McDonald not convinced by ‘absolutist cancel culture’ over MeToo
SINN Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is “not convinced by cancel culture” linked to the MeToo movement because it is “too absolutist”.
Ms McDonald said Woody Allen is one of her favourite movie directors and said House of Cards star Kevin Spacey is still a “great actor” despite the “deeply shocking” allegations made against him.
The Sinn Féin leader was discussing her favourite music and films on Matt Cooper’s radio show on Today FM.
She spoke at length about her admiration for Woody Allen films, after which Mr Cooper pointed out that the director was the subject of sexual abuse allegations.
Ms McDonald said the controversy around Mr Allen marrying his former partner Mia Farrow’s adoptive daughter was “very unnerving and unsettling” but said his “work stands still on its own two feet”.
“In the MeToo scenario, I think word came out on lots of different people that caused, you know, great difficulties but at the same time I’m just not convinced by this cancel culture,” she said.
“I think that’s just too absolutist, I think it’s too cut and dry,” she added.
Mr Allen has faced allegations, which he denies, that he molested his daughter Dylan Farrow when she was seven years old. Separately, he began a romantic relationship with and subsequently married his former wife’s adoptive daughter Soon-Yi Previn who is 35 years his junior.
Ms McDonald said she “absolutely loves” reading the books of comedian and writer Al Franken who was forced to resign as a US senator when sexual misconduct allegations were made against him. Several women made allegations Mr Franken was sexually inappropriate towards them.
She said his writing is “amazing” and she would “laugh and laugh” at his observations.
“But you know some really, you know, alarming things have been said and allegations made about him in this kind of MeToo moment as well which gave me pause for, obviously concern,” she said.
“But you have to ask yourself does that mean that the value of the writing or the making of the movies, you know, do cancel all of that?
“If somebody is guilty of a criminal offence, whoever they are, it doesn’t matter whoever they are, they have to be held to account for that. “Kevin Spacey (is) another actor I like a lot but is very much in that category. I mean what emerged about him was deeply shocking and unacceptable. But he was a great actor,” she added.
Mr Spacey had a number of sexual misconduct allegations made against him by men living in the US and the UK.
An investigation by the Old Vic Theatre in London received 20 personal testimonies of alleged inappropriate behaviour by Mr Spacey during his 11-year tenure as artistic director.
A number of legal cases taken against Mr Spacey were later dropped. However, he has not returned to acting and the last season of House of Cards was cancelled by Netflix when the allegations emerged.
The MeToo movement saw a significant number of celebrities called to account for inappropriate sexual behaviour and abuse of power.
The movement was sparked by serious allegations of sexual abuse and rape made against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
The allegations led to other victims of sexual abuse and misconduct speaking out against prominent people who abused their positions.