The acrid smell of hubris and narcissism mixed with self-congratulation is rising again from the swamps of Hollywood. Brace yourselves, as the Awards Season shifts into full-flow as it spreads and becomes stronger.
This year the all-important catchphrases are 'timesup' and 'united'. They relate respectively to bringing an end to sexual harassment and demanding equal pay for equal work. They are in themselves good causes that deserve support. My problem is with the way these causes have been hijacked for the political agenda by people portraying themselves as self-righteous role models leading the cause.
It's just not true
Let's begin by looking again at the unpleasant Harvey Weinstein. I know, the stomach heaves but we must do it. As I have pointed out before, some of the actresses involved need to answer questions. Kate Beckinsale says she had a horrible encounter with him at just seventeen, around 1990. Yet Kate went on to make major films with him past that date including The Aviator in 2005. Gwyneth Paltrow accused him of trying to bed her in 1996 yet made more than half a dozen future films involving Weinstein, including Sliding Doors in 1998. There are many other examples; Myleene Klass claims she was offered a sex contract in 2010! 2010 was seven years ago and her silence to this point has been deafening!
Meryl Streep claimed he was a God. Epic misjudgement or ensuring ongoing leading lady roles? Not the behaviour of established Bravehearts protecting their vulnerable younger sisters we can surely all agree.
The men involved in this timesup hubris behave no better. Colluding in or ignoring what several have subsequently admitted they knew or suspected was going on.
Weinstein's rich lawyers even wrote into his contract that he could pay off any claims of sexual misconduct for Heaven's sake.
United hashtag? The men are just as hypocritical here. Even today a story is breaking about the BBC pleading with presenter Huw Edwards to take a cut of his alleged half million pound salary so that they can balance gender pay.
Half a million to read an autocue? Gary Lineker still has not volunteered to put his pay and Gabby Logan's in a pot and take half each. Gary is at the forefront of decency along with many of the virtue signalling leading Hollywood men, but there should be no problem with giving equal pay to either BBC sports and news reporters or Hollywood superstars. In the latter case just put the pay of say the top six leading actors and actresses from any film in a pot and divide it by six. The only thing stopping this is the false desire for equality in these virtue signalling men.
What shall we do? Buy insanely expensive black dresses of course!
So how have Hollywood's finest decided to tackle these issues of sexual harassment and equal pay?
Do as the late, great George Michael did and give financial and emotional support to those most in need anonymously, the facts only seeping out after his death? Decide never mind my only making ten million while my male co-stars make twelve, I'll share my salary with six cleaners or makeup artists, or six nurses at my local hospital? I'll show the terrible difference between what they pay real people and what they pay people who pretend for a living? No, not bloody one of them! Instead they buy insanely expensive black gowns with stupid white watches and give speeches.
How brave they are and don't they scrub up well?
What Oprah did was apparently enough to have Meryl demand she is elected President of the United States.
Yes really! (Mind you she did call Weinstein a God remember so her judgement may be fairly questioned). You would have thought perhaps they had done something incredibly brave and selfless. Perhaps Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey had anonymously fought to free Europe from the grip of the Wehrmacht forces of Nazi Germany? Or led the firefighters in tackling the dangerous forest fires of California? Or fearlessly infiltrated a Jihadist cell intent on blowing up children? No, not a bit of it. They, along with many others, had waited until the time was safe, when they were all supported by each other, to come out and say people should not sexually or physically harass other people. You think? And that they are paid less than some white male actors.
They are not bothered that they are paid millions more than women around the world who are genuinely exploited while doing real work.
Not surprising behaviour perhaps for people who live their whole lives in a pretend world being told they are heroes and social warriors. But sickening none-the-less.
