Whether it is rape, harassment, wars or nuclear arsenals, men have had center stage way too long.
162
It's never too late to tell the truth.
History lives on, affecting our views and our current deliberations.
Thanks for this.
78
My grandmother told me a story like this. It wasn't Hollywood, it was (at the time) rural Marin County. There were men who would cruise the places young women hung out and mislead them events that turned out to be stag parties. My grandmother and her friends were on to this trick and did not get suckered into it.
MGM, with its offer of work and the industry's use of remote filming locations, had a better cover story and better bait.
62
What a brave woman! What a sad tale about the abuse and manipulation then and now of great wealth and of the system. Not only is rape a violation of civil rights but so is the attempt by evangelical and other conservative religious people to curb the right of access to abortion because they feel they have the right, the religious right, to tell women how to decide things about their own bodies. Where is the religious right of the woman? Apparently it has no standing in our courts.
Go ask the SCOTUS which decided that business owners have the right to an exemption to federal law mandating contraception etc. because THEY hold a religious view against it. The Court in so deciding acted in essence to disenfranchise every woman working at Hobby Lobby, putting her outside the protection of the law. Dred Scott, anyone?
109
The effort by many, both men and women, but, let's face it, mostly men, to draw a sharp line between crimes, such as rape and assault and battery, and the pervasive non-criminal demeaning of women (calling adult women "girls;" opining in front of daughters that, of course, a son is to be preferred; suggesting that women lack the character to hold high office or control large business organizations) is understandable, but misguided. The latter leads to the former by making women less than fully human.
55
"Sexual assault in 1937 implied two things: First, the victim had somehow provoked such abuse, and second, she must stay silent or become “damaged goods.”
The same could be said for sexual assault and harassment in 2017 until the #metoo movement gained traction and momentum. Finally, we've reached the point where victim blaming and shaming will no longer be tolerated, so let's start the arduous and uncomfortable process of crafting thoughtful and meaningful solutions to this very complex problem.
96
Sad that it took 80 years for this story to be unearthed. Sad that a girl should would have been lionized today died in obscurity, never having the chance to see what has transpired.
72
M.G.M's 'Comfort Women'. I'll never see that lion the same way after this. MGM should pay reparations & publically make recompense.
It's been said that no lie can live forever & the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. That arc needs to bend much faster & more decisively.
But regarding the '#metoo movement', it seems impotent & undermined if Franken is forced out while Trump remains.
93
Girl 27 - The Patricia Douglas story should be made into a movie ( female production company, please) and cast the biggest stars. I can’t imagine the courage this took at that time in history.
Reese Witherspoon, can you make this happen?
155
Very interesting to read this right after reading the Merkin piece. Thank you so much David Stein for being on the right side of history.
34
When are we going to follow up Anita Hill's comments about Clarence Thomas. Is he just going to just slip through? He is a sitting Supreme Court Justice! Granted nothing can be proved at this point but there must be others who were subject to the same treatment.
166
What a strange moment in American cultural history. From today's perspective, one would think Hearst out of his mind to think that Americans would suddenly shun MGM products and the film industry as a whole on account of a "poor little extra girl" (although one imagines this was just the tip of the iceberg). What did he imagine would happen if the studio agreed to cooperate with an investigation and, God forbid, throw the corporate rapist to the wolves? Was America going to renounce the movies and start spending its precious leisure time exclusively on bowling, art, and literature? Could he really have been so shockingly clueless about his compatriots and this rising industry?
I suppose he was right in one sense, this case ultimately did have a profoundly damaging effect on his industry's reputation, but that injury is a function of the nearly 80 years of suppressed criminal behavior to which it gave rise and which he and his wealthy conspirators maliciously and knowingly enabled.
36
"It was just to make them stop having those parties." Such a simple goal, noticeably absent of the words "me or I". And I believe her statement.
"Sexual assault in 1937 implied two things:...the victim had...provoked such abuse, and...she must stay silent or become damaged goods." Those elements haven't changed at all. In fact, women themselves promote the idea that we are damaged goods forever following a sexual assault. Maybe the only way to get justice for a rape is to claim that this is a crime you can't recover from. Hopefully we can get past this part of the mythology. Men have to be able to talk about sex and violence honestly, and they can't if the myth is that no woman can emotionally survive a rape. Women aren't served by believing they are incapable of moving beyond rape (or incapable of brushing off sexual innuendo or gross behavior). We have to grow up and speak honestly.
