Woody Allen has been mugged. This reader refuses to credit the foul accusations, unsupported by any established pattern of behaviour, that he ever molested his seven year old daughter. This is where honest and necessary effort at social reform meets tyranny.
8
Bruni pitched soft ball. As in, "What would you expect Aaron and Greta to say?"
No news here.
2
Honestly, Greta? You were in the dark about the (alleged) allegations agains Woody Allen? Talk about getting to have your cake, and eating it too. Learn how to use google, or get a subscription to the NYT!
The pace at which Mia Farrow are her family have pursued Allen is almost as intense at the chase across the years as portrayed in Les Miserables. Kudos to young Mr. Farrow for his recent work; however, comparing Allen who survived serious investigation from the Connecticut law enforcement authorities with the likes of those who have preyed on multiple people because their position allows it should be easy to distinguish. And, multiple instances, versus an alleged single occasion.
Mr. Sorkin gets a pass too; his retirement from the acclaimed West Wing due to his substance problems is the next rung down from the current cultural phenom we are witnessing in the MeToo movement. His trademark of zippy dialogue (while walking) has garnered him an Oscar. His comments here are solipsistic indeed.
This interview lacks any critical thought; just everyone agreeing with each other. The only point I'd add is that I hope Kevin Spacey never comes back; and, leave poor Woody Allen alone.
8
Can one write characters of races other then their own? YES!!!! There’s no need to go over-the-top and write in cultural aspects and attempt to conjure up how they walk, talk and feel. Just write characters that just so happen to be Asian, Black, White and/or Latino and let the reader or audience fill-in the blanks. I wonder if this is why there’s so little diversity, both ethnic and gender, written in to the VAST majority of Hollywood scripts??
1
I'm really disheartened that someone as intelligent as Aaron purports himself to be needs instructions on what to do to stop being sexist and perpetuating sexism. Read a book or as Greta all too politely pointed out, reach out to Times up. It is not women's burden to change your behavior, it's yours.
1
#MeToo isn't a movement yet. It's a righteous mob which can ruin the name and livelihood of a man for having been charged with merely making a woman feel uncomfortable 20 years ago at a cocktail party (NPR's Roger LeMay). No process, no transparency, just a career death sentence (see Tavis Smiley who only learned he was released from his t.v. contract by reading the news).
Don't get me wrong: the time has come to purge our workplaces of the truly awful behavior which has been exposed. I shed no tears for the Weinsteins, Roses and Louis CKs of the world. I also acknowledge that great injustice and injury can occur to women by far less gross behaviors.
But until and unless we decide to treat offenses with proportionality and some process that looks like fairness - meaning setting rules and understandings that work in the real world - this moment will fizzle out. Matt Damon tried to talk about proportionality and was run over. Others, including signers of a recent open letter in Le Monde, have been savaged for stating that things are more complicated than #MeToo's heads-must-roll approach allows, given that humans are sexual creatures and all elimination of sexuality from the workplace is neither possible or preferable.
These are not apologies for bad behavior. They are realistic starting points for sustainable change. Without that, #MeToo will become that thing that happened in Big Media back in 2017/2018. That would be a terrible shame.
3
So much to unpack here. Hollywood, as represented by these two interviewed here, is now seeking specificity.
Meaning Hollywood yet needs all of this explained to Hollywood in ways that make sense to Hollywood. Special explanations if not special rules.
Overlay that with what Hollywood wants you to see that it is doing. Maybe more female directors and women in higher positions. More diversity.
Yet Hollywood couldn’t even keep the latest accused male luminary off its own Golden Globe stage Sunday night in what was a theater of self-righteousness disguised as best intentions.
Here is some specificity. A demand, from the powerful women in Hollywood, that law enforcement will pursue workplace (the amorphous Hollywood workplace) improprieties with vigor and with no favor given to the most powerful individuals in the regions most powerful industry.
Zero tolerance for the infrastructure, legal and public relations, that pushes back with vindictiveness against accusers while representing the accused. It is a machine and its power and the fear it creates muzzles Hollywood women and everyone else in the industry.
Post these Golden Globes, just listen to the careful rosy pablum coming from these two in this interview if you think anyone is really ready to talk turkey in Hollywood.
3
"if I knew then what I know now"
Greta, the stories about Woody Allen are not new - they were widely and publicly reported 20 years ago.
5
This is not peculiar to the entertainment industry. This is a basic human problem of powerful person over a weaker subservient person. It makes no difference whether you are a young starlet or young programmer starting out, it comes down to one thing: play to gain. It is a sad commentary on the human condition. However, it can and must be overcome. It is going to take laws that protect the weak but it also is going to have to bring about a serious cultural change.
I hate to say this but our culture seems imbued with the idea that women are subservient to men--perhaps it is our Judeo-Christian religious concepts. We must begin to change this idea. Women are not there for the taking--sadly, many men seem to have this idea. But this must change.
It’s interesting that the only form of sexual consent that approaches meeting today’s conditions and concerns is marriage. There may be a movie in that.
1
Yes, wonderful. Hollywood must change, but people can remain the same.
1
The first question -- Are we witnessing a true turning point for women in Hollywood, in terms of the way they’re treated and portrayed and the opportunities they get, or is that too hopeful? -- was answered by the male winners of the Globes who might have worn the "Time's up" pins but did not implore decision-makers to change their preferences. Women can push the doors open; they'd open a lot faster if men helped them.
1
A male Hollywood celebrity speaking up at the ceremony would have been taking a very "high risk, low reward" action. The chances of any well-intended man saying anything on that stage that didn't blow up in his face in some manner, either being called out for being overly chivalrous, not self-abasing enough or "mansplaining," were enormous.
The reality is that if and when this moment really settles into a movement, which defines practical steps, reasonable understandings and fair processes to adhere to, women will be pleasantly be surprised to see how many decent men there are who want to be part of the solution. But this is not yet a movement. It is a howl of righteous rage, a mob, and currently men themselves - not just individual bad men - are in its cross hairs. It's no surprise so few Hollywood actors wanted to stick their heads out this past Sunday.
1
For change to be credible and enduring on any issue then there must be sustained effort even when the spotlight turns to other pressing issues. Here and abroad folks have an attention span of a methhead. Yes, its great that everyone is finally 'woke' on the issue of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace. We only paid attention because these women were white, famous, and relatively wealthy compared to their blue collar peers. We intend ignore hot button issues like these if they come from minorities and non famous people especially women. So lets keep up the fight and hopefully we begin to change the culture where women are treated as sex objects by powerful men.
3
For those oging to the mattresses for Woody Allen, read these 10 Undeniable Facts about the case here https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/02/woody-allen-sex-abuse-10-facts
Several witnesses supported Dylan's account. Fact #5 is an eye opener: In his 33-page decision, Judge Wilk found that Mr. Allen’s behavior toward Dylan was “grossly inappropriate and that measures must be taken to protect her.” The judge also recounts Farrow’s misgivings regarding Allen’s behavior toward Dylan from the time she was between two and three years old.
Dylan has never changed her story. I like "Manhattan" too, but my eyes are open to reality.
7
Dylan actually changed her story several times during the initial investigations (one of the reasons why the investigators doubted the accusation). She then stayed quiet for two decades until re-emerging with her detailed account in 2014 (which I suspect was written by someone else). To claim she has "never changed her story" is wrong and is an example of the blatant misinformation the Farrows rely on as they conduct their campaign.
3
Dylan has indeed changed her story, for instance she initially claimed that Woody touched her on her...shoulder.
Here are some enlightening links from a different perspective.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-woody-allen-allegations-not-so-fast
https://ronanfarrowletter.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/hard-questions-for-ro...
https://ronanfarrowletter.wordpress.com/2017/12/13/qa-with-dylan-farrow/
https://ronanfarrowletter.wordpress.com/2018/01/04/moses-farrow-speaks-out/
4
As a society, the stories we tell define our perspectives on ourselves, on others, and on what is possible. Whether those stories are told orally, in books, on TV, or in movies, they are pointers to core truths about being human--raising questions that challenge us or painting pictures that inspire us.
I was 10 years old when I read Little Women, and it was the first story I had encountered that was centered on women's lives. It was another 25 years before I learned that Louisa May Alcott was a very prolific author who wrote many other novels. I wondered than how my life might have been different if I'd known that at 10, if I had a broader vision of what was possible for me.
For those who are marginalized in our society, the importance of seeing people who "look like you" represented in story, authoring books, writing films and directing them cannot be overstated. As Greta expressed in this piece and Oprah expressed in her acceptance speech at the Golden Globe, those moments vibrate with potential.
Because what is killing us as a human species is not sexism, racism, or any of the other dysfunctional "ism" family. Of course, those things are profoundly important and deeply destructive. But, what is really killing us is hopelessness. Hopeless people can't find step one toward manifesting their human potential. Hopeless people find others to blame. Hopeless people are too easily swayed by hate.
We need more stories, and storytellers, that give us hope.
1
Bruni asked great questions. I noticed both evaded his courageous one about Hollywood's complicity and absence of remorse. Both dodged the question by pleading ignorance and Gerwig, by segueing to the actresses' cynical device, using real victims as stage props, (thereby cynically reusing them as stage props).
Fool's gold.
The Black Dress was less about Hollywood victims avenging the Hollywood Weinsteins than craven arrivistes obscuring their Faustian bargain. The illusion of virtue, practiced so fastidiously by the theatre wing of the American Left, is key to understanding the funereal costume that cloaked the self-righteous coconspirators Sunday night.
Meryl's Hollywood agitprop, with its false premises, phony pieties & outright lies—self-serving fantasy wrapped in sober documentary—is a verisimilitudinous contrivance that is destructive, especially now, especially there, especially if we understand Tinseltown's real motivation.
Truth and courage as Streepian illusion: They speak words of victims they never were, words they failed to say when it really counted and when it would have actually cost them. Ex post facto courage is a preferred tactic of the abject coward.
Weinstein was the Hollywood elite's Riefenstahl moment. The Golden Globes was an opportunity for them to come clean. Instead, they cloaked their cowardice and complicity in The Black Dress.
8
"I think an Asian actor should be able to play the Prince of Denmark" okay how about Asians being able to play Asian for a start lol
7
And today's news--n the Washington Post, is that Michelle Williams was paid only a tiny fraction of what Mark Wahlberg received for re-shooting All the Money in The World--"Change" will clearly take a while!
1
This is from Forbes: "Williams and Scott both gave interviews in the run-up to the release exclaiming that they and the above-the-line actors (with the exception of Chris Plummer) essentially worked for free in order to salvage the prestige picture."
I'm not denying the point that women get paid less for the same work as men. But you, and many, many others, aren't arguing your case based on the actual situation. Wahlberg saw a chance to almost literally blackmail the studio/filmmakers (maybe "whitemale" is a better term?) and made the most of it.
There's an additional snarkiness to this: Mark Wahlberg getting paid as an actor?
2
Is it even in realm of possibility that it's because Wahlberg is just a much, much bigger star and box office draw than Michelle Williams, a person who I've only recently heard of? Nobody in Hollywood is sitting around trying to find ways to low ball women because they are women. When Michelle Williams becomes as much of a draw as Wahlberg, I'm sure we'll see payments commensurate with that achievement.
1
For those of us un-famous, un-rich, invisible who've endured decades of laughing off drunken bosses slippin' the tongue during office parties; having colleagues show up at your hotel room and demanding sex to seal that deal you were negotiating earlier in the day; being passed over for promotion in favor of the boss's neighbor's nephew; and having your work passed off as his, the nauseating display of self-congratulation by these over privileged cry babies is the reason why Donald Trump is president.
2
It's difficult to escape the thought that the New York Times has it in for Woody Allen. Has anybody ever reflected on the fact that Allen was basically digitally lynched by a scorned woman who used her own child to tear down her boyfriend? The way in which testimony was drawn out of the child was Mia Farrow and Dylan alone in a room with a tape recorder, with Farrow asking her daughter leading questions and stopping the tape whenever it was expedient for the purpose of this sinister exercise. This went on over a period of DAYS. Nobody would admit something like that in their courtroom.
And every time success rears its head in Allen's career (as it did with an Oscar win for Cate Blanchett for Blue Valentine, and his achievement award at the Golden Globes a few years back), there comes Mia Farrow with snarky tweets, persuading her daughter to spill it all out in a public letter, dutifully printed in these pages, (I assume with help of Mia's buddy, Nicholas Kristof) instead of letting her heal from the trauma SHE herself inflicted on her daughter many years ago.
Enough already. Anybody who has followed Mia Farrow's life and career knows she is no angel, and certainly not someone who is joined at the hip with the concept of TRUTH as we know it.
Any hater who decided to pile on and condemn Allen, often without knowing even what it was all about, should examine their heart and ask themselves why they feel this way. I guarantee you it's not about Dylan at all.
