Harvey Weinstein resigns in sexual harrassment scandal

Twick

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Sure, in an industry where the casting couch was legendary, does this surprise anyone?

But seriously, I ask all you writers, could you expect to put an apology letter https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/05/us/statement-from-harvey-weinstein.html?src=twr as demented as this in any work not clear satire and not be told it was over-the-top ridiculous?

"Sorry I groped some girls. It was the sixties, everyone was doing it. I'm gonna bring the NRA and the president down to make up for it, OK?"
 

PorterStarrByrd

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more non news about somebody who deserves no attention outside of a court room that effects almost nobody anywhere
 

ElaineA

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more non news about somebody who deserves no attention outside of a court room that effects almost nobody anywhere

Bull. It's news because women are forever silenced by this kind of response. "Move along, nothing to see here, just a fuckwit serial sexual harasser/abuser." You DO know there are women on the other side of this problem who were victimized, right?? Made to feel anything from uncomfortable to horrified, to losing their jobs to having their names dragged through the mud, to being touched by a man they didn't want touching them, to being made to touch a naked man they did NOT want to touch.

Bullshit, it's non-news. It's NEWS because women are standing up to make it known what he did, who he is at his core. Make it known so these assholes can't hide in the weeds as easily, to protect other women.
 

Twick

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more non news about somebody who deserves no attention outside of a court room that effects almost nobody anywhere

Gee, why would anyone (especially in the writing business) be interested in knowing about systemic sexual harassment of women in one of the most powerful independent movie studios in existence?

Oscar-winning producers are not often referred to as "nobodies".
 

Myrealana

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more non news about somebody who deserves no attention outside of a court room that effects almost nobody anywhere
There was a trending thread on Twitter yesterday to the effect of "To all women, who was your Harvey Weinstein?"

In my experience, every woman--young, old, tall, short, fat, thin, hot, not--EVERY woman has had a Harvey Weinstein, probably more than one, in their lives that they didn't feel they could speak up about.

Mine was the training manager at the tech support company I worked at just out of college. He was over 50, called me "sweetie" and would walk up behind me and massage my shoulders. I would ask him to please not touch me, then I'd shrug away, give him a look. I told HR, they said it didn't qualify as "sexual harassment" unless there was explicit quid-pro-quo demanded. I finally told him, in front of witnesses "Any part of you that touches me, you're not getting back." He moved on to harass another woman in the department. I helped her get rid of him, and he moved on again. I worked there three years, and in that time, the women just learned to protect each other from him. No one in power ever even tried to stop him.

What about the rest of you? Any "Non news" about your own Harvey Weinstein?
 
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heza

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The Harvey Weinstein I felt threatened by was when I was an intern in the field I'm in now. It was a consulting company, and I'd taken over a writing project from another woman and was expected to go meet with the client by myself. The client quickly made it clear that he expected more than writing and kept asking me out to dinner and would try to tie reaching project milestones (which I would get into trouble for not reaching) to things like going out after work or to his lake cabin for the weekend. ("How about I review this over drinks? I don't think I'd have time, otherwise," and stuff like that.)

I was barely into my 20s and had no idea what to do. I was afraid he was going to stall the project until I got let go from my internship (which would have affected my ability to graduate). My mother told me to go buy a fake engagement ring, happily announce my engagement during a meeting, and start talking nonstop about my "fiance," which I did. Any time he'd ask me to dinner, I'd get out my pocket planner and say, "Oh... I don't know if Jason can make it tonight. But we're free on Tuesday." When he'd suggest the lake house, I'd say, "That would be lovely. Jason loves to fish." Eventually, he quit asking me out, but he also resorted to some petty stuff, like refusing work I'd done or arbitrarily changing things to mess up my schedule. I ended up telling my mentor about it (the woman who'd handed off the project to me). She started going with me to the meetings. She was a very strong, no-nonsense sort of woman, and his little games stopped after that.

In my 30s, at the company I work with now (where these guys are no longer employed), I had trouble with a couple of others. None of them had any authority over me, and I was old enough that I felt more irritated by it than frightened. One was a married man who kept saying suggestive things and emailing me creepy commentary about my appearance. I'd respond by asking after his family. He quit after a few times. Another was a shoulder rubber (during meetings!), and one day, I loudly suggested that "Carl" was having neck problems that morning and perhaps he should get the shoulder rub instead. That embarrassed him out of doing it anymore.

