Rats deserting a sinking ship.....

[newcastle]

Or a sinking Weinstein.

I'm not sure which is more distasteful.....a movie mogul using his position to importune vulnerable actresses, or the tsunami of former worshipers hastily distancing themselves from him.

A lot of virtue-signalling from Hollywood and political glitterati who must have been aware of rumours circulating for years. Many of the same people will have reaped benefits from their past association with Weinstein and bragged of their friendship with him...at least until a week ago

The 'casting couch' phenomenon is decades, if not centuries, old. Maybe William Shakespeare would have chanced his arm but for the fact that his leading ladies were all blokes.

I thought Hilary Clinton's condemnation was particularly rich. In her interview with Andrew Marr she added (referring to abuse of power not being the sole prerogative of the movie industry)....." After all, we have someone admitting to be a sexual assaulter in the oval office...."

I hope Bill was watching

[Horus]

I can somewhat understand some aspiring young actress driven by an obsession to become famous keeping stum in the hope it would further her career, but those that have made it and then start to come out of the cupboard once the merde hits the fan are to my mind hypocrites, Jolie, Paltrow et al spring to mind.

[newcastle]

In these sort of situations, the woman is in a no-win situation.

In reality, where it's a case of one person's word against another and there's no physical evidence of abuse, what has a young woman hoping to make it big in the movie industry got to gain by making a complaint. Nothing. No upside...only more downside.

The best she can hope for is to dodge the unwelcome advances and hope the disappointed predator moves on to easier prey.

It's entirely right that women previously subjected to advances should bolster the emerging claims by coming clean...even the Jolies and Paltrows. They were not famous or powerful when they were subject to Weinstein's attention.

It's the male actors, industry bigwigs and those financially affected (and now scuttling for the exit) who need to examine their consciences.

People who undoubtedly knew....but either condoned or remained silent.

I thought Emma Thompson put it rather well when she referred to "a crisis of extreme masculinity".

[Hafiz]

I'm sure its been bad in recent decades - but consider how bad it was in previous generations. It seems likely that child stars like Judy Garland were abused by the owners of studios. Maybe now is a good time to retrospectively strip these moguls of their Oscars - they did it with kids.

If this impetus heads in the right direction we can expect a few thousand male and female fashion models to come forward and denounce the leaders and billionaires in that industry - so good times ahead - and many of those victims would have been young at the time. Some of the heads of Paris and Rome fashion houses must also be worried about the future as will a few fashion photographers.

Maybe the film and fashion moguls will also be exposed for supplying their young victims with free drugs. We will see where this goes.

There are also hypocrites in this current debate including supporters of the appalling, and still unjailed Polanski, who at the very least gave a 13 year old girl drugs and then penetrated her three orifices. The governments of France and Switzerland and many film giants continue to defend and protect him decades after he escaped the US following his conviction. The Oscar Academy also gave him an Academy award AFTER the conviction.

[Zooropa]

I can somewhat understand some aspiring young actress driven by an obsession to become famous keeping stum in the hope it would further her career, but those that have made it and then start to come out of the cupboard once the merde hits the fan are to my mind hypocrites, Jolie, Paltrow et al spring to mind.

I had the same argument with a friend on Facebook. But of course they were not aspiring young actresses wanting to further their career they were weak, vulnerable women paralyzed by fear.

At least now, especially in the case of Paltrow, i can hazzard a guess as to how someone with no apparent talent has been so successful.

This movement would do better if Emma "nothing between my ears" Thompson was made to shut up.

This insufferable luvvie is the poster girl for protests that she knows nothing about, do not effect her and has no facts about.

Weinstein's defence team must be begging the prosecution to have her as a witness, she might just get him off.

[newcastle]

Don't you just love it when the secondary modern kid lashes out at the Cambridge educated, Academy Award and Bafta winning actress. Not jealous of course. Clever talented women should just be "made to shut up".

Yep...extreme masculinity.

[Zooropa]

Don't you just love it when the secondary modern kid lashes out at the Cambridge educated, Academy Award and Bafta winning actress. Not jealous of course. Clever talented women should just be "made to shut up".

Yep...extreme masculinity.