Patricia Douglas spoke honestly. She embodied that "American" ideal- plain speaking, honest and strong.
41
Imagine where we'd be today if everyone with her experience had spoken out rather than lying down.
11
Eddie Mannix is a name that continues to pop up in stories of MGM abuse. This story brought to mind the scene in Singing in the Rain, where Debbie Reynolds is ushered to a Hollywood party and jumps out of a cake. That film was produced by Arthur Freed, whom Shirley Temple “exposed” in her autobiography. The tidbit was also mentioned in Temple’s New York Times obituary. I wish the MGM stars were still alive to finally be able to tell there stories.
38
We see again the lengths the patriarchy will go to, to maintain their power. Good story, courageous young woman.
64
I hope the article is correct to suggest we are on the cusp of real and permanent change to this type of corrupted power that is so damaging to women. However, I fear that this effort has a level of whac-a-mole in it, which will only lead to more subtle means of manipulation and suppression of women and their fair share of power.
The only lasting solution is to assure that women rapidly obtain an equal level of power in our society, from the halls of congress to the board rooms of our corporations.
Such a transformation would not only make our society more just, it would also make it more productive and efficient by allowing women to reach their full potential, lifting all boats in the process.
It's a nice dream, but how do you make an Icelandic type of feminist revolution occur in the U.S.?
37
This is true courage. I sympathize with Wienstein's victims and understand the huge cost of coming forward. But the fact is they didn't come forward for decades so it's hard to call them courageous.
14
I agree. I'd have more respect for them if they had forgone money and movies and kept Weinstein from going after another aspiring actress. Courtney Love is the only one that I know of that said anything (back, I think, in 2005) and her agency immediately dropped her. Did anyone speak up then, although they knew the truth? No. There's nothing courageous about hoping on a bandwagon.
24
I read somewhere that the NYTimes refused to publish her obituary, because they didn't accept the information from "Girl 27". Apparently the film industry buried her long before she died.
57
Part of me wants to think, oh my god, how could this happen, feeding dozens of young women into a secluded building to be raped by drunken salesman as some kind of insane reward for a good year... but then I'm reminded of the Weinstein affair, and it's just a continuation of business as usual.
104
This deserves the 'top spot' of your opinion page. What an inspiring character, but what a waste of human potential is hidden within it. So many women have been silenced. No longer.
89
Rape is one of the few crimes where the victim is deemed complicit in their assault. Anything goes in destroying the credibility of the victim so that the perpetrator is able to walk away without any consequences or damage to career and reputation. Thank you for sharing the story of Ms Douglas's bravery against the MGM machine. She deserves a monument.
Thankfully when Taylor Swift recently stood up against the man who groped her and and refused to allow him to portray himself as the victim she was hailed as a hero. Ms. Douglas and others like her paved the way for that victory by refusing to be silenced.
111
When will society view a man who commits rape as "damaged goods"?
267
It would be great if this story were better known. But harassing women, even raping them is business as usual, too often, even today. After all we have a man in White House who is a sex offender.
84
Okay inheritors of Weinstein's company: show how contrite and committed to change you TRULY are by turning this woman's life story into a major motion picture!!!!
74
If you want this story more widely told, first watch the documentary.
12
JWC, I agree! We should watch the documentary. No more glitzy re-enactments from Hollywood.
9
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
-- Jean Baptiste Alphonse Karr
8
I hope Sunday’s Golden Globe attendees show up wearing Ms. Douglas’ photo on their black attire
30
Thank you for sharing this compelling OP-ED.
13
In addition to his documentary, the author wrote this Vanity Fair article in 2003 about Ms. Douglas. Thank you, David Stein!
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/04/mgm200304
52
Thanks for the link.
8
I sure hope it is the start of much more! We've been waiting 100 years in this country to be thought of by men as something other than party favors. I'm ready to burn them all down in the name of my great-granddaughters!!!
32
It is not too late for MGM to apologize. They should put her picture up in their offices.
33
I doubt Hollywood stars have ever heard of her.
7
Patricia Douglas, I will remember you.
45
Me, too.
7
Finally! A story that focuses solely on the how seemingly upstanding institutions protect criminals, and the terrible, lifelong cost paid by those who speak out against their abuses.
