Weinstein effect

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The Weinstein effect is a phenomenon where allegations of sexual harassment and assault against celebrities are publicized and trigger responses from companies and institutions. It is named after American producer Harvey Weinstein, whose sexual abuse allegations precipitated an immediate "national reckoning" against sexual abuse in 2017.

Compounded by other sexual harassment cases earlier in the year, the Weinstein reports and subsequent Me Too hashtag campaign, which encouraged individuals to share their suppressed stories of sexual misconduct, created a cavalcade of allegations across multiple industries that brought about the swift ouster of many men in positions of power both in the United States and, as it spread, around the world. In the entertainment industry, allegations led to the ousters of actors and directors alike. Most prominently, actor Kevin Spacey, comedian Louis C.K., and filmmaker Brett Ratner had projects canceled following at least six allegations apiece. Over 300 women accused filmmaker James Toback of sexual harassment. In journalism, allegations led to the ousters of editors, publishers, executives, and hosts. In other industries, the celebrity chef John Besh and other executives in finance and public relations were removed.

The "Me Too" campaign spread to other countries and languages over social media. Allegations against multiple British politicians created a public scandal and led to the suspension and resignations of three officials. In Canada, comedy festival founder Gilbert Rozon resigned and over a dozen individuals accused Quebec radio host Éric Salvail of sexual misconduct.

American journalists in conversation at NPR spoke of the series of allegations feeling like a tipping point for societal treatment of sexual misbehavior, distinguished from prior sexual misconduct public debates by the public trust put in the celebrity accusers, as opposed to prior cases of publicly unknown accusers.

Background

Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual misconduct towards actresses and executives.

On October 5, 2017, The New York Times and The New Yorker reported on decades of sexual misconduct claims against film producer Harvey Weinstein, who was dismissed from The Weinstein Company shortly thereafter. Weinstein had previously suppressed these cases through confidential financial settlements and nondisclosure agreements, as was common for celebrity sexual harassment cases, before journalists aired the story. Journalists had similarly and recently brought about political commentator Bill O'Reilly's ouster through reporting on his sexual harassment settlements. In both cases, the publicity of the reports forced their employers to remove the celebrities, and shed public light on the taboo culture of silence surrounding sexual misconduct cover-ups.[1]

The events that followed the Weinstein allegations were also influenced by prior public cases of sexual misconduct in the United States: Anita Hill's testimony during Clarence Thomas's 1991 Supreme Court nomination, and the mid-2010s Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations. American national attitudes towards sexual harassment also shifted with Fox News television host Gretchen Carlson's lawsuit against the station's chairman Roger Ailes, which led to his ouster and encouraged journalists to pursue rumors about the conduct of Weinstein and Bill O'Reilly, though both Ailes and O'Reilly have denied wrongdoing.[2] Uber software engineer Susan Fowler's charges of sexual misconduct at the company led to the ousters of both Travis Kalanick and Dave McClure. USA Today wrote that 2017 was the year in which "sexual harassment became a fireable offense".[2]

Impact

United States

The Weinstein allegations precipitated an immediate "national reckoning" against sexual harassment and assault in the United States,[1] which became known as the Weinstein effect. Emboldened men and women aired untold or suppressed stories of sexual misconduct in workplaces across multiple industries, leading to the swift international ouster of many men in positions of power. On Twitter, the Me Too hashtag campaign encouraged hundreds of thousands of individuals to share their stories.[3][2]

Entertainment industry

By late October 2017, cases of ousters included, in the entertainment industry, Screen Junkies co-creator Andy Signore,[4][5] Amazon Studios director Roy Price, Agency for the Performing Arts talent agent Tyler Grasham, and Nickelodeon's The Loud House creator Chris Savino.[1] Over 300 women accused filmmaker James Toback of sexual harassment.[2] As of November 23, 2017, the Beverly Hills Police Department has opened 12 sexual assault cases in the entertainment industry, including cases against Weinstein and Toback.[6]

