Harvey Weinstein confronted at Actor's Hour — Page 2

AADA81 said: "Wow, people are putting all sorts of words in my mouth. I said nothing about speaking truth to power, though in all accuracy, in this instance it was speaking assumed truth to power. My post was about rude and disrespectful behavior toward a stranger in public. It's quite possible to speak truth to power respectfully, without resorting to insults. You'll have a better chance of being heard and respected for your words."

There is no reason to show any kind of respect to Harvey Weinstein. None.

AADA81 said: "Wow, people are putting all sorts of words in my mouth. I said nothing about speaking truth to power, though in all accuracy, in this instance it was speaking assumed truth to power. My post was about rude and disrespectful behavior toward a stranger in public. It's quite possible to speak truth to power respectfully, without resorting to insults. You'll have a better chance of being heard and respected for your words."

Ignore the people adopting a bullying tone while pretending to speak for the oppressed. You didn't defend Weinstein or any rapist, you asked for civilized behavior at public gatherings. You're welcome here by many, and they will respond well to your posts in other threads--though sadly, I can tell you a few will continue the game of character assassination and attacks no matter what you say about anything. Well, it is the internet...

There is a special place in hell for those who defend rapists.

AADA81 said: "When did it become the norm to call out, insult, yell at or disrespect total strangers in public? Whatever Weinstein is accused of doing is being addressed through the court system. Yelling at orinsulting a total stranger in public because he is an alleged abuser is ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR. It is hypocritical to excuse one's own abusive behavior because you think someone else deserves it. Abusive behavior is not acceptable under any circumstances."

@ Highland Guy this is the post that defended a rapist. So Harvey Weinstein can rape women with impunity but no one's allowed to be rude to him?

Civility is overrated. It only applies to rich powerful men accused of doing something horrible. Women (or men) who speak the truth about abusers are called liars, sluts, whores, out for money, and get death threats. Where's the civility for them?

poisonivy2 said: "Civility is overrated."



Which was proved when you and another person here said (and I paraphrase) that three BWW contributors (men) deserve a special place in Hell. NO ONE defended a rapist, no matter how you try to spin the narrative.

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^^^^^^^^^^

At the beginning of her commentary, I thought she was going to discuss the incident at the club. And then at the conclusion, I thought she might announce her resignation. I am so glad she didn't. She is a valuable commodity for MSNBC, and her departure would be a great loss. The woman has balls. I do believe that Farrow is a bit more optimistic about the changes coming about within the NBC organization than is Maddow, but change there will be. Good on both of them.

And now this. I have spent much of my life in service to this country. And as a queer man, I have worked hard to support all minority communities, including the community of women. I do not look kindly upon those who falsely accuse me and others here of defending accused rapists. Anyone who wishes upon another contributor that they be assigned "a special place in Hell" should not be permitted to post in these forums. Words matter.

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Updated On: 10/27/19 at 12:35 AM

Highland Guy said: "^^^^^^^^^^

At the beginning of her commentary, I thought she was going todiscuss the incident at the club. And then at the conclusion, I thought she might announce her resignation. I am so glad she didn't. She is a valuable commodity for MSNBC, and her departure would be a great loss. The woman has balls. I do believe that Farrow is a bit more optimistic about the changes coming about within the NBC organization than is Maddow, but change there will be. Good on both of them.

And now this. I have spent much of my life in service to this country. And as a queer man, I have worked hard to support all minority communities, including the community of women. I do not look kindly upon those who falsely accuse me and others here of defending accused rapists. Anyone who wishes upon another contributor that they be assigned "a special place in Hell" should not be permitted to post in these forums. Words matter."

Well said, my friend. I thought Maddow did a smashing job representing her point of view with clarity and purpose. I'm hopeful (but not naive) that NBC will make the right decision. As for your support of communities, I think the same way. My friends and family call me a 'feminist' because of my very strong opinions on women's rights, so to have complete strangers accuse me of supporting rapists is, of course, ludicrous. In any case, those posters exposed themselves for who they truly are without even realizing it, which is often the case with bullies, and words do matter. Hopefully, others on this board will understand.