12
@ Margaret. Wow thanks for the truth from all your inside investigation
of the " It is not about Dylan case" I hope you did not have to fund your
endless digging and interviewing yourself. Great police work! I cannot
imagine why Dylan and Mia and Ronan have not been sued. I see a great
big book in your future, you owe it to yourself to reap some reward for you
selfless search for the truth! And since you must have somehow been
there on the day when the made up sexual assault did not happen and
there in the office of the DA who did have enough evidence to prosecute
but decided as did Mia not to put Dylan though any more trauma, oh I mean
you were in the office when that did not happen. Well since you
have loads of first hand evidence I think it is only fair to hand it over to Woody and as he calls his wife "My child Bride" so they can publish your book. Sounds like you have an ax to grind about something much closer to you own home. Me thinks you protest too much. Oh I forgot about evil
Mia, Who does she remind YOU of? Thanks NYT for standing up for Dylan
and come on, look at his films.
2
Greta Gerwig's position on Woody Allen is so typical of today's liberal thinking - strictly black & white and misguidedly absolute. No room for doubt - this attitude will continue to further fracture America and saddens me greatly. Perhaps I should never see another piece of Greta Gerwig's fine work - I wonder how she would feel about that?
6
So Oprah in her tent show trotted out her 12 apostles, so did Christ. We have had priests, ministers, imams, gurus, prophets, rabbis and witch doctors in every corner of the world since man existed. We humans have an intense desire to find relevance and meaning in our lives so many gravitate to some form of religion or spiritualism. it is not enough to have lived, taken each day as it comes including the day on which we die. Your attempts to diminish and belittle what Oprah is offering is a reflection upon you and your own religion which does not have any more validity other than being what you call traditional.
Oprah is a business just as most if not all organized religions. From what I can see she is far less harmful than Christians who are not about Jesus as you claim as evidenced by trump and Moore or Muslims who are about oppression. That said I'd be surprised if she ran for president.
1
Purifying the "entertainment" business is about as likely as purifying politics or prostitution.
Furthermore, most prostitutes are more innocent in motivation than any ambitious entertainer or politician.
3
A specific suggestion: More screenplays about women who have good sex and men who like having it with them. Good sex for women is key. When that joy is apparent but not necessarily explicit, as it is in West Wing for CJ Cregg, a healthy balance between male and female characters is nearly inevitable. Writers, you can use the medium to improve the message.
After reading this weird transcription of deferential yet self-righteous lib-speak, I can see why conservatives hate the left. I'm not sure how Bruni was able to capture the conversation through the cacophony of Sorkin and Gerwig tripping over themselves in an attempt to parse out the most perfect praise for the other's perfections. They almost make Donald Trump seem humble.
And when are these fanatics going to leave Woody Allen alone? He's 82 years old, has been working in/with Hollywood for over 60 years, and has exactly one unproven and extremely suspect accusation against him. If he's going to be convicted guilty in the court of public opinion, shouldn't we have a little more evidence that he's such a horrible person? It's really big of Gerwig to say that she will never work with him again (as if those ugly rumors weren't circulating when she chose to back in 2012), but I'm guessing Woody's not in a rush to hire her back.
Seriously, why are people so concerned with celebrities giving each other awards? All these ridiculous shows need to be cancelled, asap.
11
Eric: I am of the Left. I agree with all your points re the Bruni/Gerwig/Sorkin love-fest. That said, I don't hate conservatives.
1
Woody Allen divorced his wife and married his adopted daughter. He is a sick man.
6
I, for one, am sick to death of the Farrow family's continuous and malicious commentary about Mr. Allen. Now Greta feels the need to hop on the band wagon - please, enough already. Mr. Allen was eviscerated and found not guilty of anything. Always when he has a new picture Mia and her tribe come out to the press and dredge up the unproven history. I treasure the films of Mr. Allen and I always will - he is a great artist, and Ms. Farrow is a bad actress.
8
"Not all men are the same, not all women are the same"....so simple, so true, and so understated in these sad days of identity politics...
1
I find these love-ins of celebrities to be dull and patronizing. These people are very good at talking about themselves.
7
When making movies we should be having a representative cast of all Americans regardless of the actors' talent. It's more important to be vanilla - oops, Tutti-Fruiti - oops I mean "all encompassing" in our casting. If they can't act, well at least they're black or red or green or purple or women or transgender or "other minority" and it's much more important to show the world that America has invested in complete diversity than old-fashioned, out-of-date Twentieth Century quality. In addition, it has been clearly unfair to the untalented who are not represented enough in Hollywood these days, though you might not realize it.
2
Listen. With the exception of Lady Bird, there was hardly any content for women this year at the movies.
.....which explains why the local cinema closed down.
If you can't draw women into the theater, you half your audience.
One need only look at box office receipts to understand that women are an underserved market. Best they come up with products more imaginative than dated rom-coms or stupid shoot-em-up franchises.
The numbers speak for themselves.
1
Always remember that as with all voting, people can lose elections, or, regarding Hollywood, slots in awards categories by one or two votes. Voting for the Golden Globes or the Oscars isn't germane to anything in the real world. It's a contest which, like in high school, has little to do with the quality of the work, but everything to do with popularity.
As for Ms. Gerwig's laughable comment about not working with Woody Allen, why let facts get in the way of what the truth is? And it sure isn't how she sees it.
7
So Ms. Gerwig was unaware of the Woody Allen controversy when agreeing to appear in a film released in 2012 and has now how time to “gather” her “thoughts” in the matter and won’t work with him again? Poppycock! She was an up-and-comer who saw an opportunity to get into the movies with a great director and took it. Now, with a semi established career, she throws him under the bus based on dubious allegations created by an angry and perhaps unstable former romantic partner?!
Disgusting.
I’m renting a Woody movie tonight. So should everyone else.
10
Interviews like that should be edited to remove all the verbal air kisses, and gerwig disappoints with her hearsay ripping of woody--what did he ever do to her anyway?
5
I yearn for the day when men and women are treated equally in the business world on the basis of their competence and ideas, rather than gender.
1
The struggle to overcome gender biases seems to cause people to equate sexual predators with gender bias, which is going to disappoint. People who tend to be biased according to gender can like and respect women and girls. Some of those who have been denounced and have lost prominent positions have acted to promote more equitable treatment for women. Some times people treat ideals about big issues unlike how they treat people individually, and act decently in person while advocating ideals which are not so fair.
2
The Woody Allen issue is so interesting and important because it encompasses the fundmental conflict in our values as we address accusations of sexual misconduct. First, we say "start by believing," which is a reasonable and appropriate response to the long history of discounting and disregarding women's effort to get justice following abuse. But that leaves open what we do with our belief that accusations are never enough for condemnation, even outside a court of law. In Woody's case, we have some old court cases with conflicting outcomes but no finding of abuse, along with accusations and denials. I don't know the right answer, but I am troubled by those who presume guilt and mete out punishment based on accusations alone.
7
This is a commendable dialogue between exquisitely articulate and sensitive people.
But all this discussion about the entertainment business must be translated and passed down to all industries.
Talk about actresses making equal pay falls on deaf ears when you’re talking about women working minimum wage jobs.
Their silent plight must be brought to the forefront. A woman struggling to make ends meet and facing sexual harassment tends not to have a voice. To fight back may mean the loss of her job. Or worse.
So, yes, Hollywood activism is the start. But sequined sleeves have to be rolled up for the long fight ahead. Beyond the red carpet and onto the factory floor.
12
With all due respect to Ms. Gerwig and all of the women who have come forward of late, before accepting Dylan Farrow's accusations and allegations without question and trying, convicting and condemning Mr. Allen without benefit of due process and the right to face his accuser, she -- and anyone else who may be so quick to act -- should take the time to read Robert Weide's piece in The Daily Beast, where he, point-by-point, debunks Ms. Farrow's allegations in a well-reasoned, well written article that has been held up to scrutiny on several occasions over the years. Like many, I too rushed to judgement; however, after reading, researching and conducting follow-up investigation into Weide's piece, I feel I finally know, as Paul Harvey so often said: "the rest of the story."
9
While allegations against Woody Allen have never been proven, his statements and films regarding women and actors that have abused are public record. I can understand Ms. Gerwig and others not wanting to work with him on that alone.
3
Media, entertainment and politics are unique environments where an individual is essentially the “product”. So long as there are enough people willing to buy whatever one of these individuals is selling, they will still be able to maintain some semblance of a career (and the public exposure that goes with it). The idea that “Hollywood” can collectively keep out the bad and the ugly is no more realistic than any group of voters collective ability to fully suppress repulsive politicians. Hollywood can only attempt limit the success and exposure of those exhibiting bad behavior, never truly eliminating it.
1
I am a white male in my sixties. Neither of my parents graduated from high school, in a working class town some say is 'lacking in social capital,' and used to be called simply 'the wrong side of the tracks.'
Perhaps that's why I have always sided with the people on the other side of the patriarchy in matters of power dynamics -- women, POC, gender identification, whatever, and have often acted accordingly. Not for one day do I forget I am employed and even alive in some measure because I am a white male.
Right now we are at a fraught moment where, as seen here, we are leaning toward quota systems. If the enlightened people in this industry draw the battle lines along gender, the white males inevitably pushed aside will not be the incumbents in a safe cocoon of social, class, and even financial security. It will be the natural allies like me.
2
I would congratulate you if you hadn't done such an unsurpassed job of congratulating yourself.
1
Greta Gerwig demonstrates the articulate, thoughtfulness that is Exhibit A for what women have to contribute to the arts, culture and society as a whole. And, of course, her work speaks for itself as well.
1
The 50:50 ratio goal needs to be clarified. The idea is to eliminate bias so that opportunities are not determined by gender. But only very big numbers over a long time can be expected to produce a clear 50:50 ratio. Random distributions are not uniform, so if one seeks a uniform sort of appearance one must use quotas to make the numbers always appear 50:50.
As for the ability of writers and directors and actors to represent the experience of others whose experience has been different than themselves, it really depends upon what it is to be portrayed. The imagination is one of mankind’s most evolved abilities and it really has a great deal of power but our understanding of reality is a big constraint upon what we do imagine. When we do not understand we tend to make up. While others can pick up on the pretense and go along, it can be fun and entertaining even though all know it’s unreal but it is not portraying real experiences of people.
2
Indeed, Hollywood better change; with these treacherous times where abuse of power went on for far too long, a paradigm is necessary; and thugs 'a la Trump' have no business in TV, even the so called reality TV...while Trumpian stupidity is on display in real life, demanding credulity to accept the free mix of facts with fiction, according to one's devious needs and wants. To all those in the TV and movie business, as much as we 'need' you to entertain us, real life remains our aim.
I'm surprised to read the comments of so many Woody Allen apologists here.
My daughter, when she was still quite young, watched an Allen movie and found him "creepy." Men who marry their wives' adopted daughters are indeed creepy. How the educated and informed readers of the NY Times can defend that behavior is beyond me.
Like rape, his behavior is not about "love," but power.
19
Interestingly, Allen is PRECISELY like the John Huston character in "Chinatown" -- the immensely wealthy powerbroker who has molested his own beautiful daughter (Faye Dunaway) and had a child with her. When he confesses this to Jack Nicholson....he says that "You see, Mr. Gittes, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and the right place, they're capable of ANYTHING."
2
well, your daughter found him creepy...that's quite an indictment!...Mia Farrow married Frank who was several decades older than she was (she was 21...not sure how old she was when they started "dating")...Mr Allen's long time wife is not related to him in any way (other than wife)...
5
No mention of James Franco? Their silence is deafening
1
Innocent of all complaints.
That's because the accusatory Tweet has been removed because it lacked validity. Franco has done nothing wrong except perhaps to work off-Broadway with an actress who has no current career (Ally Sheedy) and whines about it, as well as a young man dating a young woman who has now decided to complain about what kind of sex they had. Spare me from this pathetic Witch Hunt.
4
This is an interesting conversation. If looking for action steps, we can start with this interview. Bruni asks Sorkin about sexism in Hollywood, the Trump White House, Facebook's role in the election. Meanwhile, he asks Gerwig about sexism in Hollywood. If we continue treating and portraying men as more knowledgeable than women, we will continue to see all-male nominees and everything else because we have subconsciously awarded them a certain authority that we don't inherently give to women. This can be fixed by preparing questions in advance and ensuring female interviewees are given equal opportunity to talk and similar ranges of knowledge to share. We can only correct for the biases we've been given by society if we own them and consciously correct for them.
31
Bruni asked Sorkin about Facebook because Sorkin made a movie about Facebook -- "The Social Network." He asked him about the White House because Sorkin created two series -- “The West Wing” and “The American President” -- set in the White House. He asked Gerwig about being a relatively young director in Hollywood. These questions were relevant to their work, as were all the other questions, most of which were directed to both of them. This interview was about the experience of working in Hollywood.
2
Hoping Greta will condemn every actress who covered up their exploitation because by being silent, they were co conspirators in the sexual exploitation of every actor, female or male, who followed them.
While I’m at it, as the second and third row demand appreciation for their “courage,” while saying “show me the money,”
Can I ask for a Unicorn?
