Harvey Weinstein Up Sexual Harassment Shit Creek

The weird thing about being a professionally successful man who lives some kind of shady or disreputable life behind the public persona, a million and one people know your secrets, but it never becomes a scandal until it’s a story in the papers. Then everybody who knew all along says they told you so, even though they never told anybody who mattered. 

The New York Times published a scathing, indepth article about Harvey Weinstein and several decades of pay-to-play treatment of female employees, actresses, and other hungry women in the business. And by “pay”, they mean happy ending massages of his tubby body up in his hotel room. This in tacit exchange for help in their careers. You could name the process after Roger Ailes, but so many other older fat men have played the role before, it’s not fair to give consideration to merely one fat horny bastard.

The Times piece goes back to 1997, when Weinstein was a literal and figurative giant in Hollywood. Pulp Fiction among the many massive successes of the Weinstein brothers and their Miramax label, purchased by Disney in 1993. In ’97, Ashley Judd recalls being summoned to Weinstein’s hotel room for what she was told was a casting meeting, only to be asked by Weinstein if she would give him a massage or alternatively, watch him take a shower. Who could possibly decide?

Lest you think this is merely an Ashley Judd tale of patriarchal woe, the Times interviewed dozens more women, uncovered eight official legal settlements between Weinstein, his company, and female employees or contractors, and have several women on record charging Weinstein with similar hotel room massage offers and similar in exchange for help with their careers. Very similar to Bill Cosby, though without being knocked out. Lack of sedatives now seems like a lesser option.

Even the male executives at Miramax now openly recall how bad it was for women working for Weinstein:

“If a female executive was asked to go to a meeting solo, she and a colleague would generally double up” so as not to be alone with Mr. Weinstein, recalled Mr. Gill, the former president of Miramax Los Angeles.

Within moments of the New York Times story publication, Weinstein announced through his high powered attorneys, including Lisa Bloom who works both sides of sexual harassment cases depending on where the money is greater, that he was suing the newspaper. Though he didn’t deny the underlying charges. Or not all of them. His claim being that some of the allegations in the article are incorrect. That’s kind of weak sauce. And it came with a stupidly phrased apology:

“I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. My journey now will be to learn about myself and conquer my demons.”

Demons are a sympathetic way to characterize your faults. Only gamblers, drug addicts, and married guys caught with their pants down have demons. The rest of us are stuck merely being sinners.

Weinstein announced he’s going to work with therapists to get better as he takes a leave of absence from the Weinstein Company. He didn’t specify whether that would be psychiatric therapists or massage therapists, though assume a healthy blend. Lisa Bloom referred to Weinstein as “an old dinosaur learning new ways.” Again, nice euphemism. 

Naturally, Weinstein is an outspoken proponent of women’s issues, the feminist agenda, and progressive causes. He’s a big supporter of the Democratic Party and was a big fundraiser and friend to Hillary Clinton in the last election cycle. Not that total hypocrisy is limited to one side of the partisan divide. Not on a day when a GOP Congressman and outspoken Pro Life advocate resigns for fucking around on his wife and urging his pregnant girlfriend to get an abortion.

Men are flawed with double standard. Men of power often have the ability to express such selfish imperfections in more noteworthy ways. Though it’s still worth noting as we did during similar revelation about Joss Whedon, beware the outspoken feminist male. They’re hiding something huge.