#metoo (An Open Secret: Hollywood - Please Watch)

[GeneChing]

Design Sifu & I caught the screener of Justice League last night (we'll have a review up on Friday).

NOVEMBER 15, 2017 7:31am PT by Ashley Lee
Gal Gadot Speaks Out on Brett Ratner and 'Wonder Woman'


Desiree Navarro/WireImage
Gal Gadot

"There's so many people involved in making this movie, and they all echo the same sentiments."
Gal Gadot has spoken on her stance regarding Brett Ratner.

The star of Wonder Woman was recently said to be refusing to sign on for a sequel if it involved Ratner, who has been plagued with sexual harassment and misconduct allegations. Ratner's RatPac-Dune Entertainment co-financed the initial superhero hit through its slate financing deal with Warner Bros., but such ties have since been severed.

While speaking with Today's Savannah Guthrie, Gadot commented on the removal of Ratner from the Wonder Woman follow-up. "At the end of the day, a lot has been written about my views and the way that I feel, and everyone knows the way that I feel because I'm not hiding anything," she said. "But the truth is, there's so many people involved in making this movie, and they all echo the same sentiments."

"Everyone knew what was the right thing to do, but there was nothing for me to actually come and say, because it was already done before this article came out," she added.

Earlier this month, six women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, detailed their experiences with Ratner in a Los Angeles Times exposé (Ratner's attorney Martin Singer denied all of the accusations in a 10-page letter to the Times). Warner Bros. will honor the financing deal through the end of its contract in March, as RatPac-Dune Entertainment is financing several films on the studio's upcoming slate: Justice League, the Owen Wilson-Ed Helms feature Father Figures, Clint Eastwood's 15:17 to Paris, the ensemble comedy Game Night, the Tomb Raider reboot and Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One.

Wonder Woman 2 & Hollywood's Open Secret

[Jimbo]

I'm wondering if we should take the 'Hollywood' out of the title of this thread because it's not at all limited to that. I don't really care to sully our forum with too much politics, but sexual misconduct is such a trending topic now, and I know it's not just me and Jimbo who are concerned about it.

Hi, Gene.

Yes, sexual misconduct does go way beyond Hollywood/the entertainment industry (EI). However, it does seem that when it comes out in the EI, people take notice/interest. Probably because they want the salacious details on who/what/when/where, etc. Accounts of this have been happening for years, but for some reason only began taking off with Bill Cosby, then of course with the Weinstein thing. Because of the latter, that has now made this subject so prominent, and no longer apt to be buried in the back page; that accusations of sexual misconduct/molestation are opening up in politics, sports (Olympic gymnastics), etc., etc., are being brought to light.

Now, I'm not saying that every single sexual harassment allegation is true. Obviously, false allegations exist. BUT, IMO, in these types of cases, leveling a false accusation against the types of people now being openly accused for the first time would be a terribly risky and stupid proposition. Meaning that most accusers stand little to gain and a lot to lose by falsely accusing men (and also some women) in power, or who at least have power over their chosen target(s). Those types of people who would level false accusations out of spite, or to gain some notoriety, are just as bad as perpetrators, as they damage the credibility of accusations that are true.

There is also a lot of victim blaming going on in cases where it's pretty clear that the allegations are true. I don't think that such blamers have any concept of what abuse victims have endured, and how much courage it takes to come forward. I've personally known people (women AND at least one man) who were sexually abused/raped as children, and have seen the effect it's had on their lives. Which is why I feel so strongly about this subject.

I still think it's odd that what Corey Feldman and other, mostly male former child actors have been saying for years is being overlooked in all this; pedophilia against boys by powerful men. It's also occurred outside of the EI; remember the Sandusky/Paterno scandal? This #metoo movement is still being seen as only a women's and girls' issue, when in reality the rabbit hole goes much deeper than that. I said this in my first post. It doesn't help that Rose McGowan seems to be blaming every male on the planet for either committing or abetting the rape and harassment of women.

[GeneChing]

True - Hollywood is in the spotlight by definition. And also true that it's been accepted there - the 'casting couch' has been with it since the golden era of Hollywood studios. Although I'd argue that people tend to take notice when it's a politician or a religious leader because the hypocrisy is so glaring. We don't really expect Hollywood figures to abide by a moral code beyond what we'd apply to any citizen, not like the 'paragon of virtue' that is expected of a religious leader. And we all assume politicians are inherently corrupt, so that's more of an affirmation.

So we'll let the post title stand, but I'm still going to post harassment cases outside of Hollywood here, just because it would get too muddy to start another thread.

[GeneChing]

Jenny McCarthy: Steven Seagal followed me to my car, asked me not to tell
By Matthew Wisner Published November 15, 2017 Media & Advertising FOXBusiness Opens a New Window.