2
It's not too late to dig up all the dead male offenders regardless of their artistic reputations and subject them to the opprobrium they deserve. We should certainly burn ALL their books, films, paintings, scrolls, etc and erase their memories from our collective conscience. We should forget that our mores today are different from what they were even 30 years ago and make believe there was no such thing as "sex, drugs and rock&roll" and pursue our moral vengeance with the fury of a Savonarola because this will purify us. Who of integrity will not insist that the Kennedy Arts Center should be renamed, if not reduced to rubble, because he was a known philanderer and used his power to coerce women to act as sex objects? DW Griffith - burn those old films, he supported the KKK. And let's get rid of those Caravaggio's - he was a murderer - oh, but wait, that's not so bad compared to the heinous acts of Woody Allen or Al Franken. Bring your shovels and torches. We are on a crusade, a Cultural Revolution. All we need is a Little Red Book.
12
thank you...well said...
2
The Woody Allen question is not whether or not it can be "proved" that he sexually abused Dylan Farrow. We can't "prove" the theory of evolution either. The question, I believe, is whether we want to continue watching the films of a creepy, dirty old man. Yes, some of them were great films, or pretty good anyway. As for me, I now see his films as artifacts. I can no longer watch a Woody Allen film without thinking of him with Dylan or thinking of him kissing Mariel Hemingway or his marriage to Soon yi. There comes a time when an artist's personal behavior is so loathsome on a number of levels that the audience can't focus on the art, and that time has come for me.
13
Hey Anne, if you run out of ways to wallow in your loathsomeness of Mr. Allen's romantic life, consider this...
On July 19, 1966, (Mia) Farrow married singer Frank Sinatra at the Las Vegas home of Jack Entratter. Farrow was 21 years old at the time while Sinatra was 50.
You're welcome.
19
This reminds me of the day care scandals of the 1980s; ignore the facts, believe the children, no matter the consequences.
5
John L: yes that was creepy too and maybe because of it, Mia Farrow is especially aware of how older men can predate on younger women.
That being said: Mia Farrow was not Frank Sinatra's stepdaughter and she was 21 and of age to hook up with whoever she wanted. Soon Yi Previn was only 17 or 18 when Allen started taking nude photos of her -- she was his stepdaughter!!! he was sleeping with her MOTHER -- she was the sister of his own children -- and a minor -- so that is really entirely different.
4
Greta, "Lady actors"? Really? Do some reading, friend. Do you call men gentleman actors? Please reconsider your approach to speaking about women. Thanks!
6
A meaningless, superficial mutual admiration chat.
Vulnerable people - primarily women, but including men and children as well - have been preyed upon by the powerful, in Hollywood and outside of it. They have been threatened with career and financial ruin (and many have suffered it), have been forced into sexual service and a cabal of silence and protection of the predator has crushed those who have tried to expose them.
Gerwig, Sorkin and Bruni happily fawn upon one another but the industry they work in is massively compromised. Youth and beauty are Hollywood pay dirt, and women more than men are career poison once they hit 30. This cult of sex appeal is transferred to audiences and taints the societal value of maturing and any other sort of beauty than the single track Hollywood mines.
If Hollywood is to change, more than just hiring females is required. Stop making movies where the only female relevance is sex. Incorporate women who do not fit the industry's rigid mold of "beauty" and celebrate the varied looks, ages, ethnicities and roles of women.
And in all industries, confront men who prey on the vulnerable. Whether making crude remarks to a waitress, demeaning women in the frat-boy culture of Silicon Valley or predicating employment or advancement on sexual favors, this behavior is suspected or known by the people around the abusers. Silence is complicity.
12
Yes indeed, and something I've noticed my whole life is; the "sexist styling" of women's film roles, clothing/appearance, books, magazines covers/articles is done by...WOMEN!! And then men are to blame?
1
No chance #MeToo will go the way of Occupy Wall Street, which was targeted and systematically destroyed by the FBI because they targeted the money lenders and banking power center. #MeToo is targeting men in general and is not camped out in parks around the country. They represent no political or economic threat. They are way too spread out to target.
2
When discussing cultural appropriation, one might think about history itself. From the time some humans began moving out of Africa and migrating all over the world there have been no sharp borders between yours and mine. We have learned from each other, borrowed. and stolen from each other ever since. There is no pure African or European or Jew or Muslim. Just think of Jesus taking off on Judaism or Muhammad taking off on both. And remember anthropologists and other doing ethnography have to avoid getting lost in their subjects in order to understand what is going on. It is complicated to say the least, and appropriation is what culture is all about.
5
Fascinating exercise, Frank Bruni. You conduct a middle-brow PR interview and the comments turn into an occasion to attack one of the participants. The fact that the participant under attack is a woman and the entire conversation among the commenters devolves into a discussion of how wrong she is, how un-talented, and how minor, pretty much proves the point. We live in a culture of knee-jerk, thoughtless misogyny and here it is, on full display.
6
On the question of "cultural appropriation" -- can a white author write black characters? can men create authentic female characters? can women create authentic male characters? -- Sterling K. Brown spoke to this in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. He won Best Actor in a TV Drama for his role in "This is Us." Here's part of what he said:
"Dan Fogelman, you wrote a role for a black man. That could only be played by a black man. And so what I appreciate so much about this thing is that I am being seen for who I am and being appreciated for who I am. And that makes it much more difficult to dismiss me, or dismiss anybody who looks like me. So thank you, Dan."
Dan Fogelman is white.
26
It's naive of Greta Gerwig to say that had she known she would not have worked with Woody Allen in 2012. In 2012 she was beginning a career and a part in a Woody Allen film was a career booster- and to turn it down could have been career suicide. She would have had difficulty getting good representation, thus difficulty getting good parts or future opportunities. And that is exactly the point. Many women in entertainment and many other industries have worked for individuals whose behavior was inappropriate or who did not say anything when faced with inappropriate behavior.Situations where assault- which is criminal-forms the highest rung of inappropriate behavior. However many women, and in the case of Kevin Spacey, men, endured working for someone whose prior behavior was rumored to be suspect, for working in an environment where leering, ogling and propositioning existed- because they needed the job and the career step it represented. That is the definition of abuse of power. and the reason individuals get away with it. Had Ms Gerwig turned down the Woody Allen part it is not sure she would be where she is today.
7
I wish the film industry would understand how many of us have fallen out of the habit of going to the movies because we feel our time is wasted watching yet another car chase or fist fight or laser battle. Greta Gerwig and Aaron Sorkin have made the kind of movies I will go out to see.
2
It was indeed notable, as Mr. Bruni points out, that the Golden Globes turned into an opportunity for award presenters and recipients to pat themselves on the back for daring to stand up and demand change when, in fact, they actually did just the opposite. Virtually all of the Hollywood elite knew something, even it was merely rumors, and the vast majority chose to say and do nothing.
Let's not demean women by pretending they were powerless to bring this issue to the attention of our nation. Yes, it would have taken quite a lot of "real courage" for women (and men) to buck the system and do the right thing but they didn't, and Rose McGowen was pretty much left on her own until it was safe for others to be bold. Let's not pretend all those people (mostly women) spouting off at the Golden Globes podium were part of the solution when they were clearly part of the problem.
Further, I disagree strenuously with Ms. Gerwig that writers should wait for someone of the appropriate color, gender, race, or religion to write something about human experience. What a load of hooey! There are myriad examples of spectacular plays and films written by someone of a different race or religion, and creative people should NEVER squash a creative impulse when they feel inspired. Sometimes, in fact, there is value when a writer with an objective view of a culturally significant event or dynamic takes on a story.
Hollywood is already PC enough without dumbing down or segregating creative people!
18
If people didn't go to the movies, Hollywood would dry up and disappear, and we'd all be better off.
Read a book instead. There are plenty of fine books at your local public library, all free to borrow.
4
I cringe when I read about "the future of filmmaking being much closer to a 50-50 split between male and female creators." That's a terrible measuring stick, and one that is likely to lead to disappointment. Let's imagine a Hollywood which has successfully eradicated every trace of inappropriate male behavior. And suppose once that point has been reached, there is some future year in which 4 out of 5 Golden Globe nominations happen to be for movies made by men, or by women. Well, sometimes it's going to just be like that, even without systemic male (or female) advantage.
Maybe that's a small quibble. But for me, it signals the big risk, that in our fervor to address a truly vile culture, we focus on the wrong expectations. Fix the culture... let the awards fall where they may.
13
One way to fix the culture is to fix the arts that reflect it. We have lost "protest" songs in pop music, pretty much, and those songs were a big reason the Vietnam war was protested and finally came to an end.
Most TV and film, even that shown at prime time on the big networks, is full of violence towards women. There are multiple shows about serial rapists that depict graphic violence towards women (mostly) and no one says a word. It normalizes what we see. Think of the "cop shows" -- NCIS and its children, Law and Order SVU, Criminal Minds, and the true crime things. Surely, this helps rather than hinders people become inured to thinking that this violence portrayed as entertainment is no different than anything else, but it is. If you protest, you are "for censorship" and "against artistic freedom" but maybe, people making the films would ask, "Do I really have to show a man about to hang a beautiful young woman who is crying and begging for her life" to see a TV show?
You can stand up for standards in Hollywood that might just go the other way. You can say "no" to shows that depict 25 shooting deaths per episode as if it was a picnic. NCIS LA typically kills at least 5 people an episode and then they go back to the office and have tea and do funny small talk. Really?
Young people don't remember when violence was not so obvious in the arts. Too bad. Art reflects life and it can change the reflection. It matters.
Spacey, Allen, Polanski, Cosby etc... even Picasso for god's sake it's very difficult. As Sorkin said "disappearing" people is very "Stalinesque." Well he didn't say that but you know what I mean.
Art and life, how to reconcile?
Side note: I was astounded at how good the script of Molly's Game is. Phenomenal. As is the execution.
I haven't seen Lady Bird yet, but look forward to it.
1
Like Mr. Sorkin, I believe in and hope for redemption in people, with due consideration for the nature of their transgressions. While Al Franken and Harvey Weinstein's actions are both reprehensible, the silliness of treating them as fundamentally and uniformly "the same" espoused by many of the #MeToo movement obstructs redemption of lesser offenders. I'm pulling for Al Franken. Harvey Weinstein? Not so much.
Perhaps more importantly, treating all #MeToo incidents as the same prevents healthy and open dialogue. Once the cathartic rush of revealing long (and wrongly) buried transgressions is gone, this society has the more serious work to do of cultivating change in all walks of life. That's not likely to happen if we give equal heed to all male-entitlement misdeeds, equating an unwanted glance with a physical sexual assault.
2
The sexism in Hollywood's garbage productions has long been evident. After these #metoo allegations, they're even more glaring. And I for one have zero patience for the freaky fantasies of these Hollywood predators any more.
1
What a mutual admiration society! What has happened to Hollywood? -- are all the males as Uriah Heepish as Sorkin in this interview?
This sort of political correctness will be the death of creativity. Indeed, it seems to have seeped into Sorkin's Molly's Game. In her review of the movie for the Times, Manohla Dargis noted the pitfalls of pandering to the zeitgeist: "Mr. Sorkin keeps trying to invest Molly’s story with meaning, mostly through a little family psychodrama and some deeply unpersuasive feminism, including by casting her as a victim of men. It’s hard not to guffaw when, after Molly loses one game, she speaks of her 'powerlessness over the unfair whims of men.' But while it’s silly it’s also patronizing, because by attempting to portray Molly as any kind of female victim — and by glossing over her culpability — Mr. Sorkin only ends up denying this character her agency...."
I would say to Mr. Sorkin, "be your own man," but I fear the world "man" may have been banned in Hollywood.
4
I have lost all respect for and interest in Greta Gerwig because of her ignorant and ill-informed comments about Woody Allen. Her opinion is not rooted in facts or in reality. Allen has zero connection to the current sexual harassment environment that Mr. Bruni discusses. To even bring up Mr. Allen is ridiculous. He is a great filmmaker. His broken relationship with Mia Farrow is the cause of all negative elements in whivh he finds himself involved. I am tired of the Relationship Police dragging reputations through the mud because of a failure to know the truth. How and why couples split up is nobody's business but their own.
14
When you continue to lump all of these alleged transgressors together you continue to engage in mob behavior. It is terribly disappointing to see journalism stoop so low. Each incident requires a separate discussion as well as due process. Mr. Allen in particular has been repeatedly cleared of any wrongdoing. Sexual violence and assault continues to be banded together with unwanted advances, stupidity and boorishness. This is grossly unfair to victims of serious crimes. Furthermore, in a recent Op Ed Mr. Bruni declared that there is no evidence of any such thing as a sexual addiction, in order to make the case that all of these men are just plain old bad people. Please do your homework Mr. Bruni before hopping on this bandwagon.
