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The Woody Allen Effect

  

Category:  News & Politics

By:  perrie-halpern  •  7 years ago  •  58 comments

The Woody Allen Effect

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Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2005. Pascal Guyot/AFP/Getty Images

By Perrie Halpern

In recent weeks, our nation  has seemed  stunned by the large assortment of men who  have  had sexual misconduct allegations brought upon them, as if this   is   a totally new phenomenon. The truth is that we, as a society, have been looking away  from  known cases of sexual misconduct for a very long time. This goes back to the early days of Hollywood when the "casting couch" was part of   day-to-day   operations.  Likewise , people openly  knew   about sexual improprieties  by  our public officials, but chose to view them as "isolated" and  they were   often forgiven. In earlier, less aware times, you could say that it was societal.    But this behavior continued way past the awakening of the feminist movement and one has to wonder why? 

In retrospect, we probably got here the moment we gave Woody Allen a pass on marrying his  step - daughter Soon-Yi. There is not a more defining moment in a culture, when someone as famous as Allen could get away with marrying his step - daughter and continue to make movies and hardly anyone blinked an eye. Personally, I have never been more disgusted by a person's actions and I have never gone to another Allen movie after that. 

Allen's defense was weak at best citing that he never adopted Soon-Yi. In fact, Allen only adopted two of Farrow's eleven children. He had been Soon-Yi's father figure since she was 9 years old, although he never adopted her. He started having sexual relationship with Soon-Yi in the late 1980s and the whole relationship  was  exposed in 1992 when Mia Farrow found nude photos of Soon-Yi that Allen had taken. They later married, and even though there were legal allegations of sexual abuse brought by Farrow against Allen, none of this had an effect on his career. Where was the film industry’s sense of morality and why would people still support this pervert by seeing his movies? Where was the public outcry? I personally look at this moment  when   we as a society decided to turn a blind eye to people who are famous or powerful and to men who behave like deviants. 

Life has a way of being ironic and poetic. A hint of things to come happened on Father's day 2017, when Ronan Farrow tweeted:

Screen Shot 20171211 at 4.38.03 PM.png

Ronan of course was talking about Woody Allen and his sister Soon-Yi. What most people didn't know is that Ronan is not just Soon-Yi's brother, but at that time, he was a reporter for NBC news. Apparently, Ronan never forgot the huge faux pas that Hollywood made when they gave Allen a pass on disgusting behavior, and this was just a taste of things to come. He had had witnessed firsthand the damage that predatory men leave behind. He had had enough of Hollywood giving a pass to criminals like Allen. 

Farrow was heavily involved with his own investigation of allegations made by of 13 women who claimed that they were sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein. At first, he was forced to suppress his information by NBC, because NBC was under pressure by industry insiders not to report the story. Not to be deterred, six months later Farrow finally got the New Yorker to report the story first. This was quite a feat, since a  number of Farrow's sources said Weinstein had boasted about his success in planting stories in the media about individuals who had crossed him.  The New Yorker  also published the 2015 audio recording where Weinstein admitted to unwanted sexual contact with one of his victims. Hollywood was going to get its wake up call and it came with a loud ring. 

When  news of  Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct hit the media machine, everyone seemed shocked. But with the validation of these women's accounts against Weinstein, it gave other women the strength to step forward and one by one, stars and directors alike began to be named as sexual predators. Soon after, the courage spread to the halls of government as the hashtag #MeToo took to twitter. Even more shock as other men were named, as if this nation was in some state of amnesia, forgetting  that scandals involving   Strom Thurmond, Bill Clinton, Anthony Weiner and Mark Foley happened long before Roy Moore and Al Franken. 

What changed that "woke" us? Was it the due diligence of a young reporter so angered by his own personal encounter that he was determined never to let it happen again? Was it the brave women who stepped forward? Was it anger at the rich and powerful who had abused their station in life for their own desires? Or was it all of it? We may never know. But at least these women are finally getting justice.

On the other hand, there is a downside. We can see how easily  claims of sexual abuse and harassment  can be abused.  As we quickly shifted from not wanting to pay attention to sexual predators to encouraging them to come forward , we could just as easily make it a weapon for people to use. I hope we never see that day, since it would take away the breakthrough that came with the Farrow story, but one has to contemplate the possibilities of possible abuse by individuals as a weapon for payback. 