By early November, the number of cases compounded. Actor Kevin Spacey was accused of sexual misconduct or assault by over a dozen men and announced that he was entering unspecified treatment; his projects were cancelled as a result. Actors Jeremy Piven, Steven Seagal, and Ed Westwick were each accused by a number of women, and each denied the charges. Actor Robert Knepper and Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner each received single accusations of sexual misconduct, which each denied. Actor Dustin Hoffman apologized for an accused instance of sexual harassment. Comedian Louis C.K. confirmed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and apologized; he was also dropped from his projects. Six women accused filmmaker Brett Ratner of sexual harassment, canceling his work with Warner Bros. and Playboy, though he denies the charges.[7] On November 10, 2017, former actor and model Scott R. Brunton told The Hollywood Reporter that George Takei sexually assaulted him in 1981, which was denied by Takei.[8] Entrepreneur Russell Simmons was accused by Keri Claussen Khalighi of sexually assaulting her in 1991, when she was 17 and he was about 33.[9] Simmons denies that the encounter was non-consensual.[10] Writer Jessica Teich accused Richard Dreyfuss of exposing himself to her and attempting to force her to perform fellatio on him; Dreyfuss denied assaulting anyone,[11] though his son Harry accused Kevin Spacey of inappropriate contact in 2008.[12] On November 17, 2017, it was reported that Ryan Seacrest was under investigation for sexual harassment allegations by a former E! wardrobe stylist.[13] Ramin Gray, artistic director of the ATC Theatre, has been accused of sexual harassment by eight women.[14] Actress Aurora Perrineau filed a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department accusing Girls scriptwriter Murray Miller of sexual assault in 2012, when she was seventeen.[15] Actor Anthony Edwards wrote an essay on Medium in which he alleged that producer Gary Goddard molested him and raped his best friend "for years" starting when they were 12 years old;[16][17][18][19] Goddard's publicist denied the allegations.[20] On November 19, 2017, Jeffrey Tambor announced that he would leave his role on Transparent after fellow cast-members Van Barnes and Trace Lysette accused him of sexual harassment.[21] John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, and Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering, announced on November 21, 2017 that he would be taking a leave of absence from Disney and Pixar after acknowledging "painful" conversations and unspecified "missteps".[22] The same day, Pingrove cancelled their 2017-18 North American tour dates following accusations of “sexual coercion” against lead singer Evan Stephens Hall.[23] On November 22, 2017, Melissa Schuman accused Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys of raping her when she was 18, an accusation which Carter denied.[24]

Journalism

In journalism, multiple men were ousted.[7] Glenn Thrush, a political reporter for The New York Times, was suspended for allegedly groping three women.[25] Vox Media editorial director Lockhart Steele was removed in October.[1] NBC News fired Mark Halperin following allegations of harassment at ABC News. He lost his book contract. NPR news chief Michael Oreskes was ousted for multiple allegations across prior and current employers. In magazines, allegations led to the resignations of Artforum publisher Knight Landesman, Billboard executive Stephen Blackwell, and The New Republic publisher Hamilton Fish. The New Republic editor Leon Wieseltier apologized following multiple accusations and was removed from The Atlantic's masthead.[7] He lost funding for his upcoming magazine venture.[2] After television host Charlie Rose was accused by eight women of sexual misconduct and harassment, the networks CBS and PBS suspended him but eventually fired Rose on November 21, 2017.[26][27]

Politics

Numerous elected officials and politicians also faced allegations. Radio newscaster Leeann Tweeden accused U.S. Senator Al Franken of Minnesota of forcibly kissing her in 2006 and presented a photo that showed him groping her as she slept; Franken issued an apology.[28] Three other women came forward to accuse Franken of inappropriately touching them at political fundraisers in 2007 and 2008, and at the Minnesota State Fair 2010.[29][30] Eight women accused Roy Moore, a candidate in the Senate election in Alabama and former Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court, of sexual misconduct and abuse, including dating adolescent girls when he was in his thirties.[31] Longtime U.S. Representative John Conyers of Michigan was discovered to have settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015, leveled by a former staffer who said she fired for refusing his sexual advances. The complainant received a $27,000 settlement paid from Conyers' office budget.[32] At least two other women have come forward with allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct by Conyers.[33] Congresswoman Diana DeGette of Colorado accused former Congressman Bob Filner of attempting to forcibly kiss her in a Capitol elevator years earlier; Filner resigned as Mayor of San Diego in 2013 amid multiple sexual harassment allegations.[34] Six women accused former President George H. W. Bush of touching their buttocks without their consent.[35]

