Scott Rudin takedown - Page 10

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/11/21 at 1:19pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Wasn’t Harvey Weinstein technically his own boss too? Sure, Scott Rudin Production may not have a board. What we should hope for are investors pulling out of Rudin shows. Then that way he can be toppled."

 

But the distinction there is key - I'd guess that it isn't too difficult for a board of directors to convene, and make a swift decision to axe Weinstein in the interest of their own company. The investors, by contrast, are part of a large pool of independent parties who would have to individually make the decision to sever ties with him - and that still wouldn't stop Rudin from seeking out other potential investors (it's not like Weinstein could go out and find another board of directors for his company). 

And as other people have pointed out earlier in this thread, the fact that Rudin is a THEATRE producer specifically poses the addition challenge of visibility. Simply put, Weinstein is more of a "famous" figure than Rudin, where the general public is concerned. So Rudin's investors wouldn't necessarily pull out unless they felt like Rudin's name would lose them their tourist money, which isn't very likely. 

I'm not saying this isn't a challenge, and I'm not claiming that a full-on Rudin cancellation is likely at this point. But it's more likely in this moment than it ever has been before. So to use a triple-mixed-metaphor: we might as well put all of our eggs into riding this wave, in case it sticks. 

Updated On: 4/11/21 at 01:19 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/11/21 at 1:33pm

That metaphor was like a triple axel in figure skating.

Note also that Weinstein was not toppled internally, but by the law. 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/11/21 at 5:10pm

A better example is probably Les Moonves.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 4/11/21 at 5:51pm

I was this today years old when I found out that Scott Rudin was doing this stuff. How I didn't know until now is crazy. Insane

[MannPhan24601]

Posted: 4/11/21 at 7:06pm

Ryan Vasquez posted this on Instagram. Will elaborate more on that thread on the Hamilton Homophobia article https://www.instagram.com/p/CNc6sx4Mxw_/

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/12/21 at 12:22am

Seems kind of hypocritical of Bette Midler... https://twitter.com/bettemidler/status/1381131830133358592?s=21

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 4/12/21 at 12:52pm

Another minor voice heard from...

https://www.showbiz411.com/2021/04/07/hollywood-broadway-producer-scott-rudin-once-threatened-to-strangle-publicist-the-only-thing-separating-my-hands-from-your-neck-is-the-fact-that-there-are-three-thousand-miles-between-us

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/12/21 at 1:06pm

Yet, nothing is being done and the major players on Broadway say nothing.

Sigh. How frustrating. 

[binau]

Posted: 4/12/21 at 2:01pm

Another Tweet Donna Murphy liked on the subject. 

"Not sure how accurate this reporting is, but @RealHughJackman backing out of a Rudin-produced show after@TatianaSiegel27’s@THR story is exactly the kind of consequence that can dissuade abuse in the future & literally save lives"

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/12/21 at 8:16pm

For those keeping tabs, https://twitter.com/DMurphyOfficial/likes

Also, the tweet binau just pasted was from David Graham-Caso, who wrote that searing thread about his brother mentioned earlier on.

https://twitter.com/dgrahamcaso/status/1381033603451158530

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/12/21 at 11:31pm

https://radaronline.com/p/hugh-jackman-quitting-broadway-music-man-scott-rudin-abuse-allegations/

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/12/21 at 11:42pm

Not only is that garbage article four days old, it was already posted in this exact thread, 

Radar is a rag and holds zero weight. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/13/21 at 12:18am

What's amusing to me is that, for all the sturm und drang on display and this and the "petition" thread, the most significant development vis-a-vis Rudin since the outset of all this (the union action) happens today and here we have crickets. Typical.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/13/21 at 12:32am

100%

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/13/21 at 5:56am

Well, perhaps if you shared that "union action" with us, we would discuss it.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/13/21 at 8:44am

Here's the article.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/performers-unions-denounce-workplace-harassment-demand-action-on-credible-allegations

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/13/21 at 10:10am

dramamama611 said: "Well, perhaps if you shared that "union action" with us, we would discuss it."

I guess I should have, but it was all over the theatre news sites including this one (https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/AEA-SAG-AFTRA-and-Local-802-AFM-Release-Joint-Statement-on-the-Need-for-Harassment-Free-Workplaces-in-the-Arts-20210412) and I just assumed people had a slightly broader focus than this board. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/13/21 at 12:15pm

Most of us do.

I think many, many people want to speak out but they also want to work. So, it's a pretty impossible situation for an average person in the industry. 

[MannPhan24601]

Posted: 4/13/21 at 4:27pm

Just randomly thought about Betsy Wolfe and Carousel . Didn't Rudin fire her just because she was in Waitress while the lab was happening ??

And if course the whole Audra thing with suing the insurance company . As I said before , apparently Billy Porter said somewhere Shuffle Along didn't close because of Audra and closed from "other drama".....

[Owen22]

Posted: 4/14/21 at 9:04am

An excellent piece by Alastair Smith  in the UK theater blog The Stage today. 

<<edited by moderators>>

https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/opinion/scott-rudin-claims-pose-major-test-for-west-end

Updated On: 4/14/21 at 09:04 AM

[Mm882]

Posted: 4/14/21 at 9:42am

Thanks for sharing this!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/14/21 at 10:39am

From Variety:

https://www.vulture.com/amp/2021/04/21-notorious-scott-rudin-stories.html?__twitter_impression=true

(On mobile, sorry if it’s not clickable)

[JSquared2]

Posted: 4/14/21 at 11:13am

Good to know that there are uninformed hysterics on both sides of the pond!