At the end of the day, we will never be the same as a society. We can no longer look the other way. Call it "The Woody Allen Effect" that set this all into motion two decades later.  Otherwise we might be in the same state of denial that we were in way back when we all looked away on the wedding day of Soon-Yi and Woody Allen, the day that Ronan Farrow made a point never to forget and remind us in a big way not to forget either. 

 


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Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1  author  Perrie Halpern R.A.    7 years ago

I realize that there is a lot of stuff to discuss and feel free to explore all topics that I have presented. 

 
 
 
Dean Moriarty
Professor Quiet
4  Dean Moriarty    7 years ago

It was Jerry Lee Lewis that got everyone all shook up when he married his thirteen year old cousin. 

 
 
 
pat wilson
Professor Participates
4.1  pat wilson  replied to  Dean Moriarty @4    7 years ago

That was sick !

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
4.1.1  author  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  pat wilson @4.1    7 years ago

Ditto! And actually everyone was upset with Lewis. He was considered pretty sick for doing that. 

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
4.1.2  Gordy327  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @4.1.1    7 years ago

At least Woody is not blood related to Soon YI and she was probably at adult age when they started their relationship. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
4.1.3  author  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Gordy327 @4.1.2    7 years ago

Actually, she was a teen when they started their sexual relationship. Some of the pictures that Mia found where when she was about 17 years old. Woody in an interview said that they started flirting when she was about 14. So it's pretty gross. 

 
 
 
Spikegary
Junior Quiet
4.1.4  Spikegary  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @4.1.3    7 years ago

It is twisted and unacceptable.  I'm glad people are coming forward, it's past time for those people to head out the door. 

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
4.2  MrFrost  replied to  Dean Moriarty @4    7 years ago

That's just gross. 

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
4.3  Bob Nelson  replied to  Dean Moriarty @4    7 years ago

Good point.

In both the Lewis and the Allen cases, apologists insist that the girls consented, which raises the question of what constitutes valid consent. Can a 13-year-old give valid consent?

Juliette was 13. She died.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
5  JohnRussell    7 years ago

It does seem that the Weinstein accusations was the "breakthrough" to get national media to start the snowball rolling down the mountain. Hence the avalanche. So some obvious credit goes to Ronan Farrow.

I will posit another candidate for being the beginning of the current movement.

On the morning of July 6, 2016, Gretchen Carlson confirmed on her Twitter account that she was no longer with Fox News. [22] That day, she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News chairman Roger Ailes in the Superior Court of New Jersey . [23] In her complaint, Carlson alleged that she was fired from her program for refusing Ailes' sexual advances. [23]

After Carlson came forward, six more women spoke to Gabriel Sherman of New York magazine, alleging that Ailes had sexually harassed them and that Ailes had "spoke openly of expecting women to perform sexual favors in exchange for job opportunities." [25] Shortly thereafter, Carlson sat down for an interview with John Koblin of The New York Times , saying, "I wanted to stand up for other women who maybe faced similar circumstances." [26]

After this, allegations against Bill O'Reilly resurfaced, perhaps opening the door for 13 women to accuse Donald Trump of sexual harassment and misconduct.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
5.1  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  JohnRussell @5    7 years ago

Actually I think the breakthrough came previous to Weinstein, i.e. when for political ammunition the groping charges started against Trump.

As for Woody Allen and Roman Polanski, it's a shame that such creative and talented individuals feel that they are entitled to transgress moral mores. Now we've seen accusations against others such as Dustin Hoffman, etc.  You should see the truth about Bob Dylan's sexual adventures so don't discount the drawing power that fame has on groupies who haunt famed people and then are in a position to later accuse them of misconduct.  I'm sure that what we've seen is just the tip of the iceberg, because many may still feel shame in exposing what happened to them.

I didn't make this comment as justification for that misconduct - I'm just telling it like it is.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
5.1.1  author  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @5.1    7 years ago
Actually I think the breakthrough came previous to Weinstein, i.e. when for political ammunition the groping charges started against Trump.

I'm going to disagree because if that was the case, then Trump would be brought up on charges, and that never happened. I think it was Weinstein that brought the "house of cards" down... since Kevin Spacey was the next in line. 

