WEll, let’s be clear, there’s a HUGE gulf between consensual and inappropriate behavior and unconsesnual.
That being said, who gets believed does have a lot to do with the political leanings of the accused. Anita Hill was obviously telling the truth and Juanita Broaddick is a damn liar. If there were only one or two accusers and one of them wasn’t a famous liberal activist like Ashley Judd, there would be lots of talk of right wing conspiracies.
FTR, did Polanski ever run for office and/or make any campaign contributions to any political party?
Hate to break it to you, but only a tiny percentage of child actors make it into the tabloids, get abused, or are drug addicts.
The process of getting agents and auditioning is designed to eliminate “stage mothers” - not that I ever saw more than one or two. Kids go in by themselves, and it is very obvious if they are there because they want to be or because they are being forced to audition. Kids forced into it don’t seem to get many jobs, because all the kids I’ve seen on sets were damn happy to be there and were loving every minute of working.
Sure it happens, but it sure as hell isn’t prevalent. The National Enquirer is not a good source about what really goes on in the industry.
Name me three child stars who haven’t had drug problems as adults.
Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johanssen and Jodie Foster.
ETA: I did that is less than 30 seconds on purpose. The list is huge. But there is indeed a much higher incidence of drug problem among Hollywood children from what I can see, just not as bad as you’re making it out to be.
I haven’t been following this story too closely but I’ve seen multiple articles from reputable sources talk about how both Rose McGowan and Lena Dunham are the only celebrities actually talking about this.
It is a lot easier to write jokes when someone denies it over time, so the story builds, or when someone has set himself up as a moral paragon.
The real shameful thing is the lack of on the record comments from people in the business. That’s where the jokes should be directed.
Portman was a teen. Johanssen was a teen. Jodie Foster doesn’t have a drug problem, but smokes 2 packs a day. People deal with shit in different ways.
This could be why:
http://yournewswire.com/jodie-foster-hollywood-rape/
A key quote from the article:
And it’s not like she didn’t have reason to. If her experience isn’t nearly universal I’d be surprised. Elijah Wood says it hasn’t happened to him, but he recognizes how lucky he is.
I don’t know if Foster is a good example because she admitted having a bit of problem with drugs while in college. Of course, this shortly after Hinkley took a shot at Reagan to “impress” her so there might’ve been other factors at work than being a former child actress years before.
They were both pre-teens I believe. It appears Natalie was 12 for ***Leon ***(the Professional). Scarlett was 10 for North. If we’re counting cigarettes, I think you’re trying too hard. I named 3 without effort. Give it a break. There are far more.
How’s the group from Harry Potter doing so far? Most started at 11 and most are doing fine aren’t they?
You said actors. Michelle Trachtenburg, Danny Tamberelli, Mike Maronna to name three I knew personally - and my daughter.
It is the height of ignorance to think all actors are rich stars in mansions with coke habits. Not quite accurate.
I wouldn’t normally count smoking unless it’s an abnormal addiction. Someone who smokes heavily usually does it for a reason. Drew Barrymore and Jodie Foster are notorious for always smoking, although Jodie has tried to quit many times and may currently be on the wagon.
Portman and Johannson are non-smokers I believe, or at least don’t smoke enough that everyone notices. But I also had in mind true child actors. A person may be ready for Hollywood by the time they become a pre-teen, but young children don’t seem to do too well. And those who have testified have said it was not much of a secret and they still fear naming names to this day. That’s a culture problem. If it was just a few bad apples they could out people and everyone would be on their side. But if Jodie Foster was talking about say, Jerry Bruckheimer, she might not have too much support from her colleagues.
A lot of people seem to be shocked, just shocked, that something like this could be going on. That rings a bit hollow. Reading the NYTimes article, dozens if not hundreds of people would have known about these accusations. It speaks to a culture of tolerance for this sort of behavior.
Tolerance, but also fear. the NY Times the next day ran an article about how Weinstein is being talked about constantly: just not on the record. Weinstein could be back and no one wants to get on his bad side. Plus he’s made a lot of careers and it can be hard to speak out against your benefactor.
The one I worried most about, because I appreciated him so much as a child actor, was Fred Savage. He turned out just fine, says he has absolutely no regrets about being a child star, and that “In no way does the experience preordain people for a lifetime of addiction, sloppy bids for attention, or soft crime.”
Mayim Bialik seems to have done just fine as well.
To add to the list: Freddie Highmore seems to be doing fine, despite having begun his film career at age seven.
The ‘most child actors grow up to have problems’ meme seems remarkably thinly supported.
Like in the back of a VW?
I don’t follow this too closely, can anyone say if HW has done anything illegal?