I "handled" my problems as well as I was able, but I still feel very resentful that I felt like I had to be crafty and diplomatic about it. I couldn't just say, "fuck off"; I had to politely dissuade them without causing a fuss because "that's what women do." (I need a vomiting emoji.)
 

PorterStarrByrd

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still shouldn't get the coverage it gets. Let the courts hang him and the report it. There is nothing new in this news and it gives an aberrant idiot publicity. Does he seem contrite? Is the publicity doing anything that hits him hard? I recognize the problem as do most people. but the coverage does nothing to solve the problem we all know about and despise. Does this have any effect on your problem with your private Harvey Weinstein?
 

Myrealana

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still shouldn't get the coverage it gets. Let the courts hang him and the report it. There is nothing new in this news and it gives an aberrant idiot publicity. Does he seem contrite? Is the publicity doing anything that hits him hard? I recognize the problem as do most people. but the coverage does nothing to solve the problem we all know about and despise. Does this have any effect on your problem with your private Harvey Weinstein?
Ignoring it certainly doesn't help.

If knowing that it can happen to anyone helps young women of today come forward and push for justice, then I say report the HELL out of this story.

Just like Taylor Swift slapping down the bastard who groped her, these stories need to be TOLD. Women need to know they DO have the power to stop these assholes.
 

lizmonster

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still shouldn't get the coverage it gets. Let the courts hang him and the report it. There is nothing new in this news and it gives an aberrant idiot publicity. Does he seem contrite? Is the publicity doing anything that hits him hard? I recognize the problem as do most people. but the coverage does nothing to solve the problem we all know about and despise. Does this have any effect on your problem with your private Harvey Weinstein?

I get what you're saying. He's a creep and shouldn't get anything out of any of this, even infamy.

But yes, we need to hear these stories. We need to share these stories. Because when I look at my daughter I know it's going to be when this happens to her and not if.

The vast majority of men I've worked with in my life have been perfectly professional, decent humans who never once made me feel threatened. A great many of them have become true friends. And a small handful have been take-the-next-elevator creepoids. Pretending they're not there, or just passing names quietly through the Nobody's Going To Do Anything About This So Protect Yourself grapevine, allows these things to continue.

Being harassed is a deeply isolating experience, even if it's a small thing. And we're so often told "it's not that bad" or "I'm sure you misinterpreted" or "every job means dealing with some odd personalities." It really, really helps to hear others saying "Oh, yeah? Me, too!" Don't discount the incredible value of recognizing that you're not overreacting, you're not imagining things, and this really does actually suck.
 

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more non news about somebody who deserves no attention outside of a court room that effects almost nobody anywhere

Yet here you are giving attention to somebody who deserves no attention as if men of means and power haven't forced women to trade sex for favors since time immemorial? I've always thought the best way to handle non-news about somebody who deserves no attention was not to pay attention, but that's not how you roll, huh?


still shouldn't get the coverage it gets. Let the courts hang him and the report it. There is nothing new in this news and it gives an aberrant idiot publicity. Does he seem contrite? Is the publicity doing anything that hits him hard? I recognize the problem as do most people. but the coverage does nothing to solve the problem we all know about and despise. Does this have any effect on your problem with your private Harvey Weinstein?


Hey, you think someone like you said the same thing a few years ago about Bill Cosby right before the number of women coming forward kept growing and growing and growing? Of course, other women didn't come forward because they weren't "names" like Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan and didn't want to go up against a rich, ruthless and powerful movie mogul like Harvey Weinstein. Not if they ever wanted to work in Hollywood.

There's a lot of Harvey Weinsteins and Bill Cosbys and Bill O'Reillys and Roger Ailes and Anthony Weiners out there and while you don't think its particularly newsworthy when they and the men out there like that are just as bad and worse are exposed for the grabby, grubby pigs they are, seems to me there's enough folks out there who care and want to know to make up for those who'd prefer to change the subject.

After all, if we really began to take it seriously when men put their hands on women where they weren't invited to put them, perhaps it would have spared us all the disgrace of one who admits to grabbin' em by the private parts occupying in the Oval Office loudly farting in his leather chair.
 

