Harvey Weinstein question, sort of

In My Humble Opinion
1

From time to time we have threads here which are compendiums of “things I can’t believe other people don;t know.”

I always am a little surprised by these: maybe as many as half the things in these threads strike me as fairly esoteric or specialized knowledge, and even if I know them (and I don’t always) I don’t find it surprising that others don’t.

Anyway–I thought of those threads the other day, when the news about this harvey Weinstein guy broke. Thing is, I had no idea who this man was. I expect I might have heard of him somewhere along the line, but if so the name wasn’t sticky at all. I now know some stuff about him, most of it bad of course, but none of what I’ve learned rings any bells.

Now, to be fair, I am not what you’d call a movie person. I think the last movie I saw in a theater was the 7th Star Wars episode (I liked it a lot), shortly after it came out. I can;t remember the last time we sat down and watched a movie here at home–we keep saying we’re going to watch the Florence Foster jenkins movie, but we haven;t, and my daughter wanted to show Moana to my wife, and I was sort of in and out of the room when the movie was going on, but I can’t say I WATCHED it watched it…

I’m not a total ignoramus where movies are concerned. I could name a bunch of movie actors off the top of my head, sometimes even associate them with movies: Brad Pitt (he was in that Benjamin Button movie), Sean Penn (Milk), Meryl Streep (Doubt). Will Smith, Renee Zellweger (sp?), Reese Witherspoon, Robert DeNiro, jennifer Lawrence–not sure I could name movies for each but I know they exist. I’m sure there are a bunch of other folks I couldn’t name but if you said their names I’d know they were in the movie business.

But not Weinstein.

So, I’m curious. Should I (in some sense) have known who he was, before all these accusations started happening? If so, how would I have known him? Would you consider my ignorance here an egregious example of “something I can;t believe a person wouldn’t know,” or is it perfectly reasonable that I wouldn;t know the name, or somewhere in between? Inquiring minds want to know!

(I’m American by the way, in my fifties, and I never did well in the pink category in Trivial Pursuit; my knowledge base tends more toward geography, sports, and politics/history than movies, TV, and pop music…)

Thanks!

2

There is no particular reason why anyone should know who Harvey Weinstein is if they don’t follow the movie industry. He’s not a household name like James Cameron. He is (or was) a production company honcho.

3

Agreed. I knew him because he was involved in a lot of movies I saw when I used to watch a lot of movies. I doubt I could name a single production company or producer who started making movies after about 1999 or so. If I met someone who didn’t know who Weinstein was, I wouldn’t think less of them.

I’m fairly ignorant of most current movie stars and other show business types. Shrug. I’m a busy guy with two little kids, and I spend what little free time I have on other stuff.

4

No reason you should know who he is if you don’t follow the movie industry. I once told a guy that he was more Michael Bay, while I was more Merchant Ivory, and he had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, even though once I explained, he realized that he had seen and enjoyed almost every Michael Bay movie (I, on the other hand, have never seen one).

There are plenty of big names in professional sports that I would be completely unable to recognize. Oh, and all of those sci-fi authors referenced on the Dope.

5

Miramax, the independent film studio founded by the Weinstein brothers (Harvey and Robert) became very well known for producing a lot of critically well regarded and groundbreaking films in the 'Eighties and early 'Nineties that major studios found to be either too fiscally or morally risky, giving rise to careers of now famous directors such as Steven Soderbergh, Neil Jordan, Quentin Tarantino, Peter Jackson, et cetera, as well as the rise of a number of young actors who have become major stars. It was also a darling of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the same organization that awards the Oscars), and as such was highly prized. The company was purchased by Disney in 1993 but essentially permitted to be run independently by the Weinsteins until 2005, when both left and formed the Weinstein Company. Given the proliferation of acting and filmmaking talent that it supported was considered to be fertile ground for aspiring actors and filmmakers. Unfortunately, that also made it easy for Harvey Weinstein (and reportedly others within the company) to behave in inappropriate and predatory fashion with young talent who aspired to success. This is, of course, an old story; I doubt there is anything Harvey Weinstein has done that can’t easily be topped by stories of Jack Warner or Louis B. Mayer, and the entertainment industry in general is rife with all manner of predatory sleezeballs from Fatty Arbuckle and Errol Flynn to Roman Polanski and Bill Cosby. (Mayer in particularly actually had a standing coterie of lawyers and private detectives to deal with accusations of rape and wedlock, including the implication that he may have had one or more accusers lobotomized or murdered.)

Back to the question of the o.p., if you simply watch movies casually there is no particular reason you would know who Harvey Weinstein is, just as you may not know who is the administrator of NASA or who invented the spark ignition piston engine if you aren’t a space geek or a car enthusiast. But Harvey Weinstein was one of the most powerful and influential studio executives in Hollywood for the last thirty years, as well as a powerful and well-heeled donor to the Democratic party and the Clintons in particular, much of which is being made about for political opportunity, as if the Republicans don’t have a multitude of sexual predators in their midst. (Look up the term, “being Stromed” re Strom Thrumond.) The revelations that Weinstein was pervasively committing sexual harrassment and abuse on what are now many of the highest profile working actresses for the entirety of that time is, if not entirely (or at all) shocking, certainly indicates a sea change in how society overlooks the transgressions of the powerful, at least in entertainment. Whether it will result in some kind of permanent shift in the entertainment industry remains to be seen (I’m doubtful) but it will probably follow with more revelations of abuse by executives and other power players, at least in the near term.

