Harvey Weinstein. Everybody Knew,Nobody Cared.

Hollywood’s Worst Kept Secret.

The horrific revelations about Harvey Weinstein come as absolutely NO surprise to me. Nor sadly, does the appalling treatment of his victims. As soon as the news hit the headlines, the blame and shame started, but not for the perpetrator, obviously. It is exhausting and depressing to read, yet more clichéd, antiquated responses to rape and sexual assault.

Time and time again, same old story; Jimmy Saville, Bill Cosby, Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes .  The Catholic Church, Institutional Child Sexual Abuse. Corporate giants Google and Uber and let’s not forget there’s a sexual predator sitting in the White House. Jimmy Saville – decades of abuse and Britain’s most prolific serial sex offender. A staggering fifty-seven women came forward accusing Bill Cosby of rape and sexual assault. Donald Trump in his limited vocabulary explains “when you are a star, you do anything you like, you can grab them by the pussy.”

Assault or rob a person then there is a tendency to believe them first and ask for evidence later. Raped, sexually assaulted or harassed, then it’s a story of proof. The victim often labeled a liar, Donald Trump’s favourite term “she is a fantasist”. No wonder victims are reluctant to come forward when blamed and or discredited. Fifty-seven women, that’s not a conspiracy, that’s corroboration. The perfect oxymoron, that the crime is not taken seriously yet the accusation of it is.

Rather than be outraged, society will often explain away or excuse the perpetrator’s behaviour. In Weinstein’s case, he is apparently a sex addict and now in therapy. Sex addict? Fuck off, don’t make me laugh, he’s been at it for thirty odd years. He is a sociopath and serial sexual predator who enjoys raping women and wanking in hotel lobbies. The cruel reality is there has always been an accepted culture of abuse and misogyny. This culture enables men like Weinstein and it continues to thrive because the people and institutions who could stop the behaviour fail women time and again.

It is 2017 but depressingly the response to Weinstein’s crimes still remain archaic. A sexist mindset “if it was that bad, why didn’t she report it?” or “why did she let it happen more than once?” Insidious intimations that “she must have asked for it” or “she knew what she was letting herself in for”. Settling out of court and accepting a settlement “in it for the money.” There seems no disgrace in suing and claiming compensation if you slip on a wet floor. However, claim recompense for being raped and violated, and an undoubted lifetime of PTSD; well that’s a different story.

Absolutely I understand that if one has never experienced abuse, they can not comprehend the dynamics. But walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you judge. Trusted someone implicitly? Was the person in a position of authority and you felt pressured and intimidated?  Instinct telling you that in saying no, there would be repercussions. Or worst case scenario, you feared for your life?

Saying no to men like Weinstein doesn’t work, it only adds fuel to the fire. They feed on your terror. Nine times out of ten, whatever you say or do, they take what they want anyway. So, why don’t we speak up, why do we stay silent? Quite simply, it’s FEAR. The fear he will hurt you, fear he will crush all you hold dear. Fear of being humiliated or the fear that this time he may just kill you. Many women who have been raped or abused recount being paralysed with fear. Logic tells you to run, scream or fight back but the body just won’t comply. Whether it occurs as a form of self-preservation or just from the shock, either way, it renders you useless.

As perverse as it may seem to some, there is a myriad of reasons why women return to their abuser. A vain attempt to find validation, it may look like a weakness but sometimes we are just trying to grapple back some control. If the abuser has done his job, he will have isolated you from everything. Often women are so dependent on their abuser they will have nowhere else to go. Perhaps you see your abuser every day or have to work with them. The abuser will be fully aware of his balls in your court.

The casting couch is not an urban legend and as with Jimmy Saville, those in the industry knew of Weinstein’s reputation, it was common knowledge. Numerous lawsuits and both The New York Times (who broke the story this week) and The New Yorker were warned off from going to print years ago. Collectively, what everybody already knew about Weinstein should have been enough for him to face the consequences. He was one of THE most powerful men in Hollywood, a mogul with immense gravitas. This universal silence gives us a glimpse of his potency, it seems you just didn’t cross him.

Whilst a culture of fear permeated the industry, it’s neglect of women’s rights is also a huge indication of its misogynistic attitude to the rape and sexual assault of women. The fact that we are still having this conversation is outrageous. These women genuinely believed he wanted to nurture and further their careers and that his interest in them was strictly professional.  They quickly discovered otherwise. He preyed on their hopes and dreams, he abused his power. If they stay silent, they acquiesce, punished if they say no or implicated if they relent. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

It’s not just women, Corey Feldman bravely discussed both his and Corey Haim’s sexual abuse at the hands of “some of the richest and most powerful men in the business.” But instead, they were lambasted and ridiculed. There is a sick irony now watching The Lost Boys. Elijah Wood, claims that in the industry paedophilia is rife. I urge you to watch An Open Secret, a revealing documentary about child sexual abuse in Hollywood. For anybody that still doubts, be under no illusion that abuse absolutely, fucks you up. Whether it happened once or a hundred times. The implosion of Lindsey Lohan is no coincidence (a Weinstein protegé) nor is Corey Haim’s many attempts at suicide.

Like Roman Polanski and Woody Allen, Weinstein has fled the country, like the cowards they are. And as with Saville, I fear this is the tip of an extremely sordid iceberg. Unfortunately, Weinstein will be one of many. The floodgates have opened and as I write, the allegations pour in. I sincerely hope they nail that fucker to the wall…by his inadequately small balls.

The fact that these women are actresses and models is irrelevant, they are the same as everybody else, human beings. Just because the job remit requires a certain aesthetic, their career choice does not make them fair game. Do not underestimate the courage it took for these women to come forward. Their bravery may also mean an end to decades of systematic abuse within the industry. Their decision will have saved lives and many from a life of hell. No more endless cycles of self-harm, rehab, and therapy.

I applaud them x

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