Beanie5

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I honestly don't know where I stand on this I know young people who have suffered this ( men and women ) and were terribly angry about it. But if I pointed them too this they would say yawn and so what , and maybe even it's not that bad compared to whats out there, I think the problem is there so much stuff going on that is so much worse you just get a shrug " from our sons and daughters "
who say so what i've been through worse get over it ,
 

mccardey

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I honestly don't know where I stand on this I know young people who have suffered this ( men and women ) and were terribly angry about it. But if I pointed them too this they would say yawn and so what , and maybe even it's not that bad compared to whats out there, I think the problem is there so much stuff going on that is so much worse you just get a shrug " from our sons and daughters "
who say so what i've been through worse get over it ,
Oh well thanks for that. Will tell the young people to stop fussing.
 

Beanie5

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Sorry McCardey I really think nowdays they all know exactly what the score is education is no longer a factor and so they know what to do and pointing it6 out to them in my expierience has been facile.


This in no way says I don't think it is abhorent and I know the damage that it does, its just if you say hey look at this they just roll there eyes at you

I think what i am trying to say is the debate has moved on to trying to find real solutions and options that will actually bring real help to people, above and beyond the finger pointing

It is very sad to me.
 
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mccardey

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Sorry McCardey I really think nowdays they all know exactly what the score is education is no longer a factor and so they know what to do and pointing it6 out to them in my expierience has been facile.
Unless you've pointed it out to all young women and all young men, your experience might not be worth as much as you think.
 

Beanie5

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True the internet has made the world a different place over the last few years and as i said i am unsure there may be someone out there it may help but the effort might be better rewarded by focusing on different aspects as i said i am undecided but there is a real danger this stuu nowdays has the danger of trivalising the issues,
 

mccardey

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True the internet has made the world a different place over the last few years and as i said i am unsure there may be someone out there it may help but the effort might be better rewarded by focusing on different aspects as i said i am undecided but there is a real danger this stuu nowdays has the danger of trivalising the issues,
Okay.

ETA: What different aspects of sexual harrassment in the workplace and sexual abuse of young people do you think might be worth focusing on?
 
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heza

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I've been thinking about this some more, and I just wanted to put this plea out there. If you're in the workforce, pay attention to the young women in your companies and look out for them. I was afraid when this happened to me, I was worried about my job, and I didn't know how much I was allowed to stand up for myself in those situations. If it hadn't been for Claudia, I might have spent a lot more time being afraid and uncertain about my position. I might have thought I had to just take it.
 

Beanie5

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Heza this is so true having people who you can talk to and trust and are in a posistion to help is fantastic.
 

mccardey

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Heza this is so true having people who you can talk to and trust and are in a posistion to help is fantastic.
Hang on though - haven't you just been saying that there's no real point talking about it? That people should move on? That the debate has moved on and talking about "this stuff" just trivialises the issues? (tbh, it's hard to know because you don't punctuate.)
True the internet has made the world a different place over the last few years and as i said i am unsure there may be someone out there it may help but the effort might be better rewarded by focusing on different aspects as i said i am undecided but there is a real danger this stuu nowdays has the danger of trivalising the issues,
if I pointed them too this they would say yawn and so what , and maybe even it's not that bad compared to whats out there, I think the problem is there so much stuff going on that is so much worse you just get a shrug " from our sons and daughters "
who say so what i've been through worse get over it ,
 

Beanie5

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There is little relevence or empathy to this particular article is my take its time frame and cliche setting present problems that open this to ridicule if you will notice some earlier posts and may do more harm than good.
 

mccardey

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There is little relevence or empathy to this particular article is my take its time frame and cliche setting present problems that open this to ridicule if you will notice some earlier posts and may do more harm than good.
The time frame includes reports of events from - for instance - 2015. And the cliched setting won't make the events less damaging for the people involved - or less palatable generally. And I really, really take exception to the PorterStarrByrd's idea that because it's a
problem we all know about and despise.
we shouldn't talk about it.

ETA: Here's a thing, though
Women talk. And all predatory men should heed this message: tread carefully.Because women are talking a lot louder than they ever have before. And some day, some time, it'll be your turn to stand in the spotlight.
I hope you're ready for your close-up.
Thank you, Clementine Ford.
 
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Beanie5

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Yes Mccardy my expirience has been closer to home and it has made me feel infuriatingly powerles. The sooner effective systems are put in place that can help protect everyone including the young girls (and others) working registers that are desperate for there jobs the better.