The Fall of Harvey Weinstein

Jimmy Kimmel need some to bring Matt Damon onto his show to explain himself.

I have no problem with trying to kiss a girl-- the problem is that she said no. And then he whipped out his cock and busted a nut on a potted fern.

I mean, that’s really not OK.

Burn Hollywood burn

You would be naïve to believe to anyone that has worked for him or was associated with him is shocked and surprised by this. It is just that the cardboard has been lifted and all the roaches are scattering.

Yes, this is the Gawker attorney, yet again representing the rich elites, attacking journalism.

The most idle of idle threats. Since Weinstein is a public figure, he’d have to prove that statements were false, that the Times published the article knowing that the statements were false and that they published the false statements maliciously. Good luck with that.

They all know he wouldn’t win a lawsuit and likely never intend to sue. The intent is to generate a chilling effect on followup stories unless they’re impeccably sourced.

I’d say the intent was mostly to generate free publicity for the lawyer.

Meryl Streep’s spoken out against Weinstein:

“The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported. The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes.

One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew. Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally. I didn’t know about these other offenses: I did not know about his financial settlements with actresses and colleagues; I did not know about his having meetings in his hotel room, his bathroom, or other inappropriate, coercive acts. And If everybody knew, I don’t believe that all the investigative reporters in the entertainment and the hard news media would have neglected for decades to write about it.

The behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar. Each brave voice that is raised, heard and credited by our watchdog media will ultimately change the game.”

Mark Ruffalo and Kevin Smith, notable because his career was made by Miramax, condemned Weinstein’s actions.
https://twitter.com/MarkRuffalo/status/917135725610491905
https://twitter.com/ThatKevinSmith/status/917415980430708737

Shortly before he was fired, Weinstein sent a letter to all Hollywood CEOs asking if they could back him up.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLuQOsGUIAAgVqM.jpg

Crazy trivia: Did anyone know that a 2015 survey of nearly 1,400 Oscar acceptance speeches by Vocativ found that Harvey Weinstein was thanked more frequently than God?

That letter is so amazing that it can’t be real.

Why would anyone put themselves on the record as supporting this guy? I don’t see the upside.

Don’t worry! Pretty sure that God has been responsible for a hell of a lot more cases of sexual abuse so it evens out.

The same reason anyone has ever supported a deviant in all of history: he’s always been a great person to you, and maybe he just needs some help to finally turn it around this time.

That’s how we get into these situations in the first place!

Keeping it classy.

The board followed through and fired Weinstein on Sunday, citing Weinstein’s breach of the company’s code of ethics. Variety has learned that the board was responding, at least in part, to Weinstein’s efforts to impede an internal investigation by intimidating employees, which Weinstein denies.

Got to love the email. You know those accusations are totally FAKENEWS but like I need time to get help for the problem I don’t have that definitely isn’t a problem because those women are lying bitches, you know what I mean, right? But seriously send those emails today, K thanks!

I hate the fact that he’s touting “therapy” as this cleansing flame that will absolve him of all his previous sins. It’s not the fucking confessional, Harvey. It’s hard work, predicated on a true willingness to change. I don’t for a second believe that being revealed as a serial sexual predator has flipped the switch that makes Weinstein ready to make fundamental changes to the way he lives his life. And, unfortunately, deeply ingrained personality disorders (which are most likely what’s underlying this type of sexual predation) are the most resistant to change and take the longest to work through.

Yeah, as a practicing psychotherapist, the whole, “I went to therapy / rehab, so I’m not a racist / criminal anymore” bugs me.

He’s… Harvey Weinstein. He’s the archetype of a sweaty, grasping Hollywood studio executive. Tons of movie characters were written based on him. He’s been that person for 65 years and isn’t going to change his outlook. That said, his power enabled the abuses. Now that he’s humbled, “because he’s famous they let him do it” no longer applies.

Oh wait, some other sweaty grasping old fuck said that one. Still, it’s true.

Seems like every male celebrity caught in a sex scandal uses this dodge. “See, I"m sick, I’m getting therapy for it, so it’s not really my fault.”

Yup, and it annoys me every time. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) provides us with tools to diagnose both personality disorders and paraphilias. And it’s likely that there are both at work here, and in other famous cases, but nowhere does it say that underlying mental illness absolves someone of guilt in these situations. It’s not like someone in the midst of a psychotic break who kills someone because they thought that person was Satan. Weinstein and his ilk show a lifelong pattern of thought and action with plenty of opportunities to make different choices.

If you’re not a priest, your training is not in how to deliver absolution, although I suppose a Rogerian therapeutic stance can often be misinterpreted that way. It’s one thing to understand that early life adversity or some other trigger of a biological predisposition was present, it’s another thing entirely to say, “You’re in treatment! Congrats! Keep up a dysfunctional thought record for the next week, and let’s do this empty chair exercise, and you’ll be good to go!” like it’s 5 Our Fathers and 15 Hail Marys.

Maybe Weinstein will get the same therapy/treatment/help Anthony Weiner got.

Oh.