Jenny McCarthy recounts alleged sexual harassment at an audition with Steven Seagal

Actress and 'Blondies' creator Jenny McCarthy on her new line of cocktails and the alleged sexual harassment she faced in Hollywood.
The sexual harassment scandal in Hollywood that initially began with allegations against Harvey Weinstein continues to expand, revealing a seemingly industry-wide issue. Movie director Brett Ratner now faces multiple allegations while “One Tree Hill” creator and executive producer Mark Schwann was accused of sexual harassment by cast members including Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton.

Actress, model and “Blondies” creator Jenny McCarthy, who was also an MTV host like Hilarie Burton, discussed the alleged sexual harassment she faced in an audition with Steven Seagal when she began making the transition from modeling to acting.

“I went into an audition and wore a long muumuu-type dress that he [Seagal] could pay attention to my eyes. I did, I looked like Mrs. Roper, you know because I wanted to be taken seriously, I was Playmate of the Year at the time and not many people take a Playmate of the Year seriously at all,” McCarthy told the FOX Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria.”

According to McCarthy, Seagal commented on the dress.

“He asked if I would lower my dress because my dress was too baggy and I said ‘no.’ And he said ‘well, there’s nudity in this movie.’”

But when McCarthy countered that there was no nudity in the movie, she says Seagal replied “there’s off-camera nudity.”

She says she then left after telling Seagal, “no…go ahead and pick up my Playboy video, it’s on sale.”

But Seagal reportedly followed McCarthy to her car and said “don’t tell anyone.”

After the audition McCarthy says she called her mom and vowed to tell the world once she became famous.

When asked if she was surprised to hear about the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, McCarthy responded, “Not at all, I’m surprised it took so long though for the world to really start talking about it.”

If it seems like I'm harping on Seagal the most with the Hollywood's Open Secret scandals, it's true. He's a martial artist. He's one of us. So I find this most repugnant. It's also true that in America, we're innocent until proven guilty, but the preponderance of evidence on Seagal's character is overwhelming. We need to clean our own house.

[Jimbo]

Absolutely, Gene. Although it has 'Hollywood' in the title, this thread is open to all such stories.

Do you remember a few years ago, there was a fundamentalist Christian politician (a congressman??) who was virulently anti-gay, yet was caught trying to initiate gay sex in a public restroom by pushing a note under the stall divider to another man? I also seem to recall another, similar politician, with similar beliefs, getting caught trying the same thing, under similar circumstances.

Hypocrisy indeed.

I don't believe anything that any politician and most religious leaders say, because most say what they do to promote whatever self-serving (or sectarian or party-serving) agenda they have. Even on the odd occasion they speak some truth, it's always mixed with falsities. This is true for both Republicans/conservatives and Democrats/"liberals". The whole political party thing is merely smoke and mirrors, anyway.

[GeneChing]

I think you're referring to Republican senator Larry Craig. He solicited an undercover cop in the men's room at the airport.

[Jimbo]

With that scumbag Charles Manson now dead, I'm reminded of the fact that Bruce Lee was one of many who were investigated in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Roman Polanski had been a student of BL, and BL had mentioned having lost a pair of glasses, possibly on the Benedict Canyon estate.

What does this have to do with prominent people and rape and/or pedophilia?

In the linked article, read a few paragraphs down, where BL told then-publisher of Black Belt magazine, Mito Uyehara, about the lifestyle of Polanski and his rich friends in Switzerland, where Polanski had flown BL to for private lessons. It seems that BL was well aware of Roman Polanski's propensities for young, underage girls years before Polanski was forced to permanently flee the U.S. for having sex with a 13 year-old girl.

And until very recently, many 'A-list' Hollywood celebrities (including Meryl Streep) still continued to praise Roman "Pedo" Polanski as a great man who should be pardoned.

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/vaul...manson-murders

[GeneChing]

Bruce knew and worked with Sharon Tate.

[Jimbo]

Bruce knew and worked with Sharon Tate.

Yes, indeed. Bruce did the fight choreography for The Wrecking Crew, and trained Sharon Tate and Nancy Kwan for their fight scene. I don't know if Bruce taught Sharon any more beyond that (possibly).

BTW, The Wrecking Crew was the actual debut movie appearance of Chuck Norris, as well as Joe Lewis and Kenpo karate pioneer Ed Parker as henchmen, in which they were beaten by Dean Martin.

[Jimbo]

Terry Crews' experience was mentioned earlier in this thread, and here he goes into detail about it. Terry Crews is 100% correct on this. What he says about Hollywood/the entertainment industry is applicable to any other environment/profession/pursuit. This entire interview is worth listening to. And once again, if this can happen to someone like Terry Crews, it can happen to anyone. This is also proof positive that sexual harassment is not only a women's issue.

[GeneChing]

Posting this one because of the Black Belt reference.