30
Mr. Stenn has contributed a great service to history and to humanity by publicizing details of the horrific ordeal forced upon Ms. Douglas so long ago. I thought I had a fair amount of knowledge about the early film industry, but never heard of this courageous, persistent woman before. I’m so pleased to know that her dreadful experience has finally come to light.
James Flammang
Independent journalist/author
Elk Grove Village, IL
31
"For the first time, a rape survivor not only refused to be silenced, but took her case all the way into federal court, where she reframed the crime as a civil rights issue. And she battled the system alone, without the support of today’s collective outrage and hashtag campaigns."
Rape isn't attempted murder, so there are no "survivors." #stophysteria
From Webster's, Survive, definition 3: : to continue to function or prosper despite : withstand they survived many hardships
28
A wonderfully informative piece, and what a stubbornly courageous woman. I can not be alone in wondering how the rest of her life turned out.
32
It's instructive to read this column in conjunction with another column in The Times today, that one is about whether it's OK if your child lies to you. The author of that column writes that, for most parents, "we believe honesty is a moral imperative, and we try to instill this belief in our children."
This column demonstrates that, no, honesty, if it unsettles the powerful and the prevailing norms and memes, will be buried alive along with anyone who speaks truth to power.
Oh but that we should be more honest with our children in how much we ALL lie to each other if it suits our purposes. Then maybe, when they reach adolescence, they won't so readily, and so rightly, condemn us for the moral hypocrites that we are.
7
thanks for letting us know her story.
17
This is a great story from the past. It is easy for us New York Times reading people to appreciate the bravery and overwhelming injustice that give this story meaning. She did nothing wrong or illegal, yet she was victimized and denied justice at every level.
At the same time, we New York Times readers are probably aware that many of the people who pick our food and process our meat are subjected to dangerous and dehumanizing treatment without recourse on a daily basis. They act to serve us every day, but our government continues to deny them justice at every level by making them criminals for providing the labor we depend upon and take for granted with each meal we enjoy. That is something we can act upon today, which makes it harder to stomach. It is so much easier to #MeToo and chill, right?
The common thread, here, is that people benefitting from injustice often use their power to protect those under them who carry out the injustice. The injustice can be sexual, financial, health related, or a matter of basic self determination and freedom. They victims can be mostly of a certain gender, race, age, belief, or legal status. It does not matter. Injustice occurs whenever we have the opportunity to impose a burden or deny a right to others that we will not allow to apply to ourselves -- and we avail ourselves of such opportunities. All of us belong to that MeToo movement, whether we recognize it or not. Think about that the next time you see "#MeToo."
33
This article about Patricia Douglas brought tears to my eyes. It is heart-rending. Yet, it is just one example of what women are up against in their quest for justice. How many could go as far as Patricia? And who should ever have to?
29
This event literally emotionally ruined her, she was never the same, and never talked to anyone about it again -- until Stenn finally tracked her down in the final years (months?0 of her life, and convinced her that people were finally ready to listen to and believe her. Here is the very poignant postscript to Stern's 2003 Vanity Fair article about her, which I recommend everyone read (see my earlier post, presuming it's posted), published in a later issue:
"In 1937, 20-year-old dancer Patricia Douglas was raped by an MGM salesman at a wild studio party. Though she brought suit, the studio smeared her and got the complaint dismissed. After 65 years of silence, Douglas told her story to David Stenn for Vanity Fair ("It Happened One Night … at MGM," April 2003). On November 10, 2003, when Stenn phoned Douglas and read her the letters to the editor his article had prompted, she told him, "Thank you. I can go now." She died the following day."
186
The arrogance and amorality of MGM and David Ross are stunning. I will remember this awful story. Thank you, David Stenn, for bringing it to light.
25
As Hollywood wears black at the award ceremonies this weekend, each attendee should have ten names of women in the past and present who have been abused by the American male system. Instead of talking about designers provide a history of the people whose names they will speak. As a country founded on racism and injustice it is time that we seize on every opportunity to educate and move forward. I do hope something meaningful comes from this event.
No one should be crushed by a sick society and it is high time we begin to address all that is wrong with us.
24
This is an outstanding and very sad story. It's also very frustrating that this kind of thing does not really stop. Ask Uber about their parties.
46
I am in awe of her bravery and tenacity. I am sad to think she hasn't lived to witness this moment of reckoning. But I am grateful to you, Mr. Stenn, for bringing her story to our attention at last.
243
I had no idea, I should learned about this but from where? Starkly sad.