4
Aaron Sorkin wants instructions? Are you serious? Open your eyes and ears, advocate for talented people, stand up for good stories that feature the portrayal of realistic looking and acting people that inhabit our society, and speak up, loudly, against intolerance, racism, sexism, and power moves, talk with & listen to others in your industry and in your daily life that are not just wealthy white males like you. What you, Aaron Sorkin, can do differently today, is get your head out of the sand and be observant, introspective, and proactive. If this is beyond you, start a mens group and talk honestly with each other. Please. This bland and helpless response from one's of Hollywood's most admired screenwriters (and director, producer, and playwright) is crazy making.
7
Give Aaron a break.
He's still a growing boy... not yet a man.
Hollywood has that effect, it seems.
One would think that if you grew up on Woody Allen movies, you might have had some inkling that he was a serious creep. Did she ever see "Manhattan"?
8
The age of consent in New York state is 17. That's why the fictional movie isn't called Topeka. Furthermore, many states have ages of consent set at 16.
1
"But also don't want to tell a story that would be better told by another author."
I know Ms. Gerwig wasn't offering advice but this is a terrible and constipated position for any writer to take and young writers should not heed her words. You can't not write something because you think someone else may do it better. Maybe someone won't! Write what is in you and what comes out of you and if someone later does it better so be it. Self-censorship has no place in the creative arts.
10
All of you people attacking Ms. Gerwig is disheartening. Why can't you all just take a deep breath and relax and maybe just maybe respect what she has t say. Isn't that the very epitome of the definition of liberalism? Respecting others opinions and all that? Or don't you know what being a liberal is all about.
Such hypocrisy from you all and the sad part is you don't even see it in yourselves. Sadder still..........you never will.
4
In the mid-1980's, I served a three year tour of duty in the Army in the Republic of Korea. Drinking was a major recreational activity and most drinking was done in an off-installation area known as a "ville" and in establishments that were more brothel than bar. I drank and partied with my buddies and watched the bar girls drape themselves over the men and watched the Mamasan keep a firm eye on the girls and what they were doing. Males and bar girls would disappear for a few minutes from time to time for what I later learned was a "short time." Most men kept a paid mistress "downtown." Only years later did I come to understand even the concept of human trafficking and the sex trade. Had I thought about it at the time, I probably would have figured it would be better earning a living on my back as opposed to the rice paddies, but the point is I didn't really know or even think about what was happening right in front of my own eyes. Well, men, it's time for you to open your eyes about women in the work place as I eventually opened mine about human trafficking. It is right there in front of you. You men can stand up when inappropriate remarks are made; you men can say we need to hear from Liz and Mary and Margaret and Sally at this meeting they have something to say; you men need to tell other men that Time's Up. You men can teach your daughters to be proud of themselves, their brains, their athletic ability. You can do it, Just do it.
5
They put on a great show Sunday night, but why do we think that the same people that ignored, aided and abetted bad behavior, will help victims who have no prime time podium? This is a pretty self-interested population. Please start reporting on less affluent, less attractive and less privileged people who suffer similar abuse.
10
So, Greta Gerwig won't work with Woody Allen? Fine, I won't ever watch any movie Greta Gerwig (minor talent), is ever involved with.
20
Well, well. So there still are seats available on the bandwagon, eh? So sorry but all the swag bags have been scooped up by the really important militants; we do have some very nice complimentary MAGA hats though, in blue of course. Please keep up these inconsequential happenings, attended by nobodies and written about by diner critics.
14
I am a Woody Allen fan forever. But this is like not taking exception with Tom Brady during Deflategate. Something happened in that "family", and no one I mentioning the fact that he married his adopted daughter, even if it has been a long lasting union. Sure, there have been no official charges...but the people inside that family know a whole mot more than any fans do. You can keep watching his films or not, but actively defending him seems like another matter. Greta Gerwig is entitled to say and do what she wishes, she actually knows Woody Aleen, and she may have more information than readers do...given all that, I think she handled herself gracefully in the face of a difficult public discussion.
60
Just to set the record straight, Soon-Yi Previn was not Woody Allen's adopted daughter, and Woody Allen never lived with or married Mia Farrow. She is the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow and her prior husband, Andre Previn. And Mia Farrow's son denies all abuse charges and says they were fabricated Buy a vindictive Mia Fartow.. So, yes, there definitely is something going on in that family.
11
Soo-yi Previn is NOT Allen's daughter. Regardless of what one thinks if them and their relationship, let's not spread fake news, shall we?
6
If Greta Gerwig has "more information than readers do," then she should justify her charges by sharing it, or she should have the decency and grace and fairness to admit that we will probably never know the truth.
What are we supposed to believe -- her woman's intuition or the evidence of our eyes?
3
I find Woody Allen repulsive. I'm glad Greta Gerwig has decided that she would not work for him again
19
How do you think Woody Allen feels about you?
10
Pam I thought I was the only one who felt that way. Unappealing doesn't even come close. Everyone attacking Ms. Gerwig funny how the liberals can only see their point of view and heaven help you if you disagree with them.
Whatever her reasons for not working with him again what's the difference? It's her choice and it should be respected.
2
Queensgrl: How did you reach the position that "liberals can only see their point of view and heaven help you..." ? This liberal, and several others who have commented, feel exactly like Pam. Why did you feel it necessary to indict "liberals" with your comment?
1
I think Woody Allen is a great film director just like Roman Polanski.
I also think they are degenerate pedophiles who should have been locked up long ago. I don’t expect much of directors, sports coaches, conductors, etc.
Being talented doesn’t mean they are good people. I can enjoy movies, sports or music without idolizing those who produce them.
20
On July 19, 1966, Farrow married singer Frank Sinatra at the Las Vegas home of Jack Entratter. Farrow was 21 years old at the time while Sinatra was 50.
In 1992, Allen's relationship with actress and activist Mia Farrow crumbled under the revelation that he had had an affair with her 21-year-old adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. Previn and Allen were married in 1997.
Fascinating stuff, eh che?
8
...and appear still happily married twenty one years later...which could not have been said about Farrow and Sinatra.
8
"If I wrote a Trumpian White House, no one would believe it, but furthermore, no one would care. Donald Trump isn’t an interesting dramatic character."
This has got to be the most dishonest comment I have ever heard from a dramatist. Whatever your feelings about the current POTUS, or Aaron Sorkin's obvious political leanings, if Donald Trump isn't an interesting dramatic character, I'd like to know why and how he got to the Oval Office in the first place and why "Fire and Fury" is flying off the shelves.
Give me a break!
14
There's drama and then there's farce.
1
I’m bored with this spectacle ... entertainers voluptuously congratulating one another for wearing black dresses and black tuxedos to a big party at which their friends received awards. I’m bored with Oprah and gossip that she’s trying to find a good director to act as her campaign manager. (Will she go on a well-publicized diet again and tell me how to save myself? Ugh.) I’m bored with all the men in that Golden Globe audience who stood up and clapped for the #metoo gals, and for the cameras. We can guess, without much doubt, that a number of these men have harassed women and are waiting for the noise to die down.
Hollywood is not America, and all the actresses who wore black to the party were careful to make sure their gowns were obviously expensive and strategically cut.
Boring boring boring glitzy grandstanding in this season, when our nation is in real danger of being torn apart.
40
It's clear the entertainment industry has too much influence in the western world. While there can be positive impacts, such as #Metoo; there are major drawbacks (a reality TV star in the Whitehouse and serious discussion of a TV talk show media mogul for 2020). It's time to pay less attention to the industry of glitz and glamour and to shift back to valuing the pursuit of knowledge (history, science, and policy).
4
It is good to read here of the emphasis on equal opportunity and power for women in Hollywood, but the task may be much bigger than the activists realize.
In the arts, judging talent is a subjective enterprise. Men are going to be disproportionately the judges as long as they are the ones controlling most of the money, and this is probably the greatest challenge to equalizing gender power in our society- men are the primary gate-keepers of capital.
Pure capitalism is often touted, especially by the most successful, to be essentially meritocratic. However, the game has always been primarily a competition between men. In the case of Hollywood, that means that men make most decisions on who gets the money to make motion pictures and ultimately direct and act in them and often, how much they get paid.
Gender equality in the control of capital should be the ultimate feminist goal, even if it takes several generations to accomplish. It needs to start with a gender balanced government and can spread to the board rooms and the rest of society from there.
Sexual abuse is a bi-product of excessive male domination of our society. Cure the disease and the symptoms will disappear.
32
Agree, but not several generations. Time's Up. We're going to see hiring and elective changes in 2018. Demand parity by 2020.
1
Since you speak of the status of women, ever give a thought to why capital(ism) has not abolished patriarchal relationships? As a system, capitalism did away with many, many of the social inequities it inherited. But not the patriarchy (there are others that remain intact, such as the subjugation of a multitude of ethnic minorities across the globe).
My point does need to be spelled out, unfortunately. So, "Gender equality in the control of capital should be the ultimate feminist goal,..." means exactly what? That women deserve the right to run economies that feast of the sweat & blood of people in the Third World? That sentence has no other meaning in the real world. And think of "the real world" this way: the world that Donald Trump denies, while at the same time he rules its largest empire.
Also, I agree with those who call this triad (Bruni, Gerwig & Sorkin) a mutual admiration society. And for Sorkin to claim ignorance just defies any bit of credibility he may have had. The term "casting couch" existed before I was born, and I ain't young.
You have completely lost me.
You're saying there's a shortage of greed in Hollywood? Male producers and executives deliberately pass up a strong chance of a box office smash hit because it will be made by a woman and invest in what they expect will be flops made by men -- because they are made by men? Enough with the fairy tales. Success in the motion picture business is not decided by capitalists but by movie goers -- ultimately they are the bosses.
Take the success of the Weinstein brothers. Were they handed generous freebies by the Great White Male Conspiracy? No, look it up. In the late 1970s, using profits from a concert promotion business, they created a small independent film distribution company. Its first releases were primarily music-oriented. They gradually built up their business with arthouse films that achieved critical attention and modest commercial success. That was followed by commercial hits like the documentary The Thin Blue Line and Soderbergh's ex, Lies & Videotape.
No one handed the Weinsteins their success on a platter because of their gender. And no one else is entitled to a share of the industry's success just because of their gender.
1
A frivolous piece, yet I've been waiting for Greta Gerwig to change her stance toward Allen as I knew she would now that she doesn't need his cache. The truth about Allen's pedophilia has always been apparent in his films and fully knowable since 1992 (when the sexual relationship with his adopted daughter became public). Still, I welcome her newfound realization and hope she will help make #TimesUp a success, not just for her, but for everyone.
To those fretting about due process in the court of public opinion: I'd be on your side if there were effective legal remedies with perpetrators were held accountable, serving time, admitting guilt. It almost never happens. Victims, including Dylan Farrow, face well funded and far reaching campaigns to silence, discredit, gaslight and blackball them. Polanski is still a fugitive with new accusers coming forward just recently. Bill Cosby's case a mistrial. No charges yet for Weinstein. There's the Republican elephant in the oval office. Clinton at least paid a settlement to Jones.
To the Allen apologists: please read Dylan's letters once again with an open heart. She tells her story with personal elements that people don't make up and wouldn't tell anyone unless it were true. Allen may deny it to his grave, but I believe her and as long as he lives, boycott is an available method to help her get justice.
17
"wouldn't tell anyone unless it were true". Let's get that out of the way right now: we have more than a few proven instances of individuals knowingly making false allegations. I am really not impressed with this line of reasoning anymore: "why would she make that up?". It's not hard to know why. But, apparently, it's hard not to carried away with a tide of grievances. I don't dispute that many if not most allegations are true-- but I don't feel it serves anyone well to insist that we must all assume every allegation is well-founded and couldn't possibly originate in darker motives.
2
Very disappointed to see Greta Gerwig — in her comments regarding Woody Allen — show that she’s not at all an independent thinker, but yet another person who doesn’t have the energy or originality of mind to read up on the Allen/Farrow case and discover that Woody was investigated by two state organizations (Connecticut police ordered an investigation by a Yale child sex abuse clinic, and New York State child welfare authorities also investigated) and neither found credible evidence of what Farrow accused him of in the middle of a bitter custody battle. Her comments do a disservice to victims of real abuse, and amount to thoughtless mistreatment of a real artist. Just as she’ll avoid working with Woody in the future, I’ll be skipping her movies.
14
You will be missing some good work then. If you've gone to Woody Allen movies based on their undeniable quality, you could extend the same consideration to Greta Gerwig.
1
"Ladybird" was passable. I thought "Tiny Furniture" was a far more imaginative movie with much the same plot.
I couldn't help but think to myself while reading this interview- is this how all of Hollywood talks? every other sentence in this piece was like was spun into a candy floss web of kissing up and shaming down, most of which sounded at best half-true. Aaron Sorkin and his roles for women? Greta all of a sudden knows the TRUE back story on Woody Allen? Frank Bruni hang in there with his " hard hitting " questions but were they even really questions? Pretty fluffy writing if you ask me and I am sure the editors on this piece has their work cut out for them. Toward the end of the article, my interest started to fade all I could hear in my head was that magnificent Oprah speech in the background, drowning all this nonsense out.