TRUMP HAS A 'BLACK BELT IN SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY' ACTOR BILLY BALDWIN TELLS PRESIDENT'S SON
BY GRAHAM LANKTREE ON 11/24/17 AT 7:50 AM

Actor Billy Baldwin publicly slammed President Donald Trump for being a master of sexual impropriety during an online argument with Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., on Thursday.

Baldwin told Trump Jr. - and everyone else on Twitter - that over 20 years ago, the future President of the United States gate-crashed a private party and hit on Baldwin's wife-to-be, Chynna Phillips, attempting to entice her onto a helicopter ride to his casino.

“Your Dad is a 5th degree black belt when it comes to sexual impropriety allegations. In fact… I once had a party at the Plaza Hotel… your father showed up uninvited & hit on my wife… invited her on his helicopter to Atlantic City. She showed his fat ass the door,” Baldwin tweeted at Trump Jr.

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Star of the ABC show "Dirty Sexy Money" Billy Baldwin arrives with his wife Chynna Phillips to attend the ABC Network upfronts in New York May 15, 2007.
LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS

Baldwin’s angry tweet was a response to Trump Jr.’s posts about allegations from several women against Democratic Senator Al Franken, who they said touched them inappropriately.

Billy Baldwin
✔
@BillyBaldwin
Your Dad is a 5th degree black belt when it comes to sexual impropriety allegations.
In fact… I once had a party at the Plaza Hotel… your father showed up uninvited & hit on my wife… invited her on his helicopter to Atlantic City.

She showed his fat ass the door.#TrumpRussia https://twitter.com/donaldjtrumpjr/s...92047738052609 …
10:05 PM - Nov 22, 2017
3,300 3,300 Replies 40,122 40,122 Retweets 120,733 120,733 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Trump Jr.'s criticism of Sen. Franken’s behaviour led people to accuse him of a double standard, because at least 16 women have accused President Trump of conduct ranging from harassment to sexual assault.

In October 2016 an outtake emerged from a 2005 Access Hollywood interview, in which Trump said that you can do whatever you want to women “when you're a star.”

“Grab 'em by the *****. You can do anything,” Trump is heard saying in the tape after relating a story about making advances to a married woman. "I moved on her like a *****,” Trump said.

Nearly a dozen women came forward in the later days of the 2016 election campaign accusing Trump of sexual misconduct, including a former contestant from his show The Apprentice and a journalist who interviewed him for People magazine.

Billy Baldwin is the brother of actor Alec Baldwin, who has also been critical of Trump and often makes guest appearances on Saturday Night Live playing the president.

A source who claims to have been at the Plaza Hotel party spoke to the Daily News on Friday. “Trump came barging in and started saying, ‘Let’s get in my helicopter, let’s blow this party and get out of here,’” they said.

Baldwin and Phillips were married in 1995. Trump owned the Plaza Hotel between 1988 and 1995, when he sold off a controlling stake as part of a bankruptcy deal.

After pushing his way into the small party, the source said, Trump looked Phillips “up and down” and “tried to coerce her into getting in his helicopter.”

“(Phillips) laughed uncomfortably at the prospect and said thanks but no thanks,” said the source.

[GeneChing]

'KILL BILL' STAR UMA THURMAN DECLARES #METOO, SAYS WEINSTEIN DOESN'T EVEN DESERVE A BULLET
BY TUFAYEL AHMED ON 11/24/17 AT 6:32 AM

Uma Thurman is going full Kill Bill on Harvey Weinstein.

The actor shared a powerful message on Thanksgiving Thursday, revealing that she, too, has been a victim of sexual harassment and called out Hollywood producer Weinstein, who was one of the people behind her hit film Pulp Fiction and the Kill Bill movies.

Thurman shared a screenshot of her vengeful Kill Bill character The Bride and captioned it: “I am grateful today, to be alive, for all those I love, and for all those who have the courage to stand up for others.

“I said I was angry recently, and I have a few reasons, #metoo, in case you couldn’t tell by the look on my face.”

Follow



H A P P Y T H A N K S G I V I N G

I am grateful today, to be alive, for all those I love, and for all those who have the courage to stand up for others.
I said I was angry recently, and I have a few reasons, #metoo, in case you couldn’t tell by the look on my face.
I feel it’s important to take your time, be fair, be exact, so... Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! (Except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators - I’m glad it’s going slowly - you don’t deserve a bullet) -stay tuned
Uma Thurman
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164,856 likes

The #MeToo hashtag has been used by victims of sexual harassment on Twitter in the last several weeks to speak openly about their experiences and call for the accountability of alleged culprits.

The actor, 47, hinted that a more detailed disclosure was to come, concluding her message with a particularly withering remark to Weinstein. “I feel it’s important to take your time, be fair, be exact, so... Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! (Except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators - I’m glad it’s going slowly - you don’t deserve a bullet.)"

"Stay tuned,” Thurman added.

