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HARVEY WEINSTEIN AND THE POWER IMBALANCE - HOLLYWOOD
Brigitte Kimichik • Mar 16, 2020
HARVEY WEINSTEIN AND THE POWER IMBALANCE IN HOLLYWOOD
The Weinstein NY case has raised some confusion. Why did the victims in this case continue amicable relationships with Weinstein after they claim he sexually assaulted them? Why is there a perception that the women 'did not behave like typical assault victims'? Why did these women put themselves in precarious positions to begin with?
Weinstein himself spoke to the judge in court
prior to his sentencing: “….I had wonderful times with these people. I’m just genuinely confused. Men are confused about this issue.”
Weinstein claims he believed he was having consensual relationships with his accusers. Why else would many of them have continued their relationships with Weinstein on an amicable and in some cases on an intimate basis if they believed they were sexually assaulted or even raped? In his view these accusers behaved differently from what regular rape victims would do.
What does Weinstein (and in his view many other men) not understand about his relationship with these women?
As we review in our book Play Nice - Playground Rules for Respect in the Workplace, Weinstein is the perfect showcase of how power imbalance is key to sexual assault: a person in power imposing his will on another who cannot resist or defend herself for fear of retaliation concerning a job, opportunity, or reputation. According to experts, "People who perpetrate this kind of violence are highly-skilled at recognizing vulnerabilities,...reading fear...and taking advantage of it anyway."
The reality is that this type of bad behavior may have been tolerated and permitted for many years in Hollywood—such behavior often including sexual assault and rape. For example, does the “casting couch” sound familiar? As a model or actress in a predominantly male-dominated decision-making environment, chances of success are low and opportunities fiercely competitive. Your fate depends on who you know, how you look and dress, and what you will agree to or tolerate (in many cases on the casting couch) in order to get a shot at fame. For Hollywood, accepting the invitation to a hotel room or accepting a request for a massage became an acceptable risk in order not to lose the potential role or job.
The casting-couch concept is nothing new and has been in existence since the birth of the movie industry. It is the place where an aspiring actor is asked to relax while she is evaluated for her talent. The efforts to “relax” and “be evaluated” are then abused by predators who assume that acceptance of the visit or meeting means consent to sex. Harvey Weinstein himself publicly justified his behavior by saying he grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, when, he believes, his behavior was common and acceptable. In many cases, women were sexually abused and assaulted without their express permission. We are certain this practice continues today, and not just in Hollywood.
You may believe that women who find themselves in compromising situations, about to be sexually assaulted, always have a choice. They could either accept the terrible; defend themselves physically; report the behavior to the authorities; or say “NO!” and walk (or run) away. For many women, however, the choice may not be easy or may not be available at all. Maybe, in the moment, she feels the only option is to comply or otherwise risk her one shot or opportunity, her job, or, in some cases, her safety. If she resists or complains, she may be blackballed and forever lose that specific opportunity or any future possibility to work in the industry. Where the perpetrator is a superior, she may be labeled a troublemaker and be demoted, loose her opportunity for promotion, or her job.
We have all heard the obvious question, especially since the #MeToo movement launched: “Why did she not immediately report her assault?” It is tough to understand and sympathize if you have never been in such a position. The simple answer is fear. Fear of humiliation, fear of not being believed and victim shaming, fear of retaliation, fear of losing an opportunity, fear of losing a job, and fear of personal safety. Most importantly, the overwhelming experience of shame and guilt for not having fought back. Victims often blame themselves first.
So when Weinstein's defense counsel, Donna Rotunno, recently stated that she would not put herself in a position to be assaulted, we reflected on her statement. What if your male superior asked for a meeting at a bar, a restaurant, or in his hotel room before dinner emphasizing that he will not take no for an answer? What if the meeting concerned your career? What if you have no reason to believe you are about to be sexually assaulted? The motivation of the perpetrator may not always be crystal clear. Is it that women should not dress in nice or shapely clothes or wear makeup? Women should not be alone with a man, whether for a meeting (regardless of location—such as a hotel room), at a lunch, or for a drink? Women should not study aerospace engineering, work in male dominated fields, or take a job where she might be the only female? Do all of these situations put a woman in a position to be sexually assaulted? Is that what Rotunno meant?
We hope not. Women have the right to make all of these choices and no man, whether in the past or now, has the right to sexually assault or harass a woman. It is against the law. Pure and simple. Any sexual act requires affirmative, verbal consent, regardless of prior or subsequent consensual acts.
#changetheculture #MeToo #TimesUP #harveyweinstein #respectwomenatwork #womeninbusiness #justiceforwomen
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