Time Magazine recognized the “whistleblower” women of the #metoo movement as their people of the year. As the disgusting revelations of Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer and others became public, the outrage reached a level that few public crises ever have. This was a little surprising to me. The casting couch is a term that is widely known, but for some reason most people either believed this was something from the past or something that only affected the most obscure or seedy segments of the entertainment industry. However, when big-name stars started coming forward with their stories, the public response was shock and awe. I guess that is what it takes sometimes. We now see the issue being brought to light in other industries. As a father of two daughters, I am glad this issue is being addressed in a big way. As with anything, there will be some unscrupulous people who will fabricate or embellish stories of sexual harassment for personal gain – but that possibility always exists. That said, there was an interesting article in the NY Times on Friday titled “Publicly, We Say #MeToo. Privately, We Have Misgivings.” The article asks some fair questions that many of us, including women, are asking. When partisan politics get involved, the waters get even muddier. Does it really matter that Harvey Weinstein was a Hillary supporter or that Bill O’Reilly supported Trump? I don’t think so. Sexual harassment is not aligned with any political party or ideology. I think history has shown that it’s fairly agnostic affliction. Its also worth noting that it is not the first time sexual harassment gets headlines in this country, but there is something in the air this time around that feels like this one has staying power. America Ferrera and Eva Longoria recently helped to launch “Time’s Up” to help end sexual harassment in Hollywood. It seems that they correctly understand that ribbons and heartfelt speeches won’t get it done this time. I’m sure that everyone’s hope is that this movement will ultimately result in greater awareness, clearer boundaries, and an overall safer and more productive work environment for everyone, but it’s a complicated problem with no silver bullet solution. Real progress rarely happens overnight. David Acosta told me that both he and his daughter, who is a star on the Hulu series Marvel’s Runaways, have been required to attend several seminars and workshops about harassment in the entertainment industry. Perhaps only a small step forward, but progress nonetheless.
Elon Musk dropped by the Real Time with Bill Maher show recently for an interview with the host. Maher, who considers himself a liberal is an obvious fan of the CEO of Tesla and Space X. The centerpiece of their conversation was their discussion regarding what Musk called the “woke mind virus” or what I prefer to call “cancel culture”.
Ye, the entertainer and fashion designer formally known as Kanye West had a disastrous week. Always outrageous, his recent antisemitic comments were apparently the last straw; prompting practically everyone to sever ties with him, from his bank, JP Morgan Chase, to his billion-dollar shoe partnership with Adidas.
Regardless of where you live you have probably heard about Nury Martinez and the circumstances that led to her resignation from Los Angeles City Council. The short story is Martinez, who was the first Latina to hold the position of president of the Los Angeles City Council was secretly recorded in a private conversation with other council members where she was heard making disparaging remarks about her colleagues and the two-year old...