The take: This changes everything
Harvey Weinstein’s dramatic fall from grace will change Hollywood forever. Polly Dunbar examines the far-reaching implications…
a deluge of accusations of sexual harassment and assault by Harvey Weinstein poured out last week. And with them, a seismic shift took place in Hollywood’s power balance.
As everyone from Meryl Streep and George Clooney to Hillary Clinton and the Obamas were expressing their disgust at the mogul’s behaviour, a sense of hope began to spread through the film industry’s women. Hope that, by standing together to speak out against their own exploitation, or call out their colleagues’ experiences, they were finally changing the script.
‘ This feels like a landmark moment,’ says Melissa Silverstein, founder of Women and Hollywood, which campaigns for gender equality. ‘I get the feeling that women are done. We’re done with men paying off people, instilling fear and using intimidation to hide abhorrent behaviour.’
As the producer of many of the most celebrated films of the past 30 years, including Pulp Fiction, The King’s Speech and Silver Linings Playbook, few men in entertainment wielded as much influence as Weinstein, or were as feared. His downfall was as swift as it was unexpected, and will have consequences beyond Hollywood.
The accusations against him began with tales of sleazy, bathrobe-clad attempts to persuade women to watch him shower or
give him massages. And quickly escalated to allegations of rape. Now, his career and reputation lie in tatters. He’s been sacked from his company, his wife Georgina Chapman, who founded the fashion label Marchesa, has left him and, as Grazia went to press, both the Met Police and NYPD confirmed they were investigating allegations of sexual assault made against him. In a statement, Weinstein ‘unequivocally denied’ the claims, before telling reporters, ‘I’m not doing OK. I got to get help.’ Former associates, including Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from him. Another, Ben Affleck, condemned Weinstein’s actions only to find himself accused of hypocrisy by women, including actress Hilarie Burton, who claimed he’d groped them. Affleck has apologised.
One of the most horrifying aspects of the litany of stories is the breathtaking arrogance that allowed Weinstein to assume anybody was available to him. Gwyneth Paltrow was in a relationship with one of the world’s most desirable men, Brad Pitt, when Weinstein summoned her to his hotel suite, placed his hands on her and suggested they head to his bedroom for massages.
Several victims told how he’d boasted of his other A-list conquests, the implication being that they should feel flattered to be considered worthy. If anybody dared turn him down, he simply bought their silence, as he did with Rose Mcgowan and Ashley Judd. Or he ensured they were dropped from projects, as with Rosanna Arquette and Mira Sorvino, both of whom were among Hollywood’s most promising stars before he damaged their careers.
But this is a story about more than one man’s predatory behaviour. It’s about a business which, since its inception, has fostered a culture in which women have been treated as commodities. ‘ This is our opportunity to talk about why the industry is rife with toxic masculinity,’ said Silverstein.
‘It was set up by men, who have done whatever it takes to ensure they stay in the most powerful positions by preventing women from participating in the industry in an equal way. That’s left women vulnerable and allowed this culture of sexual harassment to be normalised.’
The reality is that Weinstein could only continue to harass women because many of those around him knew what he was doing yet chose not to speak out. Most were afraid of his retaliation – of him destroying their reputation in the media, ensuring nobody hired them, or of being sued. ‘Fear is a powerful motivator,’ says Silverstein. It may also have dissuaded those who say they had heard rumours about his behaviour but never witnessed it personally from delving any further into the issue.
Cara Delevingne, who posted on Instagram about Weinstein trying to persuade her to have a lesbian encounter while he watched, then kissing her, described her reasons for remaining silent: ‘I didn’t want to hurt his family. I felt guilty as if I did something wrong.’ That echoes the emotions of his other accusers.
For so long, women in the industry have also been subjected to the ‘casting couch’ cliché that it’s normal for young starlets to sleep with their bosses to get their break. In 2010, US writer Courtney Enlow wrote a piece in which she alluded to Weinstein’s ‘casting couch ways’. Now, she realises that,
like many people, she’d bought into the idea that women were voluntarily entering into sexual arrangements with him to achieve their goals. ‘I wish I’d known then what I do now about power and consent,’ she says. She tells Grazia, ‘ There used to be this idea that the “casting couch” was somehow transactional – like it was wrong, but the women still had some sort of agency. Now I understand that’s not the case.’ By insisting on being heard, Weinstein’s victims are forcing the world to call the process what it is: exploitation.
This distinction matters for all of us. When high-profile women stand up to harassment, it sends a message that no woman should have to go through such demeaning, degrading experiences. Weinstein’s fall from grace also serves to show men everywhere that treating women as commodities has real consequences.
It’s significant that these revelations have come now. In recent years, women have thrown a spotlight on sexism in Hollywood, with actresses including Jennifer Lawrence revealing everything from the pressure they’re under to be skinny to the gender pay gap. ‘ Those conversations have provided the context for us to finally talk about harassment,’ says Silverstein. ‘Until now, there was no desire to change the situation.’
It’s clear that Hollywood’s women desperately want change. Women In Film, which promotes equal opportunities, say getting more women into positions of power will ‘change the culture, which means there will be decreased sexual harassment and discrimination overall’. Not only will the days of sleazy meetings in hotel rooms be over, but more female producers, directors and writers will mean more exciting, diverse films. The organisation believes more revelations will follow about other industry figures, as ‘the problem is far more widespread than people have been willing to discuss publicly.’
For real change to happen, men need to speak out when they see discrimination. As Silverstein points out, for every star who has condemned Weinstein’s actions, many more have remained silent – men especially. ‘ This is a moment for Hollywood to stand up and show how progressive it is – or isn’t,’ she says. ‘ The world is watching.’
Last week, Cressida Bonas, who appeared in Weinstein’s film Tulip Fever alongside Cara Delevingne, was among several women in the industry who told Grazia they believe the revelations mark a turning point. ‘It’s a breakthrough,’ she said. ‘I feel so angry for those poor women, but I hope this will change things. It will.’