Weinstein has been accused of serious crimes, but is out on bail and has not had his day in court yet. So right now he is one of those innocent until proven guilty.

You know why the law makes a big deal out of this distinction between accused and convicted. It's because thousands of innocent men, mostly non-white, have been lynched and shot and beaten by an angry group of people who didn't think they had to wait for a conviction since there were a lot of accusers and the courts might find him not guilty on some technicality.

The difference with Weinstein is that he did not have his house surrounded by an angry group, and he was not found leaving the supermarket and people surrounded his car and put a brick through the windshield. He went into the enemy camp and could only expect the reaction that he got. Stay home, no problem.

A couple of articles were talking about his "planning his comeback." I don't know how he's going to make a comeback while in prison, but clearly this man is not contrite, He's the same arrogant creep that he's always been.

(I'm a woman, and a sexual abuse survivor.)

I shuddered the moment that handful of MEN in the audience heckled her and told her to shut up.

And I got chills when the women began cheering for her.

Let me tell you this: It doesn't matter who you are or how famous you are: whether you abuse, rape, or murder someone, you've given up your right to go about your life without inconvenience. Maybe a comedy night that included women wasn't the place for him to go if he wanted a pleasant night out.

Not that he ever deserves one in his life again.

Being a victim and being confronted with - especially unexpectedly - an accused abuser is rattling beyond words. So anyone defending him with "innocent until proven guilty" (or worse, "he didn't deserve to be treated that way")is, frankly, disgusting. That is just IN THE EYES OF THE LAW. Not in the court of public opinion, nor the court of individual trauma.

Updated On: 10/27/19 at 12:20 PM

veronicamae said: "
Let me tell you this: It doesn't matter who you are or how famous you are: whether you abuse, rape, or murder someone, you've given up your right to go about your life without inconvenience. Maybe a comedy night that included women wasn't the place for him to go if he wanted a pleasant night out."

I fundamentally disagree with this. And since you've been brave enough to disclose that you are a sexual abuse survivor, I'll acknowledge that I was sexually abused in my teens.

I think publicly shunning someone or making a pariah of one who has committed a crime and is awaiting trial, or who has served their time and been released back into public like, is one thing. I think choosing to harass them publicly is another. We're supposed to be civilized people, and we shouldn't stop being that when others--even in very serious ways--commit terrible acts, even heinous ones.

People could have walked out when they saw Weinstein there. People could have stayed and refused to speak with him or anyone with him. Either course would have been impressive and made news. But to verbally assault him publicly is to return to the days of putting people in the stocks.

It's part of a larger trend in our society to skip over process and proscribed remedies in favor of mob justice. Right now, people on the left only want to scream at people they no longer think deserve their rights, or to have them ejected from restaurants. But it's the other side of the same coin that has already lead to violence against minorities in the wake of Obama's presidency and Trump's election. There is a widespread belief in our society today that we don't have to treat people as fully human if we don't personally consider them fully human. And yes, people are adhering to this belief on both sides of the political spectrum. Trump parrots the "both sides" phrase for his own ends, but that he's abusing the phrase doesn't make the phrase itself false. And it genuinely frightens me. I think if this societal breakdown--which is what it amounts to--continues, all of us lose.

So I think the treatment of Weinstein at that event was wrong, while still believing that Weinstein is a repugnant person who will hopefully spend many, many years in prison.

Updated On: 10/27/19 at 02:19 PM

Comparing what happened to Harvey Weinstein at Actor's Hour to lynching is especially grotesque.

YOU owe people an apology for saying the woman was talking out of turn when Harvey Weinstein richly deserves any and all abuse he gets.

People who support abusers (sadly most of the men in this thread) will never apologize. White male privilege and toxic masculinity took over this thread. It's truly repugnant. What is even more horrifying is that my post, saying I was a rape survivor, was erased. These men think like Harvey, they defend men like Harvey, and some may act like him too.

<<edited by BWW staff>>

Updated On: 10/27/19 at 04:00 PM