I didn't make this comment as justification for that misconduct - I'm just telling it like it is.

I think that these men are pigs and that fame and money gave them the feeling that they could do as they please. Talent aside, they are really no different than anyone else. We just looked the other way as they misbehaved and that says a lot about them being both protected and we as a society wanting to remain blind. 

 
 
 
Spikegary
Junior Quiet
5.1.2  Spikegary  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @5.1.1    7 years ago

The people that looked the other way deserve a healthy helping of shame and blame for allowing this to happen all these years saying nothing and then suddenly saying 'Oh, yeah, he did that', becuase it's in vogue now.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
5.2  author  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  JohnRussell @5    7 years ago

Well, without bring politics into this, Rodger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly got what they deserved. What blows my mind is that O'Reilly still got his golden umbrella and that should have been forfeited when he had to leave over his sexual misadventures. If it was any other man, it would have been, so that's a pox on Fox, isn't it?

 
 
 
Spikegary
Junior Quiet
5.2.1  Spikegary  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @5.2    7 years ago

Morally, yeah, I agree with you, but depends on the contents of his contract........

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
6  Kavika     7 years ago

The press covered the powerful for decades. Think back to Kennedy, Eisenhower, FDR etc etc....all had affairs and it was fairly well known but the press looked the other way. 

As far a Woody Allen goes, he is one sick person and does not deserve any mercy..

Hopefully with the ''breakthroughs'' more and more of the powerful will face the music to to speak. 

I especially pissed on the ''settlements'' made by various congressmen with tax payer dollars. The whole damn house needs to be cleaned out and those that settled with our money need to be held accountable for the money, and what ever else follows.

I have to agree that Carlson seemed to be the real start of the tsunami that is now happening. 

Kudos to Farrow for bringing this to the fore.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
6.1  author  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Kavika @6    7 years ago
The press covered the powerful for decades. Think back to Kennedy, Eisenhower, FDR etc etc....all had affairs and it was fairly well known but the press looked the other way.

I think people thought it was OK for the rich and powerful to behave differently. The press being part of the business also felt the same way.. so that's the why to why this went on for so long, I think. 

But it's a funny thing about Woody. It happened so long ago already, and no one ever thought anything would come from it. But the damage it did to the family, made Farrow never forget these kinds of men. I think what he did was pretty amazing.

Carlson might have started it, but I would have to say, that bringing down Weinstein was the icing on the cake. It was like the floodgates were open. It was almost like one a day for a while. I'm sure there will be more to come.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
6.1.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @6.1    7 years ago

And this has finally gotten attention turned towards the Air Force Academy and the abuse that goes on there

 
 
 
Spikegary
Junior Quiet
6.1.2  Spikegary  replied to  Trout Giggles @6.1.1    7 years ago

It is embarrassing to all of us in the Air Force and the military, the things that go on at all the service academies and has for as long as women have been allowed there.  Where the rubber meets the road (us worker bees) we understand and have continual training about sexual discrimination and harassment....and have for years.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
6.1.3  Trout Giggles  replied to  Spikegary @6.1.2    7 years ago

The training is not working and it hasn't for years

 
 
 
Spikegary
Junior Quiet
6.1.4  Spikegary  replied to  Trout Giggles @6.1.3    7 years ago

Depends on what level you are talking about.  I am retired active duty Air Force and have worked for the Air Force since that retirement for the last 18 years.  I have seen harassment, I've seen it dealt with, I've also seen women that use their physical assets to advance their careers.  I once went before a board for early promotion (Below the Zone).  Female Lt. Col presided over the board, my first Sergeant was on the board.  They had 2 promote-able positions.  There was only one woman in the group of 12 that went before the board.  I found afterwards from the 1st Shirt that the Board President told them before any of the candidates were interviewed, that the female candidate was getting one of the promotions.  As this was supposed to be a merit based promotion the Board Presdient's pre-selection was obviously discriminatory.

My point is neither side of this particular coin has totally clean hands.  I believe that the military does a far better job than many of the other organizations currently in the news.  I respect your opinion, I hope that you respect mine.