12
With all due respect to Aaron Sorkin's brilliant work, his comment that 'locker room talk' ends when the game begins, is at best naive and at worst a marker for the blindness of men towards the real problem for women. Locker room talk is not confined to locker rooms and has little to do with football - it is the insidious brotherhood of men routinely celebrating their right to degrade and diminish half of the human race, and it continues into every corner of life. Perhaps the fact that most comments so far (mostly from men) say nothing of the points that women - and men too - were making at the Golden Globes but merely criticize Greta Gerwig for refusing to work with Woody Allen, whose creepy behavior has been on full public display for a long time.
42
MMac, Sorkin was clearly not referring to "locker room talk". He was differentiating between talk for inspiring enthusiasm and actually getting the job done.
4
I think this misunderstood Aaron Sorkin's point, or else I have misunderstood it. Sorkin wasn't commenting on locker room talk, vis a vis, the kind that Donald Trump used as an excuse for his lewd comments. Sorkin was comparing inspiring speeches at the Golden Globes to a locker room pep talk -- something that excites and inspires, but does not include details of an action plan. Sorkin was commenting that while these "pep talks" -- inspiring speeches -- serve a purpose, he was hoping to hear from some powerful women an action plan for how men in power (or men, in general) can help tackle the issue and help ensure that sexual misconduct is curbed, outed, or both. One might criticize Sorkin for looking to others for such a plan, as opposed to creating one himself, but his allusion here to locker room pep talks was an analogy to the powerful speeches of the Golden Globes, rather than an excuse for bawdy disgusting behavior.
23
“[I]t is the insidious brotherhood of men routinely celebrating their right to degrade and diminish half of the human race, and it continues into every corner of life.”
Seriously? How did we come to this pass, where such a statement can be legitimately seen as representing the tone and substance of the national Democratic Party and the American left at a time when the Southern Strategy and the words and actions of Gingrich, McConnell, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, and Trump can be legitimately seen as representing the tone and substance of the national Republican Party and the American right?
We need a better choice. Since many on the left seem to think of themselves as intellectuals you might consider reading Joan Didion’s essay “Sentimental Journeys,” pondering it deeply, and taking it to heart.
I read a year and a half ago that Orwell said language does a good job with ordinary objects but when we use language to describe ideas we’ll quickly find that the language starts to do our thinking for us. So study the ways in which that happens. Know when you’re reasoning based on narrative resolution and the meaning of poorly defined terms and when you’re reasoning based on sound empirical methods and carefully crafted honest language.
1
This woman is just looking to grandstand, like the rest of her ilk. She'll make note long lasting impact.
5
Finally! Catherine Deneuve speaks out as the voice of reason about this breakdown of civil conversation between the sexes:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42630108
9
This self-serving twaddle is a mutual admiration exercise with nothing genuinely compelling to offer. C'mon, you're artists. Just do your art. If your work matters, it'll matter. Such glib chatter posed as "candor" is the hallmark the Age of Trump.
14
Mr. Bruni demonstrates the celebrity worship that allows predators to abuse victims with this op-ed. It seems like the only people who watch these awards shows are pundits and media types. It's a well oiled PR machine... I'll give them that, but no one I know really cares about this nonsense.
Let's just acknowledge that this so called "industry" puts out a product chock full of violence, profanity, and sexually explicit content. The media covering this so-called "industry" consists of gangs of photographers and gossip rags that "report" on who is sleeping with whom and their subsequent break ups and stints in rehab. It's no wonder they abuse each other.... they are all nuts.
It's all available on the screen and online every day and they call it entertainment. I call it creepy.
7
The entertainment industry has provided a mirror on culture at large. It's stunning what an impact awareness of women's mistreatment within the entertainment industry has had in bringing attention to the challenges that women face, the effect ripling across the world.
If only for that reason I keep from shrugging cynically, especially when two currently successful directors are asked about their opinion on these matters. After all, I would conclude that their success implies that they have avoided being damaged by the culture. Perhaps it would be better to interview those who didn't win, perhaps the vulnerable ones who might never have a shot because they have been unable to shrug off or dodge the abuse dished out by Weinsteins and their ilk.
Lest we forget, the concern during recent award seasons was the poor treatment of minorities. The situation was similar. Thus I have to second Sorkin: what's the plan, who's keeping score? If Hollywood is not unique, if it is really just a reflection of our culture, can Hollywood manage to shed the bad habits of our culture?
16
I applaud Gerwig’s position on Woody Allen. Too many people pretend he didn’t take nude pictures of a vulnerable teenager who was an adopted daughter of his girlfriend. She had never dated anyone her own age and Allen definitely put a full court press on her. Roy Moore also used his position for his fetish for high school girls. How many fathers of daughters would think Allen’s deviant behavior of taking nude photos of their teenage daughters would be appropriate and okay ? His artistic fame is no excuse and neither was Roy Moore’s excuses! I believe Dylan.
13
Let's not forget Allen was also very famous and very rich....Soon Yi like most teenagers wanted to rebel against her mother....what more stinging rebellion than to steal mom's boyfriend with her cute young teenage looks? (Mia had just had a baby with Allen!) This dynamic goes on in many thousands of households where unmarried people are partnered, and where children are present from other relationships. The greatest danger to a young girl is....mom's boyfriend.
Soon Yi was also developmentally "slow" and more naive & young than an average 19 year old and Allen KNEW THIS as he had been her de-facto stepdad for at least 10 years.
Had Allen done nothing but take nude photos of a very young girl....that alone would have been shocking and wrong. He got caught though, and then defied his older, now boring middle aged girlfriend by dating HER OWN DAUGHTER.
Sorry he is scum. But I have never called to ban his films because of this; I only suggest people watch his films (especially "Manhattan") in CONTEXT with his life.
3
Those making a Woody Allen defense solely about his adopted daughter Dylan (so you are choosing to believe Woody and not Dylan), might consider Mia's adopted daughter Soon Yi--events not in doubt. How likely is it that Woody would have married Soon Yi if Mia hadn't discovered the nude photos and if the affair hadn't created a public scandal? Let's say, he bought himself time.
10
I for one will not go to see Lady Bird - for the director regurgitates the wild and completely unproven accusations of Mia Farrow. Medical and psychological examinations have not found one once of credibility in Dylan ever being abused by anyone, let alone by Woody Allen. Moses Farrow has taken a firm stance on this and he was much older than the other kids at the time of separation. Mia Farrow's history speaks for itself anyhow.
I applaud Ronan Farrows journalistic work in bringing Weinstein down. But it is sad to see, that he was motivated to do so because of the brainwashing of Mia Farrow against Woody Allen.
10
So you think it perfectly OK for Mr. Allen to take nude pics of HIS girlfriend's adopted DAUGHTER. Gee thanks for clearing that up.
7
"There were horrible, terrible, pervasive, invasive things happening in Hollywood! Fortunately, I didn't see or hear of any of it, and everyone I've ever worked with was always completely incredible!"
Don't worry, Occupy, you won't die alone.
2
A friend once told me she wouldn't listen to Mozart's music because he was a sinner. Once I established she wasn't pulling my leg, I felt desperately sorry for her. And that's not because I thought she missed out on Prague Symphony in D major... Little did I know so many people in 21st century America would be not only willing to apply the same kind of perverse logic, but even self-righteously bragging about it. Ouch.
8
How uplifting and exciting and encouraging this column is!
Thanks Frank Bruni. God how I worship creativity in the
dramatic arts. Did the ancient Greeks playwrights and
actors or chorus feel this rush of fire? I take acting classes
with Austin Pendleton and sometimes I can hardly breathe
listening to him talk about the genius playwrights and how
to dig out their secrets to illuminate acting in their plays.
And his talking of brilliant actors and directors he has worked
with and the piercing of the soul it takes to keep on going, because
there is nothing else like the dramatic arts, nothing comes
close. I love the fluidity of both Gerwig and Sorkin. And I love
the reaching of my classmates to do better and better work. I feel
so grateful having this huge and sky high passionate love for
acting and writing and directing,
3
If opera can be equated with Hollywood entertainment, then I am glad to be able to say that this genre long ago abolished “a certain character calls for a certain color or gender”. I can´t imagine a performance of a Wagner opera anywhere in the world without practically every continent being represented, not to speak of men singing women´s parts. Long live Opera!
3
Just before reading this op-ed, I watched several television networks, local and national, to get news on the Southern California mudslides.
The male anchors and reporters looked like ordinary men of various ages, except for one particularly handsome fellow.
However, to a woman, every female anchor/reporter was young and beautiful with long, flowing hair.
Until the gatekeepers to film, television, advertising, etc. begin to see women as fully-dimensional human beings who have more to offer than attractive faces and bodies, NOTHING is going to change.
26
I could not endure watching more than a few minutes of the Golden Globes as Hollywood spends a self-congratulatory evening lecturing and patting itself on the back for it's "woke" moment. Instead of cotton candy being sold as non GMO organic popcorn, Hollywood's catharsis will only be real when the Caligula roles played by the powerful, shielded by the powerful are a thing of the past. Instead, a handful of people are exposed. Everyone is shocked that there is gambling at Rick's and life goes on. Until the studio and agency heads dictate a 100% zero tolerance policy and you the rejection of an entire senior class, nothing will change. I'm still amazing that Woody Allen, who married his daughter, accused of rape is still welcomed with open arms. The bar is set very, very low
8
not his daughter, and accused is not guilty...
2
It is fascinating to hear voices here defend Woody Allen and criticize Greta Gerwig for declining to work with him. Why? Because the voices of those who were actually there--in the room, in the house, day after day molested time after time--are dismissed as unproven, long ago accusations. Proof indeed that women (or brothers in the case of Ronan Farrow) are still not believed.
Just because a statute of limitations has run, or an incident happened long ago, or, god forbid, it was never tried in a court before a jury, doesn't mean it didn't happen, folks. No one needs a trial--or several of them--to decide with good reason to decline to work with someone again. Hats off to Ms. Gerwig. It's a good call.
99
In fact, your point is the opposite of what you intended. Authorities did investigate Farrow's allegations and rationally decided not to proceed with a prosecution. "Just because" a very unhappy ex-spouse makes allegations does not mean they should be accepted as true. Isn't that a cherished principle of our society? Innocence is assumed, not guilt. Incidentally, "Wonder Wheel" appears to me to be an oblique comment on the situation. I neither endorse nor reject it-- just observe that it seems like a comment.
2
WIth all due respect the Dylan Farrow, there is an enourmous body of evidence, forensic, psychiatric and polygraph that points to the simple answer, namely it never happened. THe fact is Mia could have pursued a civil lawsuit when her daughter was 'mature' enough to deal with a trial before the statute ran out and didn't. Woody ALlen took a polygraph test from the most respected expert in the field in America and passed; Mia refused to be tested.
5
Your comment and Greta Gerwig getting on the anti-Woody band wagon exemplifies the lack of critical thinking that has come to pass in this country. Two separate committees of professionals ( at least one of them unequivocally) concluded that Allen did not molest his daughter. And given that a defining trait of pedophiles is having multiple victims, then why haven't any others in all these years come forward claiming to be victimized by him?. If some do, then it's appropriate to reevaluate . Until then, Gerwig, if you ask me, is being opportunistic.
7
She is so brave.
If Hollywood is ever to change moving forward the following must occur...1) Ego's and a never ending thirst for attention must subside 2) Stop blaming everyone for the warts in your business and look in the mirror. Almost all involved have looked the other way for decades. I appears that the fear of losing their public admiration platform was more important to Hollywood. 3) Stop playing politics at least until you clean up your own dirty house. 4) Stop the award shows until you are happy with the voting process who select nothing but white men.
1
>
Beautiful women and powerful men, what could go wrong.
The ancient Greek poets scribed many myths about such folly, and always the mischievous Eros in the middle of the chaos. Even the most powerful of Gods feared Eros with his arrows.
“Sexual intercourse has never done a man good and he is lucky if it has not harmed him”
Epicurus, 300 B.C.
Nonetheless it's still a "will to power" phenomena.
“life”- all life -“the world… is will to power, and nothing besides”
Nietzsche
1
I agree with several readers here regarding Greta Gerwig's statement that she will never participate in another Woody Allen film. Allen's alleged crime (never proven) of molestation is complicated by a bitter break-up with his former partner Mia Farrow that rears its ugly head every time a new Allen film is about to premiere. His daughter Dylan's accusations are disturbing to say the least, but the idea that some members of her family could possibly be in cahoots to destroy Mr. Allen's reputation with the possibility that the charges aren't true makes this situation especially murky, but the bottom line is that many people have condemned Mr. Allen for something he may be totally innocent of. His marrying Farrow's adopted daughter Soon Yi is another source of outrage for many, but though that may be very awkward for many people to accept, it's completely legal.
9
Clearly, Ms. Gerwig believes Ms. Farrow's account of the abuse. How is that different from believing the women who accused Weinstein? This is not about Allen. This is about Gerwig's decision, which is hers alone to make.
And it is worth noting that a judge believed Ms. Farrow and denied Allen custody rights, and that a prosecutor found probably cause to charge but elected not to.
