The Harvey Weinstein Effect

 

The downfall of movie producer Harvey Weinstein has been quick and decisive.

The increasing spread of the so-called “Harvey Effect” has been quick, as well.

It started in Hollywood, when the first accusations² of sexual abuse against Weinstein appeared in media reports.

It soon spread to other industries, with the help of the hashtag #metoo. Women, and some men, publicly reported stories of sexual abuse by powerful people. The accused have included famous moviemakers, actors, news media leaders, writers and American presidents.

Most recently, it spread to the British government.

Prime Minister Theresa May this week called for changes in the way Parliament deals with reports of sexual harassment⁴ or worse. Her statement was in answer to reports that some British lawmakers had sexually harassed⁵ their employees or other people. And on Wednesday, Michael Fallon resigned as Britain’s defense⁶ secretary, following reports of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Weinstein

Weinstein was among the most powerful moviemakers in Hollywood. His popular, and Academy Award-winning films over the last 30 years, include "Shakespeare in Love," "Pulp⁷ Fiction," and "Good Will Hunting.”

He ran Miramax Films and later the Weinstein Company with his brother, Bob Weinstein.

On October 5, the New York Times newspaper wrote about Weinstein’s reported history of harassing⁸ and assaulting women. Several women, including actress Ashley Judd, told the Times that Weinstein used his industry influence to try to gain sexual favors. The accusations dated back more than 30 years. The women said they believed refusing Weinstein and reporting the actions would have hurt their careers in Hollywood.

Judd said in the Times report, “Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it’s simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly.”

Now, one month later, more than 50 women have accused Weinstein.

Thirteen say he raped⁹ them.

Weinstein has been dismissed from the company he created. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has expelled him. The Producers Guild¹⁰ of America, a labor¹¹ union, did the same. And many actors have sharply criticized him, even those whose careers he helped launch.

The New York Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department and London’s Metropolitan¹² Police are all reportedly investigating him.

Anita Hill

Public accusations of sexual harassment or assault do not always lead to decisive action.

In October of 1991, an American lawyer named Anita Hill testified that her former boss, Clarence Thomas, had sexually harassed her. Hill appeared at a Senate confirmation¹³ hearing for Thomas, who was a nominee¹⁴ to serve on the United States Supreme¹⁵ Court.

Hill told the senators the incidents had taken place 10 years earlier in her employment at two government agencies.

Thomas denied the accusations. He and his supporters said the accusations were politically motivated to block him from the Supreme Court.

The Senate debated the nomination¹⁶ and confirmed it. Clarence Thomas remains¹⁷ a Supreme Court Justice today.

However, the event changed how the country defined and discussed sexual harassment.

Hill told the Associated Press on October 14 that she is impressed by the attention being paid to sexual harassment following the Weinstein story. Yet, she said, progress on the issue had been slow.

“This case may be bigger than some in the past, but I think we’re kidding ourselves if we think that everything is going to change overnight from one episode, even as big as this one,” Hill said.

#MeToo

As the number of Weinstein accusations grew, American actress Alyssa Milano asked her followers¹⁸ on social media for help.

She wrote on Twitter on October 15, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘Me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Her aim was to show that sexual abuse is common.

As of October 24, Twitter had recorded more than 1.7 million #MeToo tweets from more than 80 countries.

The hashtag brought strength in numbers, and helped embolden¹⁹ people to share their stories of assault publicly.

The “Harvey Effect”

More and more women, and some men, continue to accuse well-known and powerful people.

The accusers include Isa Hackett, a producer for the Amazon show Man in the High Castle. She told The Hollywood Reporter trade magazine that Amazon Studios leader, Roy Price, repeatedly asked her for sex in July of 2015. The story was published October 12.

A few days later, Price resigned from his job.

This week, NBC News dismissed Mark Halperin, a top reporter on American politics after several women accused him of sexual wrongdoing.

In a CNN report last week, one woman said Halperin told her she would never work in media or politics after she refused to kiss him.

And, earlier this week, American actor Anthony Rapp publicly accused Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey of sexual abuse. Rapp said when he was 14 years old Spacey attempted to have sex with him. The accusation¹ was published on the news site BuzzFeed.

Spacey posted a statement on Twitter a few hours later. He said he did not remember the incident and was horrified²⁰ to hear of it. He said “if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology….”

