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Andrew Kreisberg susspended from The Flash following accusations of sexual harrassment

I know. I read this forum with interest. But I admit leaving out Disco was more a matter of taste. I may change that into "a tough moral decision" later.
 
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Anyone who pretends that this sort of thing never happens in Hollywood is deluded or a liar. It's always been an open secret -- heck, for generations, it was considered business as usual. I recently saw an old news clipping of actress Maureen O'Hara complaining that Hollywood executives were spreading rumors that she was a cold fish and unfeminine because she wouldn't sit on their laps or let them make out with her or feel her up. For a long time, this was seen as normal, expected behavior for Hollywood executives, even as something they were entitled to. We Star Trek fans have long heard the stories about Gene Roddenberry's constant philandering and sleeping with actresses, and it's always been presented as something consensual, a matter of women finding him irresistible and Roddenberry just going along with it. But lately I'm compelled to admit that it was probably something more coercive and predatory than that, at least in some cases. It's something that a person in a position of authority should not be doing with the people whose careers he has power over. But it's something that the men in positions of authority in Hollywood (and in politics and industry and many other walks of life) have historically taken for granted as something they were entitled to do. And that presumption is still there to a large extent.

That's the thing -- most of these charges are about behaviors that have been open secrets in the industry for years, but that nobody's stood up and done anything about until now. Apparently Harvey Weinstein's actions and Brett Ratner's have been talked about in hushed tones for a long time now. I've been hearing stories for years about how well-known Eddie Berganza's abuses at DC were and how outrageous it was that DC refused to do anything about it. So anyone who claims these things don't happen has no credibility. Of course there are going to be some false accusations here and there. David Gerrold suggested on Facebook that at least one recent, uncorroborated charge might be the work of some right-wing troll trying to take advantage of the current climate to smear an innocent person. But if the producers of a lucrative entertainment franchise like the Arrowverse are willing to suspend one of the most important creators behind it, that indicates that they consider the charges credible enough to take seriously. It is hard to believe that so many different, unconnected people would conspire to fabricate charges against someone.
To me the disturbing part is that you have so many "open secrets" yet everyone studiously ignored the problem until it became impossible to ignore.
 
To me the disturbing part is that you have so many "open secrets" yet everyone studiously ignored the problem until it became impossible to ignore.

Yep. DC's press release about the Berganza firing says they're "committed to eradicating harassment," which is really hypocritical considering that they've spent years ignoring multiple complaints about his harassment of women, even firing one of his victims while keeping him in power.

I think Benoist pegged it in her statement -- sometimes the problem seems so big and pervasive that people feel helpless to do anything about it. It's not that they're okay with it happening, they just don't believe they have the power to stop it. Fortunately, that climate seems to be changing, and hopefully it won't be so easy in the future for people in power to get away with this sort of thing.
 
To me the disturbing part is that you have so many "open secrets" yet everyone studiously ignored the problem until it became impossible to ignore.


probably a combination of factors, lawsuits (hell Liberace successfully sued a news paper that reported he was gay), fear of killing one's own career and possibly not wanting to be the one to kill some-one elses career.

also in instances like this I think the term safety in numbers applies. If it's just one person then you can wind up in a he/she said he/she/said situation when there multiple people are able to give different times and dates then it becomes much easier.
 
You forgot consuming their products like Star Trek TOS or Supergirl or Flash.

I have already stopped watching TOS years ago when I heard what happend to Grace Lee Whitney. Which I learned on this board btw but obviously I was the only to draw this conclusion. Don't forget that this whole forum centers around TV shows that created those "aberrations to human society" in the first place or enabled them to do what they did.

This is true--and whether anyone around here will admit it, some are already in what I would call a mild excuse mode about those who are accused of sexual abuse, or easily accepting the tepid responses (by some in the business) to said sexual abuses. There's no way they did not know this was going on, but as in the Weinstein case with individuals like Quentin Tarantino, keeping a mouth closed--arguably to keep a career alive--is more important than random people being raped.

