I’m going to try and be careful here, because I don’t want anything I write to sound like I am on Moonve’s side. I read Thomason’s article, and it was a great read with lots of disturbing details. But…
Thomason’s essay implies that Moonves silenced new shows with female stars or strong female characters, but the reality doesn’t quite fit. Designing Women had been on the air for seven seasons, and it was not doing particularly well; it’s not surprising that it was cut, especially since the seven-year mark is when most stars get to renegotiate their salaries. Murphy Brown was on the air for six more years after Moonves arrived, probably two years longer than it should have.
Thomason also kind of neglects to mention that Moonves greenlit two more series of hers after he came on board - a Designing Women follow-on and a new series with John Ritter.
In the meantime, in his first few years at the helm, Moonves put up Cybill, The Nanny, Touched by an Angel, and continued Murder She Wrote. Not a “who’s who” of strong female characters, but still shows headlined by female actresses at a time when the competition was blowing his network away in the ratings with male-helmed shows like Home Improvement or Fraiser.
This is where I wish Thomason’s article would have focused more. I don’t doubt her when she says that Moonves disliked her and quashed her ideas, but did he do that to most/all other female writers?
It will provide me a better understanding of either the scenario or the problem at large. It was something I didn’t understand from the information presented in the article. For example, was Weinstein’s behavior in the original meeting something she routinely deals with and so wasn’t overly alarmed by it? If so, that is even more horrifying. Or was she coerced in some way that wasn’t described?
I mean, damn. The first meeting sounded bad enough, and he had already pulled the “there will be other people there” card, which seems to be a favorite of his.
It’s possible she was ok with some of the flirting and/or outright groping if she thought it would help advance her career. She obviously knew going in that he was prone to this sort of thing, or I don’t think she would’ve filmed it. And I’m sure she’s been harassed at other meetings with prospective clients as they know that she’s looking to make a sale. But you can be ok with all of that and still not assume that you’ll be raped if you join the prospective client for another meeting, even at his hotel.
Those are insightful points about CBS’s history, Tin_Wisdom. I don’t think Thomason addressing those details and complications in her takedown of Moonves would’ve taken away from her essay at all, and it would’ve been interesting to read her thoughts on why those shows were picked up and supported over others.
That was a really good read. I never really knew much about the situation (I was pretty young when it all happened) but boy does Mia Farrow sound like a monster in this one. Adopting that many kids and not caring for them correctly.
That is a whole mess of things, but it is good to hear Soon-Yi talk about it herself.
I can’t imagine being one of 14 children, 10 of which were adopted as being a very good childhood, and discrepancies between different children’s accounts of their mother seem pretty likely.
IT seems like she definitely had favorites, and those who were not in that group did not have a very good time.
Good. Some justice is finally served. I hope Weinstein meets a similar fate.
Both the article and the news this morning mentioned that Cosby will serve his time at a special facility for the old and infirm. I wonder what that is like? I’m imagining more hospital then prison? I also wonder if his attorneys will then try to get him transferred to one of those low-security “club-fed” style prisons you sometimes hear about where non-violent white-collar wealthy folks serve out their time, though I gather that’s a uniquely Federal thing, so it may not be an option in this case.
Seems it was just announced that he will be staying at SCI-Phoenix (the maximum security prison in the CNN article you linked) which is close to his home and attorneys, and not transfer to SCI-Laurel Highlands, the minimum security institution utilized for older inmates, those with special medical needs and those with mental health needs (one infamous resident there…Jerry Sandusky). Apparently this is so he can maintain communication with his family and attorneys while they appeal his verdict.
For now it looks like he’s gong to stay in single confinement, isolated from the general population. But if he remains, the goal would be to eventually put him in general population. It’s a far cry from the Huxtable household for sure. Fun fact, tomorrow’s lunch includes Jell-O.
He will probably be moved out at some point. This prison sounds like Cedar Junction in MA, where they intake prisoners before sending them out to their long-term prisons. Cedar Junction is also a max security.
I wish people would stop using this term so freely, because it’s mostly meaningless. If you work in nerdy tech jobs, half the people in your office have vision “legally blind” or worse. The standard is only about 20/400 in most places, so unless it’s un-correctable for some reason, it just means “needs to wear thick glasses.”
Sorry for the rant, signed nerdy tech thick glasses wearer.
Cosby has lost most of his vision in one eye which is probably not correctable, so maybe we need to speak of functionally or permanently un-correctable blindness.
