With the most recent spate of sexual assuault allegations from the entertainment, there comes the usual reactions of disgust and horror to the actions of previously loved stars. A word that is not being bounded around though is sorry, and as days go by it seems the only thing harder for the accused than understanding the word “no” is for them to come out and apologise.
Too many it's no surprise that allegations of this nature are now coming to light with the entertainment industry, especially Hollywood , being a largely male dominated environment built on male producers having power over any actors that come to work under them. The rise of Hollywood in the early 20th century has given way to hundreds of recognisable movie stars, but this rise has created a toxic sense of masculinity around the industry that has not since dissipated.
The easy going and free-spirited nature of the 60s and 70s didn't help to ease this the grasp of power that men had in the entertainment industry. Men still had a stranglehold over the industry with archaic attitudes towards gender roles and power being ingrained into all aspects of that, and the effects of those being far reaching and damaging.
These attitudes, as evidenced by the most recent spate of allegations, have barely changed from those which were common 50/60 years, during a time where segregation was still a practiced by law in large parts of the United States. Today we are not tolerant towards any form of racism and see it as one of the most abhorrent practices that one could take part in, but a suprising number of people seem to be tolerant of celebrities using their power and influence to rape and take advantage of people they believe to be below them.
This brings me back to sorry seemingly being the hardest word for this latest crop of alleged rapists to say. There have been attempts though, Kevin Spacey's attempt at an apology following allegations of an attempted sexual assault of a teenage actor fell on deaf ears while subsequently angering the entire gay community when he used the apology as a platform for coming out as gay.
Another one of the accused, and I use that term loosely, is Harvey Weinstein. One of the least surprising to be accused who has used his position as head Miramax to sexual assault more than 50, and possibly several more during his time in the entertainment industry.
The worst possible aspect of this situation is that these men will face little to no consequences for their actions because of the shocking amount of defenders coming out in support of them, with Morrissey coming out in support of Kevin Spacey while calling the allegations 'ridiculous'. Not only this but the cult of personality that has formed due to their years in the spotlight will lessen the blow of any jail time put upon them, and how are men accused of sexual assault supposed to be brought to justice when the President of the United States continue to sit in office despite hundreds of women coming out and accusing him of similar crimes?
It really does seem like sorry seems to be the hardest word.