Six women accused Florida state Senator Jack Latvala of sexually harassing or groping them, causing state Senate President Joe Negron to order an investigation into the allegations.[36] In Minnesota, multiple women accused state Senator Dan Schoen and state Represenative Tony Cornish of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching;[37] both legislators announced their intentions to resign.[38] An activist accused Illinois state Senator Ira Silverstein of harassment, causing him to lose his position as Senate Democratic majority caucus chair.[39] In Oregon, state Senator Jeff Kruse was accused by fellow Senators Sara Gelser and Elizabeth Steiner Hayward of sexual harassment resulting in Senate President Peter Courtney stripping Kruse of his committee assignments and removing his office door.[40][41] In Colorado, state Representative Faith Winter accused fellow Representative Steve Lebsock of sexually harassing her.[42] The Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, Jeff Hoover, resigned as speaker on November 6, 2017, after it was revealed that he had settled sexual harassment claims the previous month, although he remained in the House.[43] Ohio State Representative Wes Goodman resigned because of his "inappropriate behavior related to his state office."[44] Raul Bocanegra, the majority whip of the California State Assembly, has announced his plan to resign on September 1, 2018 after being accused of harassing six women.[45] Florida Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Bittel resigned after accusations of inappropriate behavior by six female staffers.[46]

Other

Outside of entertainment and publishing, Webster Public Relations CEO Kirt Webster and celebrity chef John Besh were each removed from their companies, Besh after accusations from 25 women.[7] Two executives were ousted at Fidelity Investments.[2] Local cases were also sparked against a music industry publicist in Nashville and multiple Dartmouth College professors.[47] In November 2017, many college and university professors signed an open letter to the University of Rochester declaring that they would not recommend the school as a place to pursue studies or employment to their students due to the behavior of Dr. Florian Jaeger.[48][49] The fashion photographer Terry Richardson was banned by Condé Nast.[2] Steve Jurvetson stepped down from his role at DFJ Venture Capital after the firm conducted an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment.[50]

International

The Weinstein effect has reached international scale. In Europe, allegations of sexual misconduct against many British politicians became a public scandal involving dozens of women accusers across decades and political parties. It led to the suspension of Member of Parliament Mark Garnier and resignations of Defense Secretary Michael Fallon and Welsh minister Carl Sargeant (who took his own life, four days after his dismissal).[51] The #MeToo campaign became #BalanceTonPorc ("expose your pig") in France and #QuellaVoltaChe ("that one time that") in Italy. In Canada, accusations against Just for Laughs comedy festival founder Gilbert Rozon led to his resignation, and 15 accused Quebec radio host Éric Salvail of sexual misconduct. Inspired by the #MeToo campaign, South African singer and former politician Jennifer Ferguson publicly accused South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan of rape two decades earlier.[3]

In November 2017, 2,000 women working in the Swedish music industry signed an open letter claiming that they had been sexually abused during their career. The signees included singers Robyn and Zara Larsson and the folk duo First Aid Kit.[52] Over 300 Icelandic women in politics signed a statement regarding their experiences of sexual harassment from male politicians and have called on men to take responsibility and for political parties to unite against the problem.[53]

Analysis

American journalists in conversation at NPR spoke of the series of allegations feeling like a tipping point for societal treatment of sexual misconduct.[54] They distinguished the moment from prior sexual misconduct public debates by the public trust in the accusers, who in this case were celebrities familiar to the public, rather than the accusers in prior cases, in which the accusers were unknown and became famous for their testimony. Social media had also provided a platform for women to share their experiences and encouragement at a scale that had not existed during prior public debates.[54] The state of California is considering legislation to ban secret sexual harassment settlements.[2]