13
Here come the Woody Allen defenders.
He first met his present wife when she was between 7 and 9 YO. He was taking nude pics when she was 19 - 21 and he was 57. He claims to have had sex with her the first time 2 weeks before the discovery of the pics.
Now - think about this. Do you think this just popped into a fevered romance all at once? Beyond all of that, while not technically his child, she was certainly the child of Mia Farrow, a woman he was in an LTR with.
No - Farrow and Allen were never married and did not live together. That is also true of a couple of close friends who are monogamous, have been together for 10Y or so, and do not live together. They are effectively married. I think the same could be said for Allen and Farrow.
Not technically incest but then, this is not in court either. Allen deserves all the opprobrium he has coming his way.
19
Years ago, a couple like Mia and Woody -- together for a dozen years or so -- with two children together and him actively parenting her other kids -- would have had a COMMON LAW MARRIAGE with all the rights of a regular marriage.
I think it was a mistake when legislators got rid of common law marriage, which protected women and children from exploiters just like Allen -- who was obviously trying to keep his great wealth from Mia and the kids by never marrying her.
But SUDDENLY in his late 50s, he is all about marrying his 21 year old victim -- which means she cannot testify against him.
Nobody is suggesting at this late date -- Soon Yi is 47 years old! -- that Allen go to jail. It's far too late to get justice. Nor do we suggest his films be banned or burned. We only ask that people VIEW HIS FILMS in context with his actions.
3
Hollywood, in reality, is such a small universe in our galaxy and it takes itself far too seriously. Forget Tinseltown and its nauseating bloated world of celebrity. A better future for women will lie in the details, the dull minutiae, of political change. Women’s lives will improve when they get a better share of the power pie in corporations and institutions everywhere. When real language in real legislation mandates change in the gender makeup of executive boards on down, then we’ll see women who are less concerned about being harassed. Lobby your legislators. Run for office. Your daughters will thank you.
2
Woody Allen is proof that in America you are presumed guilty until proven innocent. That has been the result, so far, of the "Me Too" movement.
Let's hope we can get past the talk about sex and discuss what actions are legitimate and which are an abuse of power. Sexual harassment in the workplace is all about the abuse of power and has nothing to do with sex.
8
Please note that Gerwig had not one personal problem with Woody Allen, but still referenced the discredited lawsuit by Mia and Dylan. The courts specifically said according to several psychiatrists that Woody Allen did nothing inappropriate to Dylan. The case should've been closed.
13
Hollywood has already changed: the Red Carpet gowns which cost in excess of median average income now come only in one colour.
Well, its a start.
4
Excellent observation!
Hollywood will surely lead the way. They will make movies of strong men and strong women which will capture their audiences for a few months. Then, the public will long for the old fashioned men and women and old fashioned love stories Hollywood has been selling for decades. I am confident that, at that point, Hollywood will take a stand and keep telling the stories of strong women that few will watch. After all, the movie industry is made up of political pioneers to whom money means nothing. lol
2
Would it be too much of a stretch to say that 2018 can be called; The Year of the Independent Woman?
In response to the question on Woody Allen, Gerwig gave a pointed answer but Sorkin gave a vague answer. Could that difference be because of how the two genders view this issue?
3
I've hesitated from commenting about Woody here, but I feel that it's simply not fair that this paper has repeated ad nauseam the allegations against him -- but has done virtually no in-depth journalism to remind readers the complex details of the case, many of which point to Woody's likely innocence. It is difficult for any individual to publicly contradict Dylan Farrow, who has been consistent and convincing -- but privately, many people still believe that she is the victim of her mother's desire to punish Woody. I find Greta Gerwig to be a sincere, intelligent person, and I believe she means what she's said -- but she's also said the ONLY thing that public personalities are supposed to say in this climate. Let's be honest here: Ronan and Mia Farrow have much more clout in the current media than Woody Allen does. The idea of Woody Allen as some all-powerful, string-pulling monster is simply absurd. I know people who've worked with him for decades, who swear he's always respectful and professional -- unlike the true predators who are being unmasked.
I find it very strange that the Farrows seem so obsessed with shaming celebrities who work with Woody. So their goal is to punish him. What about healing? I fully applaud the #MeToo movement, but I personally wish for criminal behavior to be punished by the legal system, and for victims to find healing and solace. The Woody/Mia saga is a unique and strange one, but unlike all the other cases being uncovered.
12
At this point it does not take much courage for Greta Gerwig to come out against working with Woody Allen, as Dylan Farrow's career (does she have another?) to destroy him gathers Twitter steam. Was she really so ignorant of the facts, or rather the allegations, back when she made that movie? Certainly no new evidence has come forth since then. It seems rather that she recognizes which way the wind is blowing and it is more expedient to have the flow at her back. To paraphrase Lillian Hellman, she prefers to tailor her convictions to this year's fashions.
86
Absolutely. Thanks
3
Some may find Woody Allen's movies somewhat repetitious of older men with young women, yet he has given young actresses great roles in his movies, much more than men and even himself. Unless Greta Gerwig found her acting in the Allen movie an unpleasant experience, then I would agree with her statement not working with him again. Otherwise, I would prefer an Allen movie with introspective interior dialog about life or even fantasy about young women than Selma Hayek forced to be in a nude scene to sell tickets.
2
I am confident that those who feel Hollywood should change are fairly unlikely to even be interested in this commentary.
Adultery is reason enough to terminate a marriage, and that process often mean's former friends take sides. It is true that being an adoptive father gives a man the opportunity to make a judgement as to what kind of wife his adoptive daughter could be to him, but in my view acting on that is a violation. Those who maintain that the work should be judged on its own merit rest their case on films of the mature Allen. Woody's good ride isn't over, there will be people to work with him, its just not so high.
1
I had an all women crew in the 1980’s in New York. It was better than other crews I had Smart, some tough, everyone good at their job and I’ll add hysterically funny though some humor turned me beet red.
I’m just saying. It’s a new time and took too long. Good things are ahead.
3
The only problem with "Hollywood" is that being paid attention to there is capitalized, and easy money corrupts everything it touches.
Simply ignoring celebrities and what they do in their lives, works just fine. They are not role models or particularly useful individuals because they participate in an art form. Admire the art, ignore the business activity and disdain the celebrity system. I don't care if Rembrandt hit on his models, I care about his work.
When a Hollywood actor wisely asks the public to pay less attention to them outside their films, they'll have my admiration.
1
We Americans seem divided on everything. As we keep adding things that we are divided on we wind up wondering whether we will ever agree on anything again.
Maybe, just maybe, the founding fathers were able to do what tbey did was because they found things they could agree on, like freedom of speech, freedom of press, concern for the human entity that we are all a part of.
Why wouldn't we want to read and hear what Bruni, Gerwig and Sorkin think? We can always approve or disapprove. In the final breath isn't that what being an American is all about.
1
The kumbaya celebration among the three principals here is laudatory. However, the idea that the business industry of movie-making will turn over the decision-making authority for who gets the funding for their project based on gender equity, and not a proven track record for blockbusters is unmitigated delusion. My take-away from this regrettable implosion is that animated movies, already proven blockbusters at the box office, will be the choice of producers eager to avoid offending women.
2
Warning to Ms. Gertwig, and others in their "turning point" euphoria. We're only a few months in...nithing has stuck yet. Certainly not out in fly over land, where starlets used to live, but now rely on for tickets sales. Hollywood must be reminded, they are very much a part of the Elites. No matter how down homey they try and appear on late night talk shows, or in the roles they play.
America sees you as part of many of our social problems.
But until a waitress can go unharassed for months at a time, a hotel worker doesnt have to look over her shoulder all day long, and teen girls dont get cruised by creep-males coming home from school - the turning point is a long way off.
3
And so ends this meeting of the Mutual Admiration Society. Artists are supposed to be truth tellers, but so often when I hear people in Hollywood talk, it is just this constant stream of gratuitous praise. Not too surprising that Harvey Weinstein skated through this environment for so long. I'm sure he was getting the same love just a few months ago.
7
During my divorce I remember fearing that my ex would accuse me of sexual assault against our son. It was the only thing she did not falsely accuse me of.
My son was already experienced with her many and varied lies and she (and the local social worker) had already unsuccessfully attempted to force him to make false statements. He and I were lucky for the previous false claims because she now knew that he was now able to deal with the pressures and to relate his own experiences. But ... it could have been different.
A friend's ex accused him of molesting their daughter. Without trial or any investigation of any type whatsoever - he was forbidden all contact with their daughter for more than 2 years. Eventually, the false claim was dropped. Tens of thousands of dollars for lawyers and shrinks. No sanctions against the mother. 2+ years of separation for father and daughter.
Sexual McCarthyism.
6
But what about men who really did molest small children who could not report the crime? do you automatically assume all men are innocent? maybe your friend lied to you!
Also: Dylan Farrow is an adult woman today in her late 20s....by speaking out, she is cutting herself off from her immensely rich father who is 82 and will probably die in a few years. What possible advantage would she get at this point? other than saying the truth?
3
Greta Gerwig assumes Woody Allen would want her in any movie he does. Probably not especially as she seems to play the same character over and over...
5
Greta should read Allen’s statement in the Times as well as that of Dylan’s older brother Moses before she condemns him so easily. Does she simply feel she needs to jump on the bandwagon? My estimation of her just dropped significantly.
10
Fantasy land will magically bring the justice at last. Or, at least they will act like they did. It will be hard to tell what is reality. Acting!
My understanding is that there was a lengthy investigation of the charges against Woody Allen. Is there any evidence to support the notion that the various parties involved in that investigation were dishonest or incompetent?
4
Really disappointed to hear Gerwig indict Woody Allen on very specious circumstances. I've read everything I could see on the topic and I don't find the evidence against him compelling or convincing. But, as with Franken, there is now a rush to judgement and execution without anything resembling due process. In protest, I went to see Allen's "Wonder Wheel" tonight. His best films are clearly behind him, but even lesser Allen is better than most of Hollywood's "big" films, including, yes, the awful and inane "Wonder Woman". A further note of irony: "Lady Bird" reminded me more than a little of... Woody Allen.
4
I cannot begin to fathom why anyone watched Woody Allen’s films after learning that he hit on Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter. END OF STORY, for me. I have never viewed anything by him again. His artistic efforts are not eclipsed by his abusive behavior. Same for Roman Polanski. Same for anyone who abuses children - who cares what they have to say? Their behavior speaks volumes, and more loudly than their artistic messages.
2
...and Charlie Chaplin, and innumerable others?
1
Gerwig's comments about Woody Allen are indicative of the new puritanism sweeping Hollywood and the world. Allen has never been convicted of anything, and his accusers have had their time in court. Who are we to find him guilty now? Especially by the new dictum that all accusations by women against men are true?
11
People seem to think that a court absolved Allen. That's not the case at all. As Dylan Farrow wrote in the NY Times in 2014:
After a custody hearing denied my father visitation rights, my mother declined to pursue criminal charges, despite findings of probable cause by the State of Connecticut – due to, in the words of the prosecutor, the fragility of the “child victim.” Woody Allen was never convicted of any crime. That he got away with what he did to me haunted me as I grew up.
And the 1993 court ruling denying Woody Allen custody of his three children with Mia Farrow had some pretty damning conclusions.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-shea/heres-the-1993-woody-alle_b_47...
2
As to “cultural appropriation”, there’s a lot to be said for empathy and understanding. I find it supportive and illuminating that Kathryn Bigelow made The Hurt Locker and that Richard Pryor crafted the character of Mongo in Blazing Saddles.
I'm glad everyone admires everyone else so much. Now, let me try to cut through the treacle.
The folks we saw on Sunday were not the victims of Weinstein, et al. We saw those who maneuvered through the treacherous waters successfully. I see a lot of their behavior as an expression of their sly shame. Wearing black, indeed. Good to know that they think women should still be known by what they wear.
I don't want to be too snarky, or too purist. I'm fully aware that, for instance, racial treacheries exist, and that I've not made it my core business to aid in the struggle for a more just America. For that I'm ashamed. But I'm not ignorant, just passive. For someone to pretend that they knew nothing of the continuous and vicious exploitation of women in the entertainment business is just about ten steps past where I'm willing to go. OK, Mr. Sorkin?
Who knows where this all ends up? My sense is that success in entertainment requires talent, energy, ambition, practice -- all sorts of things. And there are tens of thousands of folks who make the cut, who are just so, so good; the rest is luck, happenstance. Same with professional sports. Same with academia.
That's a recipe for abuse and despair. In context, triumphalism is silly.
3
"As an artist I want to be able to be inclusive and tell all different kinds of stories, but I also don’t want to tell a story that would be better told by another author."
So, what exactly does this mean (apart from Ms Gerwig wanting to be politically correct)? She only wants to do autobiographical work? Apart from that, I can't imagine how you would ever know that there's no one else who could tell the story better than you.
If you have a story you want to tell, tell it! Let the readers/viewers judge it. And if there's someone who can tell it better, let them - and let their version supplant yours.
