The domino effect is on in Hollywood and beyond, these past few days, and it all springs from the hapless situation of film producer Harvey Weinstein. Film industry insiders insist that the Miramax and Weinstein Company founder’s sexual indiscretions were an open secret to many. But it was only with the article from The New York Times back on October 5 that started the ball rolling for accusations to start come at Weinstein from almost everywhere. Over fifty individual women have come forth where he is concerned. But now the “Weinstein Effect” has spread just about everywhere.
‘Me Too’
As the sentiments against Harvey Weinstein continued to build up over the past weeks, a dam appears to have burst. Now, more and more men in positions of power, whether in media, entertainment or business, are getting accused as abusers by women associates, subordinates, and clients. Even as Weinstein was booted from his company and the Academy, other high-profile celebrity males - a chef, a filmmaker, a Fox News host, and a TV studio head, among many - are following in his wake, either leaving their respective fields or being tossed out. Sexual harassment accusations have become grounds for job termination.
While there are some analysts who believe that the hubbub regarding the allegations against the former Weinstein Company boss and other accused celebrities might eventually die down and a status quo will reassert itself, others think a new element will break this cruel cycle.
That element is social media, and it is where plenty of women are venting their stories of being victims of sexual misconduct in the workplace and other venues. The general hash-tag uniting these tales is trending as #MeToo. From a report by The New York Times, a movement has started to hold high-placed alleged deviants to account.
List of accused
Many other male celebrities have been swept up by the Chain Reaction of the Weinstein Effect. These include Roy Price, head of Amazon Studios. After being placed on forced leave pending in-company investigation for misconduct with female co-workers, he resigned last week. New Orleans chef John Besh also stepped down from the restaurant company named after him following similar charges of harassment.
The story is the same for director/screenwriter James Toback, who has 35 women complainants. And then there was Bill O’Reilly of Fox News, who was ousted in April despite a contract extension with the network, due to a harassment lawsuit by contributor and legal analyst Lis Wiehl.
While The Weinstein Company was quick to cut ties and wash their hands of Harvey Weinstein after the controversy exploded, the rest of the studio’s leadership has not escaped scrutiny. The same allegations of indiscretion are now being leveled at his brother Bob. The Weinstein Effect, it seems, has yet to slow down.
