The casting couch and sex and the Wienstein case
The famous Hollywood mogul is accused by many women of impropriety, but the casting couch is part of Bollywood and Hollywood folklore.
The Casting Couch is a rather old-fashioned phrase that is associated with Hollywood. What does it mean? It means that powerful movie moguls make sexual advances to young actors or actresses in exchange for a role in a movie. Ambition and greed dictate the reaction, and a new actress aspiring to stardom may well succumb. This is a universal human fault and is something that cannot be wished for. Now we have the Case of the founder of Miramax, Harvey Weinstein, accused of exploiting women and actresses.
The casting couch theory has been reinforced but has always been around, ever since Hollywood came on the scene.
There are tons of sexual harassment stories that have been making the rounds since Hollywood began. One of the first cases of sexual assault was in 1921 when the million dollar star, Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle, allegedly raped a young actress. Now, a hundred years later, the allegations against Weinstein are making the rounds, according to a CNN report.
sexual harassment
Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is accused of sexual harassment by nearly 30 women, many of whom are in the movie industry.
The charges have built up thick and fast. Most of those who have accused Weinstein of acts of dishonesty are women, aspiring to be actresses or seeking a break in the film world. The lid has been blown off and the movie mogul is unmasked, more like the emperor who had no clothes at all. One thing is clear, men like Weinstein got away with it as the victims were trapped.
The victims were powerless as men like Weinstein had the backing of the establishment and the aspiring stars feared that if they spoke out, it would be the end of their careers. Weinstein was in that position and exploited the power of it to the fullest. Although he has denied it, there are reports that he made deals with at least eight of his victims, the BBC reported.
last word
This phenomenon isn’t limited to Hollywood, but its Bollywood clone is packed with casting-couch stories.
Weinstein was not the first and certainly not the last. Many of the best actresses have now come out into the open, but one can’t help but feel like it’s too late in the day. He will probably be punished and his personal life will be broken with his wife leaving him. The New York police have also opened an investigation into him. Weinstein’s goose is cooked and he may even end up in prison. That’s part of the ‘game’ that he should have taken into account: there is always a price to pay.