The actor has most recently responded to the dozens of rape and sexual assault accusations against Weinstein in a brisk red carpet interview ahead of the premiere of her Broadway play, The Parisian Woman, in mid-October. A seething Thurman told Access Hollywood she has been “waiting to feel less angry” before coming forward with her own story about sexual harassment.



Among Weinstein's nearly 90 accusers are actors Rose McGowan, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. Paltrow liked Thurman’s post Thursday and commented with a fist bump emoji. It’s not clear if Thurman is implying that she, too, was the victim of sexual abuse by the producer. Representatives for the actor did not immediately return Newsweek’s request for comment.

Weinstein was instrumental in some of Thurman’s biggest movie collaborations with Quentin Tarantino. The producer distributed Tarantino’s first directorial effort, Reservoir Dogs, and later Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill.


Uma Thurman speaks onstage during the 2017 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York, June 11, 2017.
THEO WARGO/GETTY

After numerous women came forward with allegations of abuse by Weinstein in October, Tarantino admitted that he “knew enough to do more than I did.”

Tarantino told The New York Times he was aware that Weinstein had inappropriately touched his then-girlfriend, the actor Mira Sorvino, in 1995, a story she recounted to The New Yorker in October.

However, the filmmaker said he had heard other stories about Weinstein’s alleged predatory behavior but did not consider them too seriously. “I chalked it up to a ’50s-’60s era image of a boss chasing a secretary around the desk. As if that’s O.K. That’s the egg on my face right now."

An Open Secret meets Kill Bill

[David Jamieson]

point of interest:

If America wasn't so rooted in puritanism none of this would matter and also, none of this would have happened!

The line is very blurred when it comes to what is appropriate(a pick up line, a physical gesture that is expressive, but not overtly sexual).
That is wholly because of the whole hate of sexuality that permeates the spiritual realm of America and get's diametrically opposed to the social more ultimately.

this doesn't advocate rape, which is of course overpowering and forcing someone to do something they really don't want to without question.
And as for taking advantage of kids, I think those people should be chemically castrated and have their sexuality essentially removed from them because they are broken.

Yes, some people are broken and should be regarded as such and disallowed from having access to having that broken attribute rise to the top.

2 cents

[Jimbo]

I recently recalled something I was told back around the mid-1990s. It was in court reporting school (I used to work as a stenographer). The woman who told me this was also a student at the school, in her 40s at the time.

She said that during the '70s she worked as a flight attendant, and on one flight, Senator Ted Kennedy and family members were passengers. She said he was drunk, and during the flight he cornered her in the area where the drinks were kept on the plane. She said he was talking dirty to her and kept trying to kiss her and feeling her up. She said she gently pushed away from him several times, but that he only laughed and kept at it. She said he smirked when he told her, "Do you know who I am? If you tell anyone, nobody will believe you." She said he eventually returned to his seat. She also said that Kennedy's kids were out of control, entitled little brats.

Her word for Ted Kennedy was "creep".

[MarathonTmatt]

My 2 cents..

First, it is a shame that things like this happen on such a scale in the first place. But with that said, I am really hoping that this issue will come further and further into the attention and mind's of people everywhere, and that whatever perpetrators are involved (the Harvey Weinstein's, etc.) will be exposed en masse. There needs to be a giant cleansing of these abusers in powerful positions in general. I hope this issue reaches a critical mass and that enough people are prosecuted by the court systems and go to jail. It just goes to show how big the problem is when that "nice" reporter from PBS (public broadcasting system), Charlie Rose, gets fired from his job due to sexual allegations and misconduct.

One reason why I think that this problem is so rampant in society today is because the "cult of materialism." There is a good video featuring Jim Carrey at the "Golden Globe Awards":

https://youtu.be/a9J8GaeDqVc

The first time I saw this speech by Jim Carrey it was broken down by someone who seemed to be a Christian evangelist. Irregardless of one's belief systems or spirituality, the uploader had a point: here is a "cult" of materialists worshipping false idols. Again, no wonder this kind of a problem is rampant in "Holly-Weird". Heck, it is a problem in the Catholic Church too (probably in many denominations of churches actually), one of the reasons why I am not overly fond of organized religion. I remember seeing a video of the Pope from the 90's, riding in his procession of cars down the Vatican with his golden staff, golden necklace, and decked out in jewelry. A woman from the crowd tried to touch his garments, probably thinking she would be blessed or something if she did so. She was tackled onto the ground by one of his body guards. That just shows me right there, "nope, nothing holy what-so-ever about the so-called Pope."

Well, anyway. Not to get too OT. I think the Earth is going through some changes right now. An awakening of consciousness even. These people are being called out and exposed for what they truly are: filthy, greedy, guilty pigs. Hopefully there is a balancing of the scales. Let's hope that these issues keep getting the attention it needs to bring these wrong-doings to light.