48
Fabulous story and, even more so, actions by Ms. Douglas so long ago.
I am left to wonder how many similar events have, and do, occur in other fields of endeavor. There is, indeed, a coterie of men who live otherwise respectable lives as married family men who see women as objects to be exploited. The attitudes expressed verbally about women to other men expose this truth.
88
A true hero fights against overwhelming odds without expectation of personal gain, because it's the right thing to do. Ms. Douglas fits that description.
The author believes that 'injustice can thrive only in silence.' I would like to believe that that's true, but I've seen too many instances of injustice thriving in the clear light of day. Injustice must be opposed whenever and wherever it is discovered.
164
It's hard to find words adequate to express my heartbreak and outrage at what this brave woman endured. I hope this story becomes better known - though Ms. Douglas could not win her case given the times in which she lived, she deserves to have her experience known and her courage and endurance recognized. Thank you, Mr. Stenn, for sharing it.
140
The situation has not changed much over time. It is still extremely difficult for a woman to win such a suit, and a plaintiff in such a case is slimed and defamed today as Ms. Douglas was back then.
19
Yes. Far better information than the commentary by Daphne Merkin in today's op-eds. This is real information. Her opinion is just based on the same old elitist..."if it isn't happening to me and my powerful friends, it's overblown". We are far from listening to the pervasiveness of sexism and misogyny in our culture or else Donald Trump would never have been elected.
200
I am not sure how you are comparing Daphne Merkin's article, which discusses the broader issue of how men and women can show interest in each other with respectful and appropriate behavior as well as having a nuanced response to the different degrees of transgressions, and this story which is a clear case of conspiracy, kidnapping and sexual assault.
Sexism and misogyny are pervasive in our culture. Agreed. As is racism, clearly. And yes, I agree that really is why Trump is president. But 53% of white women voted for him and 63% of white women voted for Roy Moore.
Merkin states: "These are scary times, for women as well as men. There is an inquisitorial whiff in the air, and my particular fear is that in true American fashion, all subtlety and reflection is being lost. "
I think she is really on point here.
And also:
"We need a broader and more thoroughgoing overhaul, one that begins with the way we bring up our sons and daughters."
I think this is also good information. What happened to Patricia Douglas is tragic and hopefully the testimony of the sexual assault victims of today will help move us forward to a greater awareness and sensitivity and a more evolved level of sexual relations between men and women so that these kinds of crimes will be something from the past.
9
Thanks for saying that Rodin's Muse. Could not agree more on Merkin's piece.
15
Both are needed in the dialogue. This article pushes one to fight against injustice while Merkin's ensures we don't go full Jacobin. We have to temper our righteous indignation with reflection, moderation, and care.
6
The point is our current crop of sexual assaultee's hasn't seen much justice done. Guy's, you're going to pay one way or another: Conviction and sentencing leaves you somewhat smarter and somewhat absolved. The other route fuels your mental illness, and more often ends sadly.
16
How ironic that The Times is publishing this story in the same Opinion pages as Daphne Merkin's "eye-rolling" dismissal of women speaking out about their own experiences with sexual harassment and assault.
Ms. Merkin claims, without evidence, that "feminists have had it with this movement" directly across the fold from David Stenn's observation that "sometimes winning is just being heard".
Perhaps Merkin, and the Times editorial board, should read more thoughtfully.
149
Shar, perhaps the Times knows exactly what it's doing, publishing both the same day.
32
Perhaps a more thoughtful reading of Ms. Merkin's, Zephyr Teachout's and other comments to add perspective to some of the rage in the #MeToo allegations might be helpful. There many compelling stories of rape that have been told or remain to be told, many that will never be told. At the same time, not every incident of what someone believes to be sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual misconduct rises to the level of rape, and yet many seem to want to conflate them all. In this time of anger, men and women not swept into a kind of mob mentality who would hope to provide some balance and common sense to the debate are mocked and reviled. It is unfashionable in the extreme to wonder how many of the allegations coming forth are truthful or are exaggerated. Some regard as outrageous the notion that reporting should also include what happens to those individuals falsely accused of sexual misconduct. Can victims of false charges claim #MeToo status? Are women granted power incapable of being corrupted by that power? Just as those who would "besmirch" accusers such as Douglas and so many others, so now it seems in vogue to besmirch those who seek to include fairness, reasonableness and common sense into the fire-hot discussions of sexual issues in and out of the the workplace.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
8
Where is her monument?