USA Today expressed doubt that the trend of public opinion would hold, citing open, public cases without consequential retribution: R. Kelly, Bill Cosby, former President Bill Clinton, and President Donald Trump.[2]

See also

  • Operation Yewtree, high profile British sex crime investigation that led to an increase in reported crimes

References

  1. ^ a b c d Rutenberg, Jim (October 22, 2017). "A Long-Delayed Reckoning of the Cost of Silence on Abuse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guynn, Jessica; della Cava, Marco (October 25, 2017). "Harvey Weinstein effect: Men are getting outed and some are getting fired as women speak up. And it's spreading". USA Today. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Cook, Jesselyn; Simons, Ned (November 8, 2017). "The Weinstein Effect: How A Hollywood Scandal Sparked A Global Movement Against Sexual Misconduct". The Huffington Post.
  4. ^ "'Honest Trailers' Creator Andy Signore Accused of Sexual Abuse". The Hollywood Reporter. October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  5. ^ Spangler, Todd (October 8, 2017). "'Honest Trailers' Creator Andy Signore Fired for 'Egregious and Intolerable' Sexual Behavior". Variety. Retrieved October 9, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ Stone, Alex; Messer, Lesley (November 23, 2017). "Beverly Hills police have 12 sexual assault cases involving entertainment industry". ABC News. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d "Weinstein's Impact: List of Men Accused of Sexual Misconduct". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 10, 2017. ISSN 0362-4331.
  8. ^ Parker, Ryan (November 10, 2017). "George Takei Accused of Sexually Assaulting Former Model in 1981". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  9. ^ Kaufman, Amy; Miller, Daniel; Kim, Victoria (November 19, 2017). "Russell Simmons and Brett Ratner face new allegations of sexual misconduct". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  10. ^ "Russell Simmons accused of sexual assault alongside Brett Ratner". The Guardian. November 20, 2017.
  11. ^ "Richard Dreyfuss responds to sexual harassment allegations: 'I am not an assaulter'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  12. ^ Mumford, Gwilym (November 6, 2017). "Kevin Spacey accused of sexual assault by son of actor Richard Dreyfuss". The Guardian. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  13. ^ Patton, Dominic (November 17, 2017). "Ryan Seacrest Denies Behaving 'Inappropriately' To E! Stylist, Channel Investigating". Deadline.com. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  14. ^ Wiegand, Chris (November 20, 2017). "Ramin Gray of Actors Touring Company faces harassment allegations". The Guardian. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  15. ^ BBC: "Lena Dunham sorry for comment on writer accused of sexual assault" November 19, 2017
  16. ^ Edwards, Anthony (November 10, 2017). "Yes Mom, There is Something Wrong". Medium. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  17. ^ McHenry, Jackson (November 10, 2017). "Actor Anthony Edwards Claims Producer Gary Goddard Molested Him and His Friend As Children,". Vulture.com. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
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  19. ^ Libby Hill, "Anthony Edwards pens powerful essay accusing Gary Goddard of molestation," Los Angeles Times, November 10, 2017.
  20. ^ Erik Pedersen, "Gary Goddard's Rep Responds To Anthony Edwards' Allegations: 'I Can Unequivocally Deny Them'," Deadline.com, November 10, 2017.
  21. ^ Patten, Dominic (November 19, 2017). "Jeffrey Tambor Exits 'Transparent' After Sexual Harassment Allegations". Deadline.com. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  22. ^ Masters, Kim (November 21, 2017). "John Lasseter Taking Leave of Absence From Pixar Amid "Missteps"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  23. ^ Vain, Madison (November 21, 2017). "Pinegrove cancels tour after 'sexual coercion' accusation: 'I am so sorry,' singer says". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  24. ^ Wakeford, Dann (November 22, 2017). "Nick Carter accused of rape by Dream singer Melissa Schuman". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  25. ^ Kludt, Tom (November 10, 2017). "Star New York Times reporter suspended for alleged sexual misconduct". CNN. Retrieved November 20, 2017. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  26. ^ Gerard; Jeremy. "CBS Newsman Charlie Rose Accused By Eight Women Of 'Unwanted Sexual Advances'". Deadline. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  27. ^ Stelter, Brian; Kludt, Tom (November 21, 2017). "CBS News and PBS fire Charlie Rose". CNN. Retrieved November 22, 2017. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  28. ^ Fandos, Nicholas (November 16, 2017). "Senator Al Franken Apologizes for Groping a Woman in 2006". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  29. ^ Petski, Denise (November 20, 2017). "Woman Accuses Al Franken Of Inappropriate Touching In 2010". Deadline.com. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  30. ^ Hatch, Jenavieve; Roth, Zachary (November 22, 2017). "Two More Women Accuse Sen. Al Franken Of Inappropriate Touching". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  31. ^ Keneally, Meghan; Parkinson, John (November 15, 2017). "What Roy Moore's 8 accusers have said and his responses". ABC News. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  32. ^ McLeon, Paul; Villa, Lissandra (November 20, 2017). "She Said A Powerful Congressman Harassed Her. Here's Why You Didn't Hear Her Story". BuzzFeed. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  33. ^ Parkinson, John (November 23, 2017). "Rep. John Conyers accused of sexual misconduct by another woman as ethics committee launches probe". ABC News. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  34. ^ Connolly, Griffin (November 21, 2017). "DeGette Says Former Rep. Bob Filner Groped and Tried to Kiss Her". Roll Call. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  35. ^ Jenkins, Aric (November 13, 2017). "Woman Says George H.W. Bush Groped Her When She Was 16". Time. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  36. ^ Van Sickler, Michael (November 3, 2017). "Joe Negron orders investigation of Jack Latvala sexual assault allegations". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  37. ^ Bierschbach, Briana. "Multiple women accuse Minnesota state Senator Dan Schoen of sexual harassment". MinnPost. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  38. ^ Potter, Kyle (November 22, 2017). "Governor Welcomes Resignations of Two Minnesota Legislators After Allegations". Associated Press. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  39. ^ Garcia, Monique; Geiger, Kim (November 2, 2017). "Amid harassment allegation, Illinois senator loses leadership spot and a scramble to fill investigator's job". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  40. ^ Friedman, Gordon R. (October 20, 2017). "State senator stripped of powers due to allegations of inappropriate touching in Capitol". The Oregonian.
  41. ^ Friedman, Gordon R. (November 21, 2017). "Second Oregon state senator publicly accuses Sen. Jeff Kruse of sex harassment". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  42. ^ Frank, John (November 13, 2017). "Why a Colorado lawmaker went public with sexual harassment allegations against a fellow lawmaker". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  43. ^ Shaw, Courtney (November 5, 2017). "Representative Jeff Hoover resigns as Speaker of the House". WLKY. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  44. ^ Borchardt, Jackie (November 15, 2017). "Ohio Rep. Wes Goodman resigns over 'inappropriate behavior'". Cleveland.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  45. ^ Mayfield, Mandy (November 20, 2017). "Democratic California assemblyman announces resignation amid sexual harassment allegations". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  46. ^ Conlon, Kevin (November 17, 2017). "Florida's top Democrat resigns after claims of 'inappropriate behavior'". CNN. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
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  48. ^ "Open letter: Univ of Rochester". sites.google.com.
  49. ^ Flaherty, Colleen (November 15, 2017). "Professors say they won't advise students to work or study at U of Rochester". Inside Hire Ed. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  50. ^ After Weinstein: A List of Men Accused of Sexual Misconduct and the Fallout for Each
  51. ^ "The death of Carl Sargeant: Timeline". BBC News. November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  52. ^ "Swedish music industry rocked by sexual assault scandal as 1,993 women sign open letter". Music Business Worldwide. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  53. ^ "Over 300 Icelandic women politicians speak out about sexual harassment". Morgunblaðið. November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  54. ^ a b King, Noel (November 4, 2017). "Why 'The Weinstein Effect' Seems Like A Tipping Point". NPR.org. Retrieved November 11, 2017.

Further reading

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