Updated On: 4/14/21 at 11:13 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/14/21 at 11:19am

Thanks, JBroadway — came here to post this handy horrible list too. Here you go:

https://www.vulture.com/2021/04/21-notorious-scott-rudin-stories.html

Posted: 4/14/21 at 1:31pm

LizzieCurry said: "Thanks, JBroadway— came here to post this handy horrible list too. Here you go:

https://www.vulture.com/2021/04/21-notorious-scott-rudin-stories.html"

Oh my god this list is idiotic.

"He reportedly kicked and punched so many holes in his office walls that assistants had to cover them with plants."

The walls should definitely sue for damages.

"He called Angelina Jolie a “minimally talented spoiled brat” with a 'rampaging spoiled ego.'"

This is the second thing in the list?! Is there some major contingent of Angelina Jolie sympathizers out there that I just don't know about? They also add that he insulted Megan Ellison, as though that's somehow worse. They are both beacons of Hollywood nepotism. I think they can handle some criticism.

Oh, and also, he insulted them privately, in an email, and we only know about it because his personal emails were hacked and released (an actual crime). Anyone have sympathy for victims of crimes? No? Ok, cool.

"He suggested President Obama would like Kevin Hart."

Hard to imagine that someone whose job involves marketing entertainment to large, macro audiences would occasionally fall into stereotypes. I realize everyone is their own unique snowflake, but sometimes you have to generalize your audience.

Also, again, we know about this because he was the victim of a crime.

"He reportedly pushed an assistant out of a moving car."

Bull****. First, the source doesn't say the car was moving, so that detail was just constructed out of thin air by NY Mag. Second, if he fired an assistant for being late to pick him up from the airport, how in God's name did he make it all the way to the Triborough Bridge before ejecting the assistant? Third, did Rudin, like, take over driving after he left the assistant? While the car was moving? What even is this story?

"He reportedly cracked cell phones in half “like he was shucking oysters.”

I legitimately don't care. They are his cellphones. This is childish, but, hey man, break all of the cellphones you want.

"He reportedly threw his corded phone so often that assistants measured the length of the cord so they could be out of reach."

Throwing things is childish and shameful. I wouldn't work for someone who did that, but I'm not going to fault the assistants who decided that the salary/benefits/experience of the job were worth putting up with that.

"He reportedly fired an assistant for mispronouncing a director’s name."

This is an entirely fair reason to fire someone. If you, as an assistant, are interacting with your boss's clients, you better know how to pronounce their names.

"He reportedly fired someone for bringing him the wrong breakfast muffin."

This seems like an overreaction, but screwing up a food order could easily be a harbinger for screwing up bigger things. There is no shortage of people who want to be Rudin's assistants, so I don't fault him for not putting up with imperfection.

"He reportedly sent heavy smoker Harvey Weinstein a crate of cigarettes during a feud."

Everyone here is incredibly sympathetic to Harvey Weinstein so I'm sure this is the thing that will get Rudin cancelled.

"He reportedly put the definition of 'anticipate' in huge letters over an assistant’s desk."

Okay? Moving on.

"He reportedly fired an assistant who was on the way to his childhood friend’s funeral."

Well, he was fired while presenting a chart that wasn't comprehensible, and subsequently slamming the door after Rudin criticized his work. That's what the WSJ source says.

I can't tell how the funeral plays into this, but it's not like he got a phone call while he was driving to the funeral. The dude slammed his boss's office door and got fired (then later rehired). Let me show you the world's tiniest violin.

"He reportedly fired and rehired a legally blind assistant."

Is there a rule that says blind people may only leave jobs voluntarily? Is that cancel-worthy these days? I understand being blind is an incredible hardship, but unless you're fired for being blind, you can nevertheless be fired.

"He reportedly emailed a staffer 1,400 times over nine days."

I don't know how many Slack messages I send 1-on-1 to people over the course of 9 days, but it's probably close. I could not care less about this.

"His business strategy reportedly involved having assistants make calls at absurdly early or late hours."

Oh no!

"He reportedly jeopardized an entire production to get back at playwright Bruce Norris."

If Norris screwed Rudin, why would Rudin then spend money on a subsequent production of his work? Is he obligated to give money to someone he hates?

"He allegedly owes an advertising agency over $6 million."

Ok, so we're just listing unresolved lawsuits now. How did they do $6 million dollars of work with only an oral agreement? Whatever.

"His lawyers sent cease-and-desist letters to amateur and stock theater companies over productions of To Kill a Mockingbird."

I was annoyed by this when it happened, but most lawyers are heartless followers of contractual law and don't consider the PR implications when they enforce their rights.

"He banned a critic from all future screenings of his films for breaking a review embargo."

That's what every company does when someone breaks an embargo. You have to enforce the embargo or people will willfully break it.

"He slashed Broadway ticket prices at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic."

Uh... ok? Demand fell, he lowered prices. No one knew until mid-March how deadly COVID really was, and then Broadway closed outright. This is slanted to make it seem like he facilitated the spread of COVID, but no one knew anything in March.

"He reportedly got the musical Beetlejuice evicted from the Winter Garden Theatre."

We all know the details here. This musical got contractually ejected because it was not selling well, and then out of nowhere it went bananas, but at that point the transition was already in progress. The Shubert org made the call. I didn't want to see Beetlejuice close either, but honestly how often does a show literally rise from the dead to become a success months after opening?

21 things in 40 years (one issue every 2 years). If this was supposed to make me believe Rudin should be cancelled, it had the opposite effect.