The way to prevent that more "aberrations" can build more money retreats is not to consume anything any further that comes from the cultural industry.[/QUOTE]

To me the disturbing part is that you have so many "open secrets" yet everyone studiously ignored the problem until it became impossible to ignore.

Thank you. As mentioned above, whether it was Weinstein, Bryan Singer, Spacey or Kreisberg, it is next to impossible to think people who worked on a production or for a company so closely for years were completely oblivious while multiple acts of predatory behavior or all-out sexual abuse was going on. Only when the victims actually do what no one else would--stand up for themselves--do we see everyone else jumping in, trying to play the "uhhh, I didn't know" card, or make would-be profound statements, which should have been offered when it was not part of a breaking story. That's what true courage and caring is all about.
 
Watching any Star Trek feeds money into the coffers of the Roddenberry clan. It is pretty clear that Roddenberry himself was a sexual predator.
Yep - if GR had been doing today what he was doing from 1964-1968 while Executive Producing Star Trek, the show would have probably been cancelled and GR fired during the first season. (And no, I'm NOT joking.)
 
A few people have brought up Bryan Singer's name here, but unless I'm mistaken, the accusations against him were investigated and proven to be false.
 
I find it odd that no women in the entertainment business have yet to be charged with these crimes. There have been an increasing number of ordinary women - especially female teachers - being accused of sexual harassment or assault. Yet no females in the entertainment business have been charged or accused so far. I find that odd.
 
I find it odd that no women in the entertainment business have yet to be charged with these crimes. There have been an increasing number of ordinary women - especially female teachers - being accused of sexual harassment or assault. Yet no females in the entertainment business have been charged or accused so far. I find that odd.

Because there's a double standard in the entertainment industry and society in general. When female teachers rape boys (and girls, in some cases), they are treated like the subject of some torrid novel (often responses will start with how "attractive" the woman is...), while men committing the same act are treated as predatory monsters--as they should be. Further, it does not help when you even have women in the news media also expressing gender-selective outrage (at male predators) instead of equal condemnation.

Regarding the entertainment business, yes, its full of female predators, but it will take the victims to scream out and not be concerned with perception--which for some males--is locked to the stereotype of being "weak" if abused by women.
 
I find it odd that no women in the entertainment business have yet to be charged with these crimes.

Yet no females in the entertainment business have been charged or accused so far. I find that odd.
It shouldn't feel odd. There aren't enough women in positions of power and authority for instances like this to occur at a comparative degree. If the numbers were equal, then the chance of predatory behavior by women holding power would probably be higher.
But then, stereotypically, women tend not to be slobbering neanderthals, socialized to see themselves as entitled to treat males any way they please, subjecting them to unwanted, disrespectful verbal or physical abuse, and act as if there's nothing wrong with that. :shifty:
 
None of this surprises me. Hollywood be Hollywoodin'.

Hollywoodin' seemed to be happening elsewhere, as well, thanks to the media frenzy over that Alabama senate candidate and ex-Pres. George HW Bush.


But then, stereotypically, women tend not to be slobbering neanderthals, socialized to see themselves as entitled to treat males any way they please, subjecting them to unwanted, disrespectful verbal or physical abuse, and act as if there's nothing wrong with that. :shifty:


Interesting. By the way, I can think of at least three old Hollywood actresses who had "affairs" with adolescent actors. And I can recall reading on Tumblr that Henry Cavill had once complained about being groped by women every once in a while. I don't know if this is true or not, but . . . who knows?
 
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Hollywoodin' seemed to be happening elsewhere, as well, thanks to the media frenzy over that Alabama senate candidate and ex-Pres. George HW Bush.

It happens everywhere, but Hollywood is the bigger story since so many of its mouthpieces sell themselves as the most tolerant, respectful, socially/morally correct of all, always pointing in judgement at all others (like their ideological opposites), while being the picture of deviant behavior--like Andrew Kreisberg and his industry enablers.
 
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