Do so-called ‘good’ guys get away with more?

HARVEY Weinstein was a darling of the Left and a supporter of the “right” kind of causes. Did that help him get away with serial sexual harassment, asks Alana Schetzer.

Allegations about Weinstein’s behaviour were apparently one of Hollywood’s worst kept secrets. (Pic: AFP/Loic Venance.) Harvey Weinstein fired after sexual harassment scandal

WHAT is it about powerful, high-profile men, and their inability to treat women as autonomous human beings, as opposed to a pair of breasts with their own public transport system?

Donald Trump, Bill Cosby, Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes — all incredibly powerful, rich and influential men who used their power to treat women like objects.

Harvey Weinstein has allegedly joined that unenviable group of serial sexual harassers and perverts, following an explosive New York Times investigation into three decades — yes, that’s 30 years — of claims of sexual harassment of young actors and women employees of the company he co-founded, The Weinstein Company.

Multiple women claimed that Weinstein had groped them, flashed them, masturbated in front of him, cornered them in rooms and tried to kiss them, and invited young women — alone — to his hotel room and once there, asked them for a “massage”.

Meryl Streep (with Weinstein in 2012) has called the women who have spoken up “heroes.” (Pic: Kevin Winter/AFP)

Weinstein released a statement admitting having caused “a lot of pain” but also denies some unspecified allegations and says he will sue the Times. He has been fired by his company.

The obscene entitlement of a man who thinks that women “owe” him is not new, but what is new is how many people, especially those who have spoken out against this type of behaviour, have stayed relatively quiet.

Actor Rose McGowan, who has become a fierce advocate against sexual assault, harassment and rape culture, reportedly received a settlement from Weinstein in 1997 for being sexually harassed.

She was quoted in the New York Times article, and has since said that she’s shocked that more high-profile Hollywood movers and shakers haven’t spoken out against Weinstein.

She posted on Twitter: “Ladies of Hollywood, where are you? Ladies of Hollywood, your silence is deafening”.

Ladies of Hollywood, your silence is deafening.

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 7, 2017

Contrast this silence with the wall of noise that high-profile celebrities made following the many, many claims made against Donald Trump during his successful US presidential campaign in 2016.

Meryl Streep (who today also spoke out against Weinstein), Lee Daniels, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Olivia Wilde, Robert De Niro, Lena Dunham and Susan Sarandon were part of the Hollywood onslaught against Trump.

Bizarrely, chef Anthony Bourdain has been the highest profile person to strongly speak against Weinstein, calling Hollywood’s powerful “nauseating, chicken-hearted enablers all”.

“Where’s the loud, vocal support for these women? Mostly a shameful silence. I’m talking about all the people who knew and said nothing — and those who are STILL staying silent,” he said.

The public narrative of who the man is — whether he’s considered a “good” bloke or someone like Trump, who has long been stalked by various sexual harassment and bullying allegations — plays a strong role in whether women feel comfortable, or even safe, in reporting that behaviour, and how the public reacts.

Despite decades of allegations, celebrities continue to work with and praise Woody Allen. (Pic: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty).

It is easier to despise someone who you already disagree with.

Weinstein can best be compared to filmmaker Woody Allen, who has been alleged to have molested his adopted daughter. He has suffered no real consequences; he continues to make movies and be lauded by his industry.

In a sign of some welcome change, an increasing number of Democratic Party politicians are pressuring party officials to give away all donations that Weinstein made to their party.

Nicole Kidman with Harvey Weinstein. (Pic: Reuters/Jim Bourg).

Weinstein’s lecherous behaviour was allegedly a well-known and open secret in the industry, and as long as he had protection — which is businesses willing to work with them — his behaviour remained a non-issue.

And because he was the “right” type of guy — one who supported adventurous, independent films, was a supporter of the US Democrats Party and even took part in one of the recent Women’s Marches — was he was given a longer leash?

Like the mythical boogeyman that women are taught to look out for (ignoring the fact that the overwhelming majority of sexual predators are friends, family and colleagues of victims), the “good” guy is given — then abuses — the benefit of the doubt that is placed upon him.

In many ways, this makes the “good” guy far more dangerous than the traditional bad guy.