Harvey Weinstein's case opened the door to an era of Hollywood horror. For nearly two months, a wave of confessions by victims speaking out about prominent figures from cinema and TV like Kevin Spacey has been unleashed.
This is not the first time that sexual harassment/abuse allegations have been heard regarding sexual dynamics in workplaces. However, the topic to be discussed is the way that men (and potentially women) in high places use sexual misconduct to showcase power.
The bullying type of men have been flourishing and dominating the media industry for decades.
After going through various interviews of actors and actresses that talked about the barrage of abuse cases, most of them admitted that they had heard rumors but never questioned anything or acted in any way.
From Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino, they all knew was that it was going on but I guess the stakes were too high for them to bring actual publicity to those matters. As Michelle Pfeiffer said " Abuse of women in Hollywood is systemic" and she went on saying that there is not a single woman that she talked to that hasn't experienced an incident of Sexual Harassment in the Film Industry.
Secrecy is the disease of our times
Therefore, the problem behind the whole story that keeps on growing, is secrecy.
The unwritten law that if you're a woman or a man in a subordinate position you have to tolerate and endure indecent proposals and acts, should be recognized and fought till it's diminished.
The more sexual predators posing as Hollywood moguls and prominent figures are given the space to exercise their power, the more cases will be hushed and swept under the rug.
This is true especially when their endeavors target children and teenagers.
The sexual molestation cases that have surfaced should be thoroughly examined and justice should be served. But, let's focus more on the adult harassment cases since a lot more ink should be spilled to cover this specific subject.
Celebrities reacting to the outburst of female harassment allegations is kind of hypocritical since they have heard or experienced similar cases.
The only solution to this problem is to break down stereotypes and bring transparency to all kind of industries and report anything suspicious right at the moment that allegations have been issued. The discrimination between sexes ranges from different salaries to different attitudes and unacceptable behaviors reaching the level of criminality.
Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel
The film industry faces an unprecedented opportunity to unmask all the criminal behavior and cure the sickness behind the bright lights. People that harass, exploit and patronize their colleagues, their employees and ultimately the audiences, should be stripped off their titles and star quality facades.
This will set an example for the next generations of actor/actresses, producers, directors, and agents reminding them to focus on preserving their art and developing their careers without hurting others in any unethical and illegal way.