Spacey currently stars in the popular Netflix series House of Cards. Netflix announced Tuesday that it has suspended production of the show’s final season. It also said it is “deeply troubled” by the reports. Others have since come forward with sexual harassment accusations against Spacey.

Also this week, two women accused actor Dustin Hoffman of sexual harassment. The first, Anna Graham Hunter, described in The Hollywood Reporter several incidents she said took place in 1985, when she was a 17-year-old production assistant.

Hoffman said in a statement he is sorry that, in his words, “anything I might have done [that] could have put her in an uncomfortable situation…It is not reflective of who I am.”

Hours later, another woman, writer/producer Wendy Riss Gatsiounis, said Hoffman harassed her in 1991. She said she had been invited to meet with him and a producer to discuss making a play she had written. She said Hoffman made sexual comments and tried to get her to go to a hotel with him. She said when she refused the producer told her they had no interest in her play.

American presidents

Five women recently accused former U.S. President George H. W. Bush of sexual assault. American television actress Heather Lind was the first accuser. Using the hashtag #MeToo, Lind wrote on Instagram that Bush touched her inappropriately while she was taking a photo with him.

After a second woman came forward with similar accusations, the former president’s office explained that because Bush is in a wheelchair, his arms fall near the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures.”

It added that the 95-year old former president has often “patted women’s rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner.

Other American presidents, including Bill Clinton and current office holder²¹ Donald Trump²², have also faced accusations of sexual wrongdoing.

British Parliament

What started in Hollywood may now be playing out in British politics, as well.

A political website called Guido Fawkes reported Monday that assistants to Britain’s Conservative Party politicians had created a list of 36 lawmakers accused of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Conservative Party leader Andrea Leadsom said that Parliament has “zero tolerance²³” for inappropriate behavior among lawmakers. She added that changes would be made to how people can report cases of sexual harassment at Parliament.

And International Trade Minister Mark Garnier admitted to asking his assistant to buy sex objects for him in 2010. The story from the former employee was reported in the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday. British Prime Minister Teresa May has called for an investigation²⁴ into whether Garnier broke the ministerial code of conduct.

On Wednesday, following a series of accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon sent his letter of resignation to May.

May wrote of the growing issue this week. “I do not believe that this situation can be tolerated any longer. It is simply not fair on staff, many of whom are young and in their first job,” she wrote.

I’m Caty Weaver²⁵.

And I’m Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

harass³ - v. to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way

assault - v. to violently attack (someone or something)

conversation - n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people

boss - n. the person whose job is to tell other workers what to do

kid oneself - v. to fail to admit the truth to yourself : to deceive yourself

episode - n. an event or a short period of time that is important or unusual

embolden - v. to make (someone) more confident

suspend - v. to stop (something) for a usually short period of time

inappropriately - adv. done in a way that is not right or suited for some purpose or situation

rear - n. the part of your body that you sit on

intend - v. to have (something) in your mind as a purpose or goal

tolerance - n. the ability to accept, experience, or survive something harmful or unpleasant

conduct - - n. the way that a person behaves in a particular place or situation

1 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

2 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

3 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

4 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

5 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 pulp   

n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆

参考例句：

• The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。
• The company manufactures pulp and paper products.这个公司制造纸浆和纸产品。

8 harassing   

v.侵扰，骚扰( harass的现在分词 )；不断攻击（敌人）

参考例句：

• The court ordered him to stop harassing his ex-wife. 法庭命令他不得再骚扰前妻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was too close to be merely harassing fire. 打得这么近，不能完全是扰乱射击。 来自辞典例句

9 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

10 guild   

n.行会，同业公会，协会

参考例句：

• He used to be a member of the Writers' Guild of America.他曾是美国作家协会的一员。
• You had better incorporate the firm into your guild.你最好把这个公司并入你的行业协会。

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

12 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

13 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

14 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

15 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

16 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

17 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

18 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

19 embolden   

v.给…壮胆，鼓励

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine,he went over to introduce himself to her.他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• The Prime Minister was steadily emboldened by the discovery that he faced no opposition.发现自己并未遭到反对，首相渐渐有了信心。

20 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

21 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

22 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

23 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

24 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

25 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。