Stranger

6

I knew who he was. I had also heard of his reputation as a horn dog, which was similar to others in his position. No indication as to the extent of course.

I will never be able to understand why some powerful men feel the need to force others to have sex. God knows they have legions of people throwing themselves at them willingly, I have actually read some men mention this with annoyance.

7

When the headline first broke, I thought they were talking about Harvey Firestein. The pictures in the story did nothing to steer me from thinking that. It wasn’t until I read about his wife, and I thought, “Waaaaait…”

8

Reminds me of a Chris Rock gag…

(paraphrasing, since I don’t have, whatever…)

There ain’t no such thing as “sexual harassment”! There is just "Dude tryin’ to get laid!

I wonder if he’ll change that joke?

9

Hey Stranger from everything I’ve ever read about Fatty Arbuckle he wasn’t the predatory sleaze that he was made out to be and was ultimately acquitted and given an apology after three trials and apparently he was pretty shy around the fairer sex, have you read something specific about it the guy, or do you just vaguely recall that he was accused of a rape? The facts of the case suggest he was falsely accused and his career and life ruined as a result.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roscoe_Arbuckle

10

I only know who he is because I was much more of a movie watcher in 90s and early 00-zies than I am now, and I am one of those people who watches the DVD of a favorite movie with the commentary on. I liked knowing all the little extra tidbits. He is usually talked about by actors and directors when they are discussing behind the scenes stuff. I knew he was associated with some of my favorites like Gangs of New York, Shakespeare in Love, Emma, pretty much anything by Quentin Tarantino, The Hours and I think Chicago, too…plus a whole lot more I am sure.

I also knew he was a letch. But I can’t recall where I picked this information up somewhere along the way. It seemed to be an open secret, so I am dubious of these “shocked” celebrities who are giving their big denouncements of him now…yeah, Clooney, Affleck & Tarantino, I am side-eyeing you. They’re shocked as buzzards finding roadkill.

I haven’t watched a new movie in ages and find myself wanting less and less to do with modern Hollywood. Turner Classic Movies is my friend. These days most of the movies I watch are black and white.

And pardon me for the slight hi-jack, but:

Just because he is/was a letch and a jerk doesn’t mean he can’t have an eye for picking good projects to green light and produce. I am reading some really dumb articles of people saying things like “Harvey Weinstein Produced One of My Favorite Movies, Now What?” Really? Are you, a regular member of the move-watching public, seriously gonna stand around looking like a cow in a butcher shop over this?

Well, well, let’s see…um, I think… it is perfectly alright for you to still enjoy Shakespeare in Love without feeling like you are complicit in anything Weinstein ever did. Are people really this paranoid these days that they think they can be labeled as having some kind of guilt by association from this far away? Oh noes! I like a movie Harvey Weinstein produced! I must be a sexist womanizer! I’m gonna get fired from my job and all my friends are gonna hate me and I will ostracized! I need to write 5 pages on Facebook about how I will never let my eyeballs fall on anything he ever touched ever again, then maybe my reputation can be saved!!

Now, back on topic.

No, you shouldn’t feel out of any loops because you didn’t know him from a dust bunny under your couch. All is well. :)!

11

Not only does your wall to wall word salad hurt the eyes, your verbosity about ‘revelations’ and ‘pervasively committed’ acts is nothing more than vomit spewing from your typing.

12

Your words: “I must be a sexist womanizer!”

Since he didn’t bash gays, he can’t be all bad. Hypocrite.

13

I, for one, read every word, and I appreciated the whole time Stranger’s excellent way with the written word. In fact I appreciate virtually everything the guy writes, even though we’re diametrically opposed politically. Further, Stranger On A Train is a rocket scientist, I believe, but even so he’s also well versed in an astounding range of other subjects and is very likely the smartest guy on this board, a board with more than its fair share of highly educated and very smart people. In the future I’d think twice if I were you about giving him advice as to how he might best compose his posts.

I do think he’s off base about Fatty Arbuckle though. :wink:

14

::runs around in circles:: Oh ma God, oh ma God, oh ma God! I left a critical base uncovered!! No amount of Facebook apologies shall ever wash away this social stain!! Harvey Weinstein ruined my life!

::dives into bed & hides under covers::

15

How eloquent that you can fill up an entire page of meaningless verbiage defending/disavowing a rapist.

16

Did you quote the right post?

17

I’m starting to think that LongTimeLurker may have decided he wants to be a short time poster.

18

A long time lurker ought to know this ain’t The Pit. You’re certainly allowed to have strong opinions, but your tone isn’t remotely appropriate for this forum. Knock it off.

19

I watch a fair number of movies, even Miramax ones, but I didn’t really know who he was. I probably heard his name or something. So, I wouldn’t feel bad about not know who the heck he is. I don’t know the names of the producers of my favorite bands, either.

And, LongTimeLurker, if you think Stranger’s response was a wall of text, you ain’t seen nothing around here. We often get new posters who really post said walls. I was going to say more about your posting style in IMHO, but I see a mod beat me to it.

20

I had a very similar experience to the OP’s. The name sounded vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn’t have told you who he was before this whole thing happened. It’s probably because I’m not a movie person either, and I have no idea how Hollywood works. I can understand the role of a director, and a screenwriter, and an actor, but WTH is a producer anyway? (I’m not actually asking, I don’t really care.)

Other people have told me they knew who he was from seeing him on awards shows. I never watch those things, I think they’re boring as ass. “Who are you wearing, hurr durrrr?” Please.