It was truly shocking to learn that in Hollywood, the beacon of equality and morality, there was a man who used his power and influence to subjugate and sexually assault women. Unlike Jimmy Kimmel, who has turned to preaching the ratings prosperity gospel after he did blackface, Harvey Weinstein did the opposite. He was the toast of Hollywood until somebody exposed what he was doing for years: sexually harassing women. Big shock, big shock. So now that the “worst kept secret in Hollywood” is out, people in Hollywood now have to come forward and denounce these actions they’ve know about for year but chose no to say anything until their hand was forced to send out a tweet. Or in Lena Dunham‘s case, write an op-ed for The New York Times.
This was written by Lena Dunham, so you knew her opening paragraph was going to suck her own dick before she got to the point.
I went to Hollywood when I was 23. I had made a low-budget film, won an award at a prestigious festival, scored an agent and made a TV deal all within six months. It was a fairy tale most people will never experience, and I knew, as well as a 23-year-old can know anything, that I was getting a pretty great deal. I bounced from meeting to meeting with the joy of Cinderella at the ball.
She goes on to talk about herself more and how she’s been sexually harassed in Hollywood, because I realize they don’t want to admit it, Hollywood is filled with a million Donald Trumps. But these Donald Trumps can finance your movie and make you a movie star, so you can see how their behavior might be overlooked. Like Dunham did in 2016.
In the fall of 2016, I performed at a benefit for Hillary Clinton organized by the Weinstein Company. I had heard the rumors. I felt that going onstage under his aegis was a betrayal of my own values. But I wanted so desperately to support my candidate that I made a calculation. We’ve all made calculations, and saying we’re sorry about those calculations is not an act of cowardice. It’s an essential change of position that could shift the way we do business and the way women regard their own position in the workplace. I’m sorry I shook the hand of someone I knew was not a friend to women in my industry.
So basically, Lena Dunham knew all about it, but went to a benefit where the woman candidate accepted money from a sexual predator and Dunham shook hands with said sexual predator, because I guess the end justifies the means or what have you. But what Dunham really wants to know is where all da men at?
Men of Hollywood, what are you sorry for? What will you refuse to accept anymore? What will you say to fill the void and change the standard? Are you afraid because you heard the whisperings but accepted a role or a position on a host committee or a glass of Champagne and a pat on the back? Are you embarrassed because you’re in a photo with him smiling broadly or because he gave money to your organization or introduced you to your girlfriend or earned you your Oscar nomination? Are you operating under the assumption that this is very sad but that it is not your problem?
Of course a lot of men in Hollywood have already came out to denounce Weinstein (even Ben Affleck had the fucking balls to do it), but if you’re on Twitter a bunch, here’s the usual two takes when it comes to men 1.) “All men are fucking trash and the world would be better without them” 2.) “Why aren’t men helping us?” Look, I’m all for equality. Every man should be. But there’s a big difference between “equality” and “being equal”. You shouldn’t expect or force men to help you achieve that in any way. Sometimes you gotta take shit into your own hands like everybody else. Nobody really expects Muslims who aren’t blowing shit up constantly to speak out about the Muslims who are blowing shit up constantly. Why? Because it has nothing to so with them. Every woman actor who has come out swinging at Weinstein so far has included a “yeah I kinda knew about it” clause in their statements or they just feigned ignorance. If sexism and sexual harassment are virulent diseases that run rampant in your industry, and you still choose to work in that industry yet only speak out when your industry takes a hit, you’re not really any better than Weinstein. Sorry you had to hear it this way.