 
 
 
lennylynx
Sophomore Quiet
8  lennylynx    7 years ago

The first thing I'd like to do is push back on the idea that actors have 'talent.'  Is that why Sly and Arnold are such huge box office draws, because they are 'talented' actors?  "Adriaaaaann"  "I'll be bock"  Please, any idiot can be made into 'great actor,' obviously, and a few idiots have been.  I'm not saying there is no skill here at all, acting lessons will help you play a role better, sure, but it ain't rocket science and anyone off the street can be turned into a perfectly fine actor with a few pointers and a bit of coaching.  Musicians, athletes, circus performers, these are talented entertainers who are able to do things that few of us could pull off.  Many have worked hard their entire lives to develop the talent and skills needed to succeed.  Actors do not belong in this group of talented performers. 

In Shakespeare's time, actors were unpaid volunteers who played the roles for fun, and why not, anyone can do it.  We give our movie 'stars' a pass on any number of personal shortcomings and disgusting actions, but they aren't even worthy of our admiration in the first place.

 
 
 
Enoch
Masters Quiet
9  Enoch    7 years ago

Dear Friends Perrie and seed comment contributors: Thank you for posting this, and responding with your views. 

I do not see this as an opportunity to take cheap political shots against one party or the other.

I do see this as an important time in our culture to address a problem long predating any one bad player in any one field.

Prior to my youth, and I am a stone age High School graduate, there was a phrase.

"May heaven protect the working girl".

Anyone of either gender who has power all too often misuses it for personal gain at the expense of those they exploit.  

This can be as true for intimacy moral violations as economic degradation and exploitation.

As a Chaplain I see first hand by working with those who are hurting the damage that is done when the entailment relation between power and responsibility is violated.

People suffer.

This is real world stuff.

Human beings get hurt.

Their victimization matters.

Because they, as all of us matter.

Can there be over reach in this noble effort to protect those who need a voice?

Yes, there can.

We need to be careful here.

We also need to address things too long left untended.

Where is the balance in this delicate balancing act?

One answer I found illuminating is to be found in the Torah.

Please do contribute what works for you.

In Parshat Shofteem (Weekly Torah Portion Judges (Deuteronomy 16: 18-20) the following is written.

"You shall not pervert judgement, respect persons, take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise. They pervert the words of the righteous. Justice, justice shall you pursue".  

"Justice, justice shall you pursue" (Original Hebrew: "Tzedik, tzedik tirdof"). 

Why is the word "justice" repeated twice? For emphasis. To indicate that this is important. It is to slow down the reader and draw their attention to it.

Why is this in the Torah portion for Judges? Because it is vital for judges to act without passion. To make everyone equal before the law. To focus only on what is the problem. Never to allow a sin to be used for other agendas. Sin isn't removed or limited by committing other sins.

A rule that isn't good enough for anybody isn't good enough for every body. Each rule should be applied consistently, objectively and fairly.

As a Chaplain it is my task to work with those harmed who are innocent. Someone has to care. Someone has to be there for them. to restore them as much as is practically possible to their pre-victimized state. There is enough of this going around that you need not be a Chaplain to muck, in and help.

The world gets better one good act at a time.

Let's all rise above petty, puerile, pucillanimous, political partisanship.

There is a problem here.

It will not go away on its own.

It is too big to ignore.

In acting, we must be sure not to over react.

No lynch mobs.

No creeping other agendas to take advantage.

Justice, justice shall we pursue.

Peace, Justice and Abundant Blessings to One and All.

Enoch.      

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
9.1  author  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Enoch @9    7 years ago

Enoch,

You are 100% correct that this issue shouldn't be a political one, but one of justice. No one, no matter what age or gender should have to have to feel violated. These cases are famous, so we hear about them, but they still happen everywhere and in every level and kinds of employment. It happens in our schools. It is not new, but as old as mankind, and yet we sporadically make an attempt to try and recognize it and stop it, and usually only once real damage has been done. 

 "May heaven protect the working girl".

I have never heard that phrase before, but I know first hand that it's true. 

 
 
 
Nowhere Man
Junior Guide
9.1.1  Nowhere Man  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @9.1    7 years ago

Saw it every day when I was driving taxi's, not just the ladies on the street, but the ladies in the restaruants, heck the ladies that had to serve anyone.

In all peoples hearts there is this cruel dark place, hidden down in a dark back corner