2
the folly of trying to make art a function of character is painfully evident in the "amen" moment staged by NYT with mr sorkin and ms gerwig.
though it is understandable that the current tide of rage against "sexually monstrous behavior" might send anyone in search of safe harbour ("i had no idea" apparently the refuge of choice), it'd far worse (for the future, for the "specific instructions" mr sorkin rightly seeks) if the sum of the movement is "who knew?"
already it seems that "time's up" doesn't mean "time's up!" rather it's more like "cut" and on to the next set-up...in the world of real bullets, "times up" means just that, things will not be the same thereafter.
mr sorkin and ms gerwig, however, though in the mix (struggle as they might to escape) are part of the officer corps...instead of waiting, they can speak up and contribute to defining the mission's "purposefulness"...but first they and the others who enjoy the same authority, need to be willing to risk some of it (as combatants do), separate themselves from the "who knew" and accept complicity, the calculations made for self interest.
for ms gerwig, a striking talent, retailing a "if i had known" (in 2012!) what she thinks now would lead her to decline work with woody allen, demonstrates either a profound disconnect from common knowledge or from her own obligation to help make things better...mr sorkin, is too smart to expect anyone to believe that his hollywood and broadway links came with blinders.
3
As usual the extremes take over here re this general topic.
The Me too guys view men as the center of all evil. They must atone for their five million yrs of existence. Women are never at fault re this issue (ie co dependency/enabling) and must be put on pedestals and given equal pay, raises, roles etc. whether they deserve them or not.
The group in France fighting the Me Too group say women should put up with lower level harassment. It is a healthy dynamic between the sexes.
The answer is in the middle but the extreme squeaky wheels always get the oil.
2
This interview sounded more like a mutual admiration society meeting. I appreciate Ms Gerwig’s answer to working with Woody Allen, although I disagree with it completely. He has never been charged with crimes of a sexual nature regarding Ms Farrow. He is a national treasure, and to lump him in the same basket with Spacey, Polanski and Weinstein, among others, is wrong.
113
Two weeks back, Trump was taken to task for saying that one of our NYS politicos would have gotten on her knees for a contribution from him in his pre-politics days. This was open to misinterpretation, of course, and the Times people took the only interpretation appropriate to Times people. Now we have this 'interview', in which it very much sounds like we have three people all willing to get down on their knees to worship at each other's shrine, and do God only knows what else to each other. The joke, of course, is that the two interviewees, the Times columnist, and the Tmes' Powers-That-Be will never see the connection, and if it is brought up to them, will refuse to recognize it as such. The hypocrisy remains astounding.
1
Rjr...he seduced, dated and then married his adopted daughter. For me that puts him, maybe not in the same cell as those you list, but he's still on the same cell block. Hes a creep. Wouldnt see his movies except for a substantial sum of untaxed money. Like buy an island sum...
3
Soon Yi was Never His Adopted Daughter...seriously?
She was the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, to whom he was never married, not did he co-habitate with her..
1
I kinda feel sorry for Aaron Sorkin, a man of immense legitimate and consistently proven talent over many years, being roped into what effectively was a book-signing chore. Like Gore Vidal, whose politics I never could stand, the man’s talent is transcendent and really should be recognized as such.
But I develop my own sense of what is right and wrong ideologically and politically – couldn’t possibly care less what Hollywood luminaries think on these matters, unless what we’re discussing is an individual performer’s ability to convey timely nuance by a perfectly arched eyebrow.
And I can only say about Ms. Gerwig’s resolve to avoid Woody Allen that it’s an easy thing to abandon a great and foundational contributor as he nears the end of his life and career … but a bit disreputably convenient to do it for what gives every appearance of being self-serving purposes. The Allen-Farrow disagreement has been one of the she-said-he-said controversies of our time, it’s been investigated again and again, and Allen remains at liberty for the inability to prove a blessed thing. This ain’t no Harvey Weinstein situation, and shouldn’t be treated as such.
107
All this fabulous authority ... "immense and consistently proven talent", "transcendent", "great and foundational". Who would ever guess we're talking about mass-market commercial entertainment?
And yet you complain about Hollywood's truth by proclamation? And self-serving glorifications?
4
While to me it's unpleasant that Woody Allen fell in love with his girlfriend Mia Farrow's adopted daughter, the truth is that Mr. Allen and Ms. Farrow lived in separate apartments, and anyway Mr. Allen married the girl.
Would I stop watching Woody Allen movies because of Mr. Allen's having married a much younger woman? No. I couldn't possibly not see "Radio Days" once a year. The man who made that movie has a spirit few others have, and one that I can appreciate. Some of his other movies, not so much. That's okay.
(For that matter, I'm always a little uncomfortable when Mr. Knightley tells Emma, fondly, that he held her in his arms when she was a baby . . . . But I reread Emma every 5 or so years.)
4
Isn't the whole point of @metoo that nearly every such complaint or unhappy encounter, is in private -- we humans don't have sex in public, mostly -- so it DOES always come down to "he said, she said" -- on college campuses -- in director's offices -- in the bosses cubicle -- on the factory floor.
If there were witnesses and DNA evidence....we wouldn't have @metoo.
Does it occur to you that Mia Farrow was speaking out for very young minor children -- that Dylan was 2-3 years old when she was molested -- that her brother witnessed this -- but was also very young -- and that Allen may have married Soon Yi, at least originally, in order to prevent her from testifying against him?
2
One of the big events of the Golden Globes awards ceremony was Nathalie Portman's "all-male" comment for the nominees of Best Director. Surely that would have been a germane question to put to Ms. Gerwig, whose film Lady Bird won a Best Film, since a film of that standard usually .qualifies the director to be nominated.
Also, like many others, I am disappointed with Ms. Gerwig's Woody Allen comments, especially because she seems to be a kind of young Woody Allen. If the standard she will be using for her future endeavors is not to increase one person's pain, her films will soon lose their interest. That would be too bad, since her films are nearly the only interesting ones coming from the U.S. at this moment.
24
I applaud Ms. Gerwig's decision not to work with Woody Allen again. I hope more women make the same decision.
8
I commend some of the other posters here for questioning Ms. Gerwig's attitude about working (again) with Woody Allen. There's been no real evidence of his having molested his daughter and no allegation that he ever abused anyone else. Guilt by insinuation or association doesn't stand up in a court of law and the U.S. remains a country of laws.
One other thought: so much is made of the fact that female directors aren't getting the same recognition (let alone the same opportunities) as their male counterparts. So why not do with directing awards the same as these awards-giving organizations do with acting awards: i.e., create a competitive category for Best Female Director? Sounds crazy, right? And yet going to such lengths might just embarrass the voting members of the Hollywood Foreign Pests (et al) into recognizing their own failings with respect to including women in their lists of nominees.
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Did you read the judge's ruling from that case? This is far more than guilt by association. It's hard to prove abuse, but his behavior towards the child was inappropriate, for years. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-shea/heres-the-1993-woody-alle_b_47...
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I love the two dozen or so regular contributors (save one from NJ, of course). Reading your thoughtful comments day in day out helps making the comment section into a real neighborhood cafe.
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Absolutely NO to "Best Female Director". But thanks.
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Joan Didion! Greta Gerwig! Our state capital produces some remarkable women!!
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There is no moral equivalent between Joan Didion, a inspiring writer and person, and Greta Gerwig, who curries favor with the crowd.
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Indeed it does.
Love Gerwig’s stuff. Didion’s 1991 essay on the Central Park Five, “Sentimental Journeys,” informs my thinking.
And not to forget Jessica Chastain, award winning actress and producer, born in Sonoma but lived here and attended high school and city college in the capital.
And some of you may remember film director Henry Hathaway, known especially for westerns ( including True Grit) and a long and fruitful career in Hollywood for a wide variety of film genres.
I have great respect for Greta's work and activism, but I totally disagree that she has come out stating that she will not work with Woody Allen. Deciding not to work with him is her choice but the case against Woody Allen is complicated and includes Mia Farrow's own 'faulty',prejudicial behavior. I am very sympathetic to Dylan's pain but not to Dylan's campaign against Woody.
There has been no legal judgment against Woody and without concrete evidence a crime has not been established...legally. My personal feeling toward Woody has changed but none of us should engage in character assassination unless we KNOW the truth...not just what we THINK. That is what is going wrong with this 'harassment/abuse' issue...it gives everyone an opportunity to take sides...feel morally superior...without actual facts.
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No, a morally intact adult man never marries or lives with his own daughter, even if she was adopted by his wife first. I know creative people are often moral disaster areas and often addicts, but this is simply unacceptable.
Without having been there, the sons of like Dylan see things that we outsiders can only guess at. I always trust the kids' take on things until proven otherwise.
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I agree with the principle in Mr. Decker's statement, that we should not be quick to accept or reject the accusations that are publicized in the media. In addition to the difficult position we, the film audience, find ourselves in, of having heard the accusations, and being tempted to take sides, there is also the artistic perspective. Some people are challenging all of us to adapt our instinctive reactions to the work of certain artists because of social principles.
This debate is as old as Leni Riefenstahl, Pablo Picasso and Miles Davis.
I happen to think Woody Allen is guilty of child abuse--my opinion doesn't matter--but show me "Annie Hall" or Play it Again, Sam," and I'll be laughing.
I love Picasso's paintings and sculpture and Miles' music. That's an understatement. The way each of them have been known to have treated women is abhorrent. When I witness their creative work, the monstrous behavior does not inform my visceral reaction.
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Mr. Decker, there was no legal case against Donald Trump nor against Roy Moore, yet both have been character-assassinated in the liberal press, and countless posters have spoken against them as if simply having allegations made against a person constitutes "a case against them". For that matter, Al Franken or Bill Cosby and countless others.
The idea that "a person is innocent until proven guilty" has been thoroughly tossed to the dustbin in today's liberal American media!
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So Greta Gerwig says she wouldn’t work with Woody Allen again, but why exactly? Because of uncorroborated allegations made by Dylan Farrow and Ronan Farrow? Statements that were wholly refuted by their older brother Moses Farrow who believes that Mia Farrow brainwashed her own children in a fit of anger against Mr. Allen.
Ms. Gerwig, like Ellen Page, isn’t taking a bold, praise-worthy position, she’s caving to the pressure to lump Mr. Allen into the same group as Harvey Weinstein and others, but only doing so after having her ticket stamped and enjoying the benefits of appearing in a Woody Allen film.
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Because she has chosen which claim she thinks is more credible, which is not only her right, but her responsibility. Believe what you want but others have concluded, based on preponderance of evidence, that he’s a creep.
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"Statements that were wholly refuted by their older brother Moses Farrow, who believes that Mia Farrow brainwashed her own children in a fit of anger against Mr. Allen." Well, there you have it, then. Moses Farrow refutes the testimony of his younger sister (the only person besides Mr. Allen who can possibly know the truth) based on what he 'believes' and relies on the tired 'hysterical woman' trope to discredit his mother. Case closed! Funny how when it comes down to 'he said/she said' so many people's impulse is still to give the 'he' in the equation the benefit of the doubt and dismiss the 'she' as brainwashed, crazy, or driven by a malignant desire for revenge.
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@Katy R: I would note that Moses Farrow was an eye witness to certain of the events that are central to the allegations against Mr. Allen, and at least one other female adult was present on the day in question as well who refutes certain of Ms. Farrow's allegations. Mr. Farrow is also a family therapist, so I do think his views on his mother's behavior carries with it a certain amount of professional weight, particularly about his own negative interactions with Mia Farrow and his views on her behavior toward her children.
I would also note that your views would have also supported believing the children in the McMartin Preschool trial, allegations which are now entirely discredited. Supporting victims and seeking to bring perpetrators of violence to justice does not merit tossing out all critical thinking.
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Again...Woody Allen. Why?
There is simply no credible proof that he ever did anything illegal, or that the entire incident at Mia Farrow's farm ever happened. We simply will never know. Polanski is a different thing entirely. No one accused Allen of abuse either before or since.
Meanwhile, Allen has written a hundred roles for strong, self reliant, and self aware women. Mia Farrow portrayed many of them. He's done more for women in films than any director in history. Is there to be no recognition for that? And yes, I'm aware that he's cast himself opposite many younger female leads. But how many of these characters left him, or his male protagonists? Annie Hall, Tracy, (in Manhattan), Farrow, (in New York Stories, Crimes and Misdemeanors, etc.) and many others.
His films are filled with cheating, conflicted men who get their come-uppance from strong, proud women. And for this he is labeled a "Vile worm" by Rose McCowan? Greta Gerwig won't work with him?
The world is a complicated place. If Charlie Chaplin were alive today, he'd be in jail, along with half of 20's Hollywood. I think we should be grateful for what we have, for the progress we've made, and try to bring some perspective, and humility, to the way we treat our artists. Because, while we'll never know what happened between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, we do know that we need our great artists, now, more than ever.
