Meryl Streep speaks out on 'disgraceful' Harvey Weinstein allegations

[oberliner]

Source: CNN

Meryl Streep and other stars are speaking out about the sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood power player Harvey Weinstein.

Weinstein was fired from The Weinstein Company, the film company he co-founded, days after a New York Times investigation detailed numerous incidents of alleged sexual harassment by the media mogul over a period of three decades.

"The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported," Streep said to CNN in a statement, which was first provided to the Huffington Post.

"The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes," she said. "One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew."


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/09/entertainment/hollywood-harvey-weinstein-react/index.html

[matt819]

1. Okay

That's fine. And when you're Meryl Streep, people are going to take notice.

But here's the question. What did you know and when did you know it? It's great that people are speaking out now. Not only about Weinstein but others. This is a good thing. But I've read that this has been an "open secret" for years. Where were those who knew this open secret? Not necessarily the women he abused. That's a tough decision to make. But for those who knew about it and said nothing/did nothing, that's the problem. It's the problem with the government at the moment, and it's a problem in liberal Hollywood.

[PoliticAverse]

2. "Not everybody knew". Knowning about Roman Polanski didn't stop Streep from applauding him.

http://www.snopes.com/meryl-streep-applaud-roman-polanski/

[oberliner]

3. So many Hollywood folks have made excuses for Roman Polanski over the years

It's disgusting - but, perhaps, goes to show how "normal" this sort of behavior is in those circles.

[ehrnst]

4. What do you mean by "those circles?" (nt)

[oberliner]

5. Hollywood power brokers

The whole "casting couch" phenomenon.

[ehrnst]

6. Are you talking about Streep?

[oberliner]

7. Yes

I am talking about Hollywood actors, producers, directors, and the like. They all generally seem to be aware of this "casting couch" phenomenon that appears to have existed in Hollywood for decades with not much being done about it.

In Harvey Weinstein's case, high profile actors, such as Meryl Streep, seem to have at least been aware of rumors of unsavory behavior and chose not to delve more deeply into the matter.

[ehrnst]

8. So you fault women for staying quiet?

You fault other people who weren't harassed by him for not choosing between their losing careers (along with likely being smeared by Weinstein's pack of lawyers) and going public?

Are you saying that Streep and others who knew were as culpable for not walking away from Hollywood in a vain effort to bring him down?

Really?

[oberliner]

9. I support women for speaking up

And I wish more powerful Hollywood people (Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, etc) who knew about what Weinstein was doing had used their power and influence to try to put a stop to it.

Perhaps if they had done so, they could have prevented dozens (hundreds?) of women from being sexually assaulted by this man.

If no one speaks up, then the behavior continues.

If Ashley Judd and others hadn't gone public to the NY Times with their stories, Harvey Weinstein would probably be sexually assaulting another young woman as I write this. And would continue to do so day after day, month after month, year after year.

There are, sadly, countless Harvey Weinsteins out there, and I encourage everyone who knows about such a person to stand up and speak out - that is the only way things will ever change.

I know it's difficult for weak and vulnerable people to do so, so I have the utmost respect for those individuals.

But those who have power and influence (such as multi-millionaire actors) really owe it to the less powerful to use their position in order to help expose these people. By doing so, they will literally be saving women's lives.

[ehrnst]

10. Were they more powerful than Weinstein?

You have no idea who was doing what to stop him. You have no idea who would warn young women before meeting with him.

You have no idea who was silenced trying to do so.

And you apparently have no idea what often happens to people who challenge those in power.

You also seem to not understand that one reason that people are speaking up is that Weinstein doesn't have the power he once had. He's not producing the product that he once did, and is not as able to hurt them in retaliation.

Tell me - would you be willing to lose your job, any hope you have of another job, and have your reputation smeared - along with that of members of your family - to out someone with the kind of power to do that?

Would you risk everything to do something that everyone tells you will not be successful?

You "encourage everyone out there" to do so, but have you ever faced those kinds of stakes? It doesn't sound like it.

It sounds more like those who grilled Anita Hill on her "lack of action" in response to Clarence Thomas.

I think it's very easy for someone to sit outside of a situation and judge others for something they have never experienced, nor ever will.