95
Where is her monument? Just as her experience was never recognized, her monument is our president, his transgressions, self-admitted, have never been addressed.
5
This is her monument. 80 years later, an article telling her story in the "Newspaper of Record."
8
Growing up in the 60's, I would read the term "stag party" and I did not know what it was. To have 119 young women bused to the desert under false pretenses to be raped by MGM's top salesmen makes me wonder whether all stag parties were similar. The damage to Douglas' career and reputation make it clear why none of the other young women brought similar lawsuits.
My grandmother was one of dozens of young women hired as assistants and secretaries by the daughter and wife of author Zane Gray. From Pasadena, they went by boat to the South Pacific, where there was no recourse against rape and intimidation. I wish #metoo had happened in the 1920's.
142
Wow, her own mother! Compare this horror story with Daphne Merkin's anti-feminist worries in this same issue about whether flirtation can survive #MeToo, as if women in positions of lesser or no power were doing the "systematic crushing" today that MGM did then. We have work to do in the fight for equality, but at least Weinstein is more accountable than Mayer.
110
Is there anyone else still living who can contribute to this story? I believe it totally because why else would someone go to so much trouble to publicize the occurrence and to seek punishment for the perps while being the one who was punished. At least she did stop the "parties."
66
As the article notes, there is an entire documentary by the author.
7
They stole her virtue, career, legal standing, and reputation.
America seemed to ignore these thefts and false claims.
Do legal records even exist to demonstrate that between her rape and death in 2003, she worked at anything again, loved and trusted any man,
married, raised children, and gave and received love?
How awful. How unforgivable. She disappeared.
A tragedy worthy of fiction or, I hate to say this, a movie.
We have several fine movies about the studio days, fallen and reborn stars, the blacklisting and Hollywood 10, the silence about Germany before WWII, and corporate internalization of censorship. Might we have 1 about Hollywood's violence and injustice toward Patricia Douglas?
And hundreds of other women?
254
drbobsolomon, I of course understand what you mean by your quaint and delicate phrasing, but I must object. Patricia Douglas's true virtue fully survived these criminals' abominable assault on her body and her life, and shines out today in the telling of her story.
Heather
18
I agree, and I'd also say that the 'Hollywood' version of her story - that she 'disappeared' - minimizes her further. She was a woman who wasn't afraid to do the hard thing. She knew it would be hard, she did the calculations and decided it was worth it. She decided she could win one way or another- whether with the stamp of approval from the court or public, or as she said, "history".
When Ms. Douglas was raped, she was trapped, feared for her life, experienced great physical pain, and endured the psychological and physical shock of violent assault. Following that, she decided she wasn't going to accept the idea that she was now 'broken'. And THAT is the story still killing off women in countries we consider to be 'primitive' or 'backward' (although we don't use those words anymore.) We are blind to our own continued LOVE of this false narrative.
Nevertheless, it's crazy that we still shame women for reporting rape - even when they aren't seeking court retribution.
19
The Patricia Douglas story and so many others involving rape and the appalling consequences when speaking truth to power need to be told.
At the same time, although he has been roundly denounced for speaking out,
Matt Damon is not alone in noting that not every claim of sexual misconduct is equal to every other claim. And now that sexual harassment has spawned the major #MeToo movement, more people who claim to have been victimized with their emotions or lives ruined by a passing glance, a misguided complement about one's appearance, an irritating joke or comment will come forward to get attention, vent outrage. Ms. Douglas fought back, a losing but important battle. One might wish she had persisted in that fight, but sometimes the the odds against one are overwhelming. At the same time, conflating every irritating or discomforting something into a major event of assault or rape is also abusive. It's worth pairing David Stenn's piece with Daphne Merkin's comments in this same issue of the Times.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
22
You are a huge part of the problem.
20
Ralph, Mr. Giebel is saying that not all misfires between the sexes are of equal seriousness, and that not all such accounts should automatically be taken at face value. If you disagree, you might offer concrete arguments for your position, rather than an ad hominem attack.
In particular, I think there's a widespread fallacy that arguing for a nuanced or proportionate viewpoint devalues the entire issue or the experience of women and men who have been mistreated. That makes it easy to claim that any response other than outrage is "a huge part of the problem." That may be satisfying, but it's neither balanced nor entirely honest.
7
Thank you. It's good to feel part of something.