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Sera Sera: So well said. Your comment obviated the need I felt to make my own comment on this matter. Allen is a prolific genius. No actress or crew member of any of his fifty or so films as ever accused him of inappropriate behavior of any kind, let alone sexual. Actor after actor comments on how much he trusts them to choose how to employ their skills, the opposite of the power-seeking control monsters who deserve the wrath directed at them. These attacks on Allen are unwarranted and unseemly and dilute the justified, or a least justifiable, rage at Weinstein and his ilk, just as lumping in Al Franken with Donald Trump is its own kind of obscenity. Do we need to lose decent and effective politicians (and champions of women's rights) and brilliant artists (and creators of positive images of women) because anger is fueling action at the expense of clarity of vision and simple fair-mindedness?
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Sing it, Sera Sera !
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Bob Hope would be in jail too!
Greta Gerwig's comments on Woody Allen are the sort of reflexive behaviors that rightfully bring scorn on their makers. Regardless of what Dylan Farrow claims and her mother campaigns, the charges against Woody remain unproven. It's the same reasoning which led to Al Franken's forced resignation with no due process to establish guilt or non-guilt. I say non-guilt because anyone can be accused of anything. When in a legal setting, the charge is not proven, the accused is found not-guilty but they don't get their innocence back. If Ms. Gerwig chooses not to work with Mr. Allen on the grounds she articulates, that says more about her than about Mr. Allen,
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This is fine. I happen to more or less agree. Same with some of the other comments here. But what is the standard. Harvey Weinstein hasn't been proven guilty of anything either.
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It is important to note the in a court of law, "not guilty" is not the same as "innocent". It means the available and allowed facts don't meet the criteria of "beyond reasonable doubt".
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Because child sexual abuse is so easy to "prove." I used to think this way about Woody Allen as well, but after reading Dylan Farrow's 2014 piece in the NY Times, I'm done with his films, too.
https://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/an-open-letter-from-dylan-f...
<< After a custody hearing denied my father visitation rights, my mother declined to pursue criminal charges, despite findings of probable cause by the State of Connecticut – due to, in the words of the prosecutor, the fragility of the “child victim.” Woody Allen was never convicted of any crime. That he got away with what he did to me haunted me as I grew up. >>
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I have no idea what this is supposed to be.
Greta produced a fine modest film - it was not Citizen Kane.
The fact that she could produce and direct it belies the claim that women directors have no agency.
I hope many talented women produce and direct interesting films in the future.
They will not get those opportunities because of their gender, they will get them because of their talent.
Mr. Sorkin - I was expecting much more acerbic commentary from you - you disappoint me - call a puff pastry - a puff pastry - u used to be so authentic - what happened?
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This is a slightly nutty interview. First, the overly enthusiastic mutual admiration. But then Greta stating without genuine explanation why she wouldn't act in Woody Allen's movies. Aren't the movies themselves causing some women pain? I don't get it. Then Aaron Sorkin hoping for Kevin Spacey's comeback? It seems unlikely Kevin Spacey will be gone for long, and what "miraculous transformation" is Sorkin seeking? They started off very drunk and sobered up quickly.....
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Great conversation. Thanks !
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Not great at all.
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There are legitimate violations against women and then there are sex panics that have been conducted via the press and social media without cautiously examining the facts. This let's-ruin-Woody Allen campaign is frightening.
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I meant to say there are legitimate accusations of violations against women -- too many. Obviously, no proven violation is legitimate.
I'll try once more -- I meant to say that, if proven, the accusation is legit. If not proven, then it's not legit.
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All he has to say is that Trump is "uninteresting".
Funny how scared these people ALL are about calling out the ONE person who personifies the sexual harassment culture in America. And no, it's not Harvey Weinstein.
Harvey Weinstein can't pardon rapists because "they let you do it if you're a star".
Anyone who bothers mentioning Harvey, Kevin, or Woody before Tic Tacs is doing a disservice to the country. Hollywood is a subset of America, not the other way around.
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One of the things I love about Sorkin's TV shows is that they feature intelligent characters conversing and otherwise interacting with each other. I understand what he means about Trump. Stupid people are uninteresting. I wouldn't want to spend time with Trump not only because he's a jerk but because he's a dope.
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I heard GG stammer through a response to Terry Gross' Woody Allen question on "Fresh Air" so it is especially nice to read this new much more thoughtful and assured response. I respect her position and I appreciate her genuine struggle (in public!) with something as knotty as this. Well done.
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Go to your library tomorrow and get yourself a copy of “Stardust Memories,” the Woody Allen movie.
The opening scene, if you don’t already know, has Sandy Bates (Woody) in a railroad station stuck on a train full of sad, hopeless-looking people. Next track over, there is another train waiting to depart, this one full of happy, beautiful people who are in the middle of a wild party, all of us wish we had been invited to. Sharon Stone is one of them, and she blows him (and us) a kiss from afar.
Woody bangs on the windows and doors of the car he is on, trying everything he can to get out and join the wild party on the other train; but he -- and everyone watching the movie -- are trapped and cannot escape and join the party.
Woody Allen has had things to say in his career that were worth hearing and seeing and thinking about, and while I am not an art critic or his lawyer, I believe he should still be allowed to, without having to deal with random and distant accusations from the past.
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Geez, what is it with Woody Allen? He's a fine filmmaker with a long history of intelligent, thought-provoking and often funny movies - along with some real clunkers. But Greta Gerwig is not disallowing him to make films. She's just a colleague expressing a personal decision not to work with him again. She is not effecting an end to his career. And why should he be exempt from "dealing with random and distant accusations of the past." Nobody else is. It goes with the territory.
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... without having to deal with random and distant and never-proven accusations from the past.
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A Stanton:
That scene you referenced wasn't original to Allen.
That said, as a woman, I find Allen's female characters utterly compelling and far more so than female character Aaron Sorkin or Greta Gerwig ever created.
Woody Allen's output has been remarkable. I remain an admirer of his work.
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I loved, loved, loved Gerwig in Frances Ha. Lady Bird was lovely but I think Michelle Singletary and I would say - do not refinance your house to send your kid to a college that robs your retirement. Go to an honors program @ a good state U!
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Um, *has* Aaron Sorkin created "many great women characters" ??? I'm the biggest Allison Janney fan there is, but CJ Cregg is the exception that proves the rule. Aaron Sorkin is notoriously bad at writing women and it's silly for Mr. Bruni to adopt the premise that he's not. Let's not forget the Newsroom, on which nearly every female character was prone to hysterics or ogled as a sex object? Or even The West Wing, an old favorite of mine, but one that hasn't aged well—characters repeatedly engage in sexual harassment, commenting on their female coworkers' looks and laughing it off as harmless.
I'm surprised Aaron Sorkin's very relevant 2014 comments weren't mentioned in this interview: "Year in and year out, the guy who wins the Oscar for Best Actor has a much higher bar to clear than the woman who wins Best Actress."
What's next week's interview? Michael Bay on why movies should use fewer explosions?
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He lost me as soon as he had to get the point in that, while he lost at the Globes, he would be in the running at the BAFTAs. Just HAD to say it. Go away, obnoxious boy.
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Absolutely agree about Mr. Sorkin. That's the first thing I thought of when I read this column. While not rising to the egregious level of the behavior being discussed, the belief that somehow women's work doesn't meet "the bar" of men's is still extremely pernicious. And frankly, the explanation that "oh that's just because there aren't as many good roles for women and there should be" seems like an insincere cop-out to explain away your misogynistic statements. Even if we can address the obvious wrongs of sexual misconduct, until men can truly see women as equals, I worry about the chances for long-term change.
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Exactly my thought as I read this. If we can’t speak directly to Aaron Sorkin about his abysmal, stereotyped female characters, then this is not the revolution.
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What a pleasure to hear the thoughts of two talented, forward-looking professionals. It is indeed a respite from the stultifying political news of the day.
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Pay is a nice place to start. Gentlemen actors could insist on equitable pay for their lady co-starts--hey, they could refuse their services unless there ARE some clothed lady co-stars with speaking roles.
(I like all male movies, but I have seen sooo many of them.)
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Equitable cabbage!
I appreciate that Greta acknowledged that if she knew then what she knows now she never would have worked with Woody Allen. We can't change the past but when new information presents itself we must act on it or we become complicit. She clearly recognizes her privilege but wants to pay it forward by giving other artists an opportunity. That's how lasting change begins.
As for Mr Sorkin's claim that he didn't know but was waiting for marching orders, that's nothing more than a cop-out. Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey's actions were the worst kept secret in Hollywood. The time for looking the other way has passed.
Time will tell if this is a meaningful change in Hollywood or a passing fad. I look forward to seeing what happens with the Anita Hill action committee. Hopefully Hollywood doesn't go the way of the Catholic Church where they talk big and do nothing.
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"The worst kept secret" is just not as definable a thing as you're making it out to be. I work in so-called "Hollywood." I have met, and/or done business with Mr. Sorkin, and Mr. Spacey, and Mr. Weinstein. Having "heard stories" from a person you know, who heard it from someone they know, who themselves say it happened to them, is a great distance from "knowing" anything oneself. "Worst kept secrets" are things you've heard third, fourth, and fifth hand. Are you claiming those sorts of stories are, or should be, actionable by the 3rd, 4th, and 5th hand party? It's a stretch. Which is why it is heroic on the parts of those now speaking out, first hand, and why it's important that they be listened to by the first people to whom they report - so stories don't live long enough to reach 3rd, 4th, and 5th hand parties.
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Gerwig and others condemn Woody Allen based on unconfirmed accusations. But if accusations alone were enough to prove guilt, who should 'scape whipping?
Following a link provided in the article, I came upon a comment that provided the following form the hospital psychiatrists who examined Dylan Farrow:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160822160551/http://radaronline.com/wp-con...
Ami, your argument is undone by your claim that "the time has come". If this is the time, the moment, the alleged turning point, then the worst kept secrets cop-out accusation is undone by this being the time. Everything else was prologue.
Its not even a secret that politicians are too beholden to their donors...BUT until the time, the actual moment that "We the People" no longer tolerate it, we cant accuse politicians of cop'n out to the status quo.
So ease up on the accusations you fling at the wrong people.
I have great respect for both artists here - but there is a lot of hard to swallow nonsense in this interview. First, many of the "successful" female writers and directors listed here rose to prominence attached to more famous men (Ms. Bigelow, Ms Gerwig herself and Ms. Jolie). And that is deeply frustrating in 2018 that it is still so hard for women on their own merits to get opportunities. Second - the Woody Allen apology is nice - but totally disingenuous. It was perfectly clear what he was in 2011 and 2001 and so on - yet many highly talented actresses (and actors) were willing to overlook that to work with him. And it paid off for many in raising their professional profile. And again - that is very frustrating. Many women were willing to play ball with Mr. Weinstein and on and on to advance themselves. That is what makes these issues so complicated and nuanced. Many women wouldn't play ball - and never got their pet project films made, etc. I would argue these women are as much a victim if not more of the Hollywood sexist regime - because they are low or no profile as a result of them not willing to go along to get along - yet very few people are celebrating them here and reaching out to make up for missed opportunities!
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Good points.
And each case is different, but with aspects that lead to questions such as "Was the career opportunity so important that you were "forced" to compromise your behavior or values"? Could you not just walk away? Many women (and men) did, and many did not achieve acting fame or fortune. For those who did walk away, I have the most respect.
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Credit to Ms. Gerwig's judgment.
From a different vantage point... from the moment it was made public that Woody Allen and Sun Yi were an item, I chose to refuse to see, rent, watch on television or in any way contribute money or attention to his films. Ditto for others, such as Roman Polanski.
The only way to fight back was and is to vote with how I spend my money and time. It continues.
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Did Mr. Allen rape or otherwise abuse Sun Yi Previn? My understanding is that they're still together and happily so. They're an unconventional couple but..so what?
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I definitely feel for Soon-Yi. She has been married to Woody Allen for 20 years now (they married at age 27). They are still together. She has raised two children with him. She is in her late 40s.
Does she see herself as a victim? Is it not patronizing for us to treat her as a powerless victim without any agency of her own?
Is is not patronizing for us to assume that she cannot have made choices in life to be happy?
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My guess is that by your reasoning Charlie Chaplin's films are never to be seen. He was 54 when he married 18 year old Oona O'Neill. They had eight children together and Throughout her life, Oona O'Neill Chaplin was a gracious, quiet presence overshadowed by her ebullient husband. "Their home became a kind of intellectual watering hole; Pablo Casals, Nikita Khrushchev, Jawaharlal Nehru and Zhou Enlai were among those who visited the Chaplins in Switzerland." I guess too, if Chaplin were alive he wouldn't miss your not seeing his films, masterpieces like Modwern Times, City Lights, The Great Dictator etc etc.
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I thought Sunday night was a trumpet fanfare that did a good job of getting our attention. Now what I’m hoping for is specificity — what can I do differently today than I was doing yesterday?
-- Aaron Sorkin
[ The perfect and necessary point to make, now I too want specificity. I do not intend that this awareness of the problem be let rest without going to prescription. For me, I think the strength in collectives would be a fine followup. ]
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