say, he wasn't justifying anything-but I do think he shone a light on how so much of this went unnoticed. Despite 'everyone' having a Harvey story. The hush money, ugly as it is to say, lead to a 'you can do whatever you want, then pay em off after'. And when money is no object...a person can do what they want-in their eyes.

padser wrote: »

Netflix has now appeared to lay down and ultimatum meaning that that House of Cards season 6 can only proceed of Spaceys character is killed off.

I've been a huge HOC cards fan (albeit seasons 4 and 5 are a massive step down on 1-3) but I wouldn't be watching a season 6 without Frank Underwood - whatever the media spin surrounding the show, it's always been a one star show focused on one character.

The reality for me is, whether or not Spacey was diddling the tea boy while making it, HOC was a great show and there doesn't seem to be any point in continuing it without it's main attraction.

Again, as per my previous quotes, killing off a man's careers based on an unprovable allegation from 30+ years ago, loads of anonymous "tip offs" and a couple of allegations from people who benefit from the limelight of publicity seems wrong and premature. The allegations may be accurate - but we are way short of the standard of proof that should be required to kill someone's career.

Agreed. If they continue the show and have Frank killed off screen, it will be an absolute farce. I love the character of Claire, but come on. I’ll be sad if the series ends abruptly with no continuation after season 5, but it’s better than carrying on with no Frank.

padser wrote: »

Again, as per my previous quotes, killing off a man's careers based on an unprovable allegation from 30+ years ago, loads of anonymous "tip offs" and a couple of allegations from people who benefit from the limelight of publicity seems wrong and premature. The allegations may be accurate - but we are way short of the standard of proof that should be required to kill someone's career.

I get what you are saying but, similar to Weinstein, Spacey's behaviour was somewhat of an open secret on any production he worked on. I know because someone in the industry told me last year. His fall from grace had been incredibly swift precisely because there are so many accounts that will corroborate what's been said about him. And it's not a court of law, they don't need to prove things beyond a reasonable doubt or whatever.

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Oh come on - how could you mistake a 14 year old for an adult!!

You could legally (heterosexually at least) marry a 14-year-old in New York up until recently (with parental approval) so maybe he was under the impression that having sex at that age was okay too? I mean, what else would a couple be expected to be doing on their honeymoon, playing Monopoly? Marriage being legal at that age could certainly be reasonably inferred that sex is legal at that age also.


https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/877249474149720067

You mean, a creep like Bowie, Don Johnson and Elvis?

I guess it's possible.

for any Maureen O'Hara fans out there