Nice try but i don't debate Racists

[newcastle]

Don't you just love it when the secondary modern kid lashes out at the Cambridge educated, Academy Award and Bafta winning actress. Not jealous of course. Clever talented women should just be "made to shut up".

Yep...extreme masculinity.

Nice try but i don't debate Racists

Ah well....

And yet you're only "ambivalent" about Trump. He's come out with many words and acts which could be construed as racist....but has the saving characteristics of someone who "does not fiddle about at the margins" and is a "reformer".

Another exponent of extreme masculinity....only missing the hairy chest thumping.

Birds of a feather.....

[Dusak]

I can only presume that this topic is on the news, which I haven't watched for two weeks, dodgy satellite box. But in all forms of entertainment, beauty pageants, miss that and the other, women that have not had the confidence in their own right or beauty have prostituted themselves for a better chance at a title win. So it will be for as long as there are folk interested, or financially rewarded, in this trashy industry. As for some female actresses, I just hope they were better performers on the couch than the performances they gave on the screen.

[newcastle]

I can only presume that this topic is on the news, which I haven't watched for two weeks, dodgy satellite box. But in all forms of entertainment, beauty pageants, miss that and the other, women that have not had the confidence in their own right or beauty have prostituted themselves for a better chance at a title win. So it will be for as long as there are folk interested, or financially rewarded, in this trashy industry. As for some female actresses, I just hope they were better performers on the couch than the performances they gave on the screen.

Perhaps you should join Weinstein's defence team.

The "They threw themselves at me" argument might just sway the jury

Why he (allegedly) paid off several complainants in the past is harder to explain

[FarleyFlavors]

The governments of France and Switzerland and many film giants continue to defend and protect him decades after he escaped the US following his conviction.

He was never convicted though. He made a plea bargain, served time in jail as a result and fled the States when it became clear that the judge was planning to renege on the bargain. Even the prosecutor in the case agreed that Polanski was right to flee the country.

The Emmy award-winning documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired details the case and is quite an eye-opener.

[FarleyFlavors]

Don't you just love it when the secondary modern kid lashes out at the Cambridge educated, Academy Award and Bafta winning actress.

Also hosed down with awards for the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility.

"Nothing between her ears" indeed.

[Major Thom]

At first I thought you were talking about me and my wife leaving Luxor, the title was apt. Knowing now what he post s about, I agree that some of these pompus untouchable celebrities think they not only own big business's they can also own people. I suppose the female actors were threatened with "Come to ged with me or your career is over" Men like his need castrating.

[Horus]

"Come to ged with me or your career is over"

Was he a Ventriloquist? "a gottle of geer, a gottle of geer"

[Zooropa]

The governments of France and Switzerland and many film giants continue to defend and protect him decades after he escaped the US following his conviction.

He was never convicted though. He made a plea bargain, served time in jail as a result and fled the States when it became clear that the judge was planning to renege on the bargain. Even the prosecutor in the case agreed that Polanski was right to flee the country.

The Emmy award-winning documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired details the case and is quite an eye-opener.

Hitler was Time magazine's person of the year.....

[Zooropa]

Don't you just love it when the secondary modern kid lashes out at the Cambridge educated, Academy Award and Bafta winning actress.

Also hosed down with awards for the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility.

"Nothing between her ears" indeed.

So what, Hitler was Time Magazine's man of the year.....

[newcastle]

Don't you just love it when the secondary modern kid lashes out at the Cambridge educated, Academy Award and Bafta winning actress.

Also hosed down with awards for the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility.

"Nothing between her ears" indeed.

So what, Hitler was Time Magazine's man of the year.....

Sometimes it's better to say nothing than to say something that means nothing anyways.

[Zooropa]

Sometimes it's better to say nothing than to say something that means nothing anyways. [/quote]

Sometimes, no, always, its better to say nothing when you are a repugnant racist.

Decent people exist here, go somewhere where your like exist, your presence here is offensive.

[newcastle]

Sometimes it's better to say nothing than to say something that means nothing anyways.

Sometimes, no, always, its better to say nothing when you are a repugnant racist.

Decent people exist here, go somewhere where your like exist, your presence here is offensive.[/quote]

[HEPZIBAH]

I've been doing a lot of editing in my real world lately, please don't make me put on my Moderator's hat and have to do some editing in here too.