You’ve seen- and probably enjoyed- at least one movie that involved Harvey Weinstein. From Pulp Fiction to Shakespeare in Love, the producer has been instrumental in myriad successful films during the past decades. However, the recent 40+ accusations of sexual harassment against Weinstein present the worrying question of how someone with such a potential excess of misdoings could become so successful.
Weinstein co-founded Miramax Films, which has since been acquired by Disney, in 1979 with his brother. The pair now owns Weinstein Pictures, an equally if not more successful venture. Harvey rose to prominence through these companies, but he also gained a reputation for aggression. He hassled his coworkers, encouraged confrontation, and, periodically, acted violently toward others. Those who witnessed or experienced these behaviors may have privately condemned them, but publically seem to have minimized them to concepts of manliness, virility, or mere eccentricity.
Thus, Weinstein’s star continued to rise. He made forays into fields from charity to fashion, transforming himself into a pop culture phenom. Weinstein gained enough power to pressure people into doing as he wished. He would promise help and connections to those who cooperated with him, and he implied consequences akin to back-balling in the entertainment industry for those who did not. He has self-described as a “benevolent dictator”, cementing his negative image. Yet no protest against him ever gained any real traction.
It is unclear when sex may have entered this equation. Several women have described Weinstein arranging meetings with them and instituting an unusual amount of touching (often offering them “massages”) before becoming directly erotic. Some have stated that Weinstein did rape them, while others seem to have eluded him. Reports have also surfaced of Weinstein exposing himself and speaking inappropriately to women as early as the 1980s. Regardless, few reported this misconduct. Perhaps they felt traumatized, or otherwise feared his influence.
Still, news spread of Weinstein’s purported misdemeanors: screenwriter Scott Rosenfield stated that “everybody f*cking knew”. So why did Weinstein suffer no consequences for so long? A New York Times investigation found that several complaints against him have been settled in the past via money. Too, that Weinstein already held an established position of power in the industry discouraged and intimidated further action against him. These proceedings seem to have lent Weinstein a feeling of invulnerability, prompting an increase in his misdoings. It was not until this year that the controversy grew too large to be ignored any longer.
This October, the NYT investigation gained support through public accusations by individuals, the number of which continues to increase. The New Yorker magazine has conducted its own investigation and found results confirming those of its predecessor. Thus has begun Weinstein’s fall: his female advisor has resigned, his company fired him and works to rebrand itself, and those connected with him in the past seek to break their bonds.
The conclusion of this issue remains unclear from a legal standpoint. Yet, Weinstein’s character has been irreparably tarnished, ruining what may have remained of his career. The question now becomes how to stop other figures from committing atrocities as those that Weinstein is accused of.