A Never-Ending Story . . .
VOCABULARY
Who would have thought that a story that started in Hollywood, when actresses came forward to accuse the film director, Harvey Weinstein, of sexual abuse, would send tidal waves over to Europe? In America, many women have come forward to accuse the director, who thinks he is going to get off the hook by saying that he is having therapy for his sexual addiction. Many famous stars – who also used their power to abuse younger actors – are being named and shamed. Sometimes, even 30 years after the alleged act has taken place. This is great news. Finally, victims will get justice and the suspects will have to face the consequences. However, I find it quite dangerous that people are being seriously accused of something long before there has even been a trial.
Take Kevin Spacey, for example, who is a famous American actor and was about to receive an Emmy award for his role in the Netflix series House of Cards. Since a few male actors have come forward to say that he abused them when they were younger, which he denies, the US network has announced that all further series with Kevin Spacey have been axed. The actor has also been erased from a completed Hollywood film, All the Money in the World, and has been replaced by the famous veteran actor, Christopher Plummer, whom we all know from his role as Captain von Trapp in the Sound of Music – amongst other things. All scenes, where Spacey plays the late oil tycoon, John Paul Getty, have been recast and reshot. All the Money in the World, directed by Ridley Scott, is about the kidnapping of John Paul Getty’s teenage grandson and how the billionaire insisted that his son pay back the ransom money – with 4% interest!
We have all read the story about Peter Pilz, from the Green Party, who was forced to resign due to allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. In England it is no better. There are now so many sex scandals within the British government that the media are mockingly calling Westminster "Pestminster" or "Sexminster". The Defence Minister, Sir Michael Fallon, was forced to step down last week when a journalist reported that he had put his hand on her knee during a meeting, and Andrea Leadsom, a British Conservative MP, accused him of speaking to her inappropriately. Some people in the know say that it was probably more to do with Sir Fallon’s political views on Brexit than harassment. I wonder if he will have to hand back his knighthood to the Queen.
I must point out that I am the first one to say that where there’s smoke there’s fire, but surely the suspects should also have the right to put their stories forward too – for their own sake and the sake of their families. In Britain, the Welsh Labour MP, Carl Sargeant, committed suicide last week after being sacked from the party amid sex allegations. No one would tell him what these allegations were and he went to his grave without knowing.
Of course, sexual harassment has been going on in the workplace for years and it is great that women now have a platform, #MeToo, where they can complain . We know that it is all about power when a person in a higher position harasses a junior colleague, a secretary or an apprentice and it’s time for it to stop. A word of advice for everyone: if you hug someone too tightly, touch them when they walk by, think that you can massage their shoulders while speaking to them at their desk or make sexual innuendos, and they don’t look delighted – they are not. They only put up with it because you are the boss or they don’t want to create a bad atmosphere – not because you are irresistible. Don’t forget that! allegations – Vorwürfe harassment – Belästigung abuse – Missbrauch to accuse – beschuldigen tidal wave – Flutwelle to get off the hook – davonkommen addiction – Sucht to name and shame – bloßstellen to take place – stattfinden victim – Opfer justice – Gerechtigkeit suspect – Verdächtiger trial – Gerichtsverfahren to be about to – kurz davor stehen to deny – leugnen axed – gestrichen erased – gelöscht replaced – ersetzt the late – der verstorbene to recast – neu besetzen to reshoot – neu filmen kidnapping – Entführung to insist – darauf bestehen ransom money – Lösegeld interest – Zinsen to resign – zurücktreten inappropriate – unangemessenes to mock – verspotten to step down – zurücktreten in the know – wissend knighthood – Ritterwürde to point out – darauf hinweisen for their own sake – um ihrer selbst willen to be sacked – gefeuert werden to complain – sich beschweren apprentice – Lehrling a word of advice – ein guter Rat to hug tightly – fest umarmen delighted – entzückt irresistible – unwiderstehlich