Weinstein effect keeps on growing
In the three weeks since the string of allegations against Harvey Weinstein first began, an ongoing domino effect has tumbled through not just Hollywood but at least a dozen other industries. It’s open season on open secrets.
Nearly every day has brought new allegations of sexual harassment, assault or misconduct, and subsequent firings, dismissals or the distancing of men in various stations of power, from highly regarded media pundits to celebrity chefs.
‘‘There is no turning back,’' Asia Argento said on Twitter. ‘‘All predators will go down.’'
Argento, the Italian film-maker and actress who has said Weinstein raped her, declared that shortly after allegations of sexual harassment were levelled by six women against film-maker Brett Ratner. (Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex, while Ratner has denied each allegation against him.) Her socialmedia avatar is a simple photo of herself, with a fist raised high.
The posture and language of revolution has been adopted by others, too, like actress Rose Mcgowan, another alleged victim of sexual assault by Weinstein. At last week’s Women’s Convention in Detroit, Mcgowan declared: ‘‘Join me. Join all of us!’'
What’s unfolding, women’s rights advocates say, is a rolling reckoning that’s gaining steam with every new revelation of sexual harassment. What began with just a handful of women standing up against one of Hollywood’s most pugnacious power players has turned into a movement of its own. Now that some of the silences around sexual harassment have been shattered, the floodgates are open.
‘‘This is the patriarchy starting to crumble,’' says Toni Van Pelt, National Organisation of Women president. ‘‘I think that women are finally taking their power. They know they’re strong.’'
In the three weeks since the first allegations were levelled against Weinstein, there have been at least 20 prominent men who have been forced to defend or apologise for past actions. Amazon Studios chief Roy Price resigned after a television producer on one of Amazon’s shows said he had sexually harassed her. Following allegations of sexual advances on an underage actor, Netflix halted production on Kevin Spacey’s House of Cards. A Roman Polanski retrospective prompted protests in Paris.
Sari Kamin was one of 38 women who came forward to the Los Angeles Times to say that the director James Toback sexually harassed her by luring her with the possibility of a film role. Toback has denied the claims but within days the number of alleged victims climbed past 300.
‘‘Listening to women come out from the Harvey Weinstein fallout, that certainly empowered me,’' said Kamin. ‘‘It brought back a lot of painful memories and kind of unlocked something. It made me think: Well, if they can come forward maybe so can I.’'
‘‘More than anything what made me want to come forward is: I felt like finally people were listening,’' said Kamin, a once aspiring actress who now works in publishing and food writing.
An air of ‘‘who’s next’' has settled over not just Hollywood, but elsewhere, too. NBC News terminated Mark Halperin’s contract amid allegations that he sexually harassed a dozen women while at ABC News. John Besh, the New Orleans celebrity chef, stepped down from the company he founded after more than two dozen allegations of sexual harassment. Accusations of harassment have been levelled against actors Dustin Hoffman and Jeremy Piven.
Vox fired its editorial director, Lockhart Steele after a former employee raised allegations.
Two executives at Fidelity Investments were forced out for sexual harassment. Nickelodeon fired The Loud House show runner Chris Savino for sexual harassment.
It has been a head-spinning few weeks that some believe is adding up to a landmark moment for a pervasive and under-reported problem.
❚ The Washington Post