I miss the days when the only newsworthy Harvey in Hollywood was a six-foot, three-and-a-half-inch invisible rabbit (well, a pooka) that had befriended Jimmy Stewart. The pooka was said to have "conquered time, space and any objections;" our more recent Harvey, not so much. --Or perhaps he has; the legal case against him seems to be in some difficulty.
However it comes out, even Mr. Weinstein's defense admits to immoral behavior while denying any of it was actionably extralegal. That's not a reputation that goes away; such behavior is far better avoided in the first place rather than fought over in court on the slim basis of intent and interpretation. Or, as the other Harvey's pal Elwood P. Dowd admonishes, "...my mother used to say to me, ...'In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.' Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."
Better to be nice in the first place than to be even a little creepy and have to try talking your way out of it.
Weinstein and all the other pervs were an open secret for years, weren't they? The women who went public will probably pay a higher price than he will, ultimately. Which isn't the desirable outcome, but we pessimists are rarely disappointed.
ReplyDeleteCasting Couch.
ReplyDeleteCould also be happening in HR departments as we speak. Or board rooms. Or news rooms. Anywhere some one has perceived power to allow someone else to make some cash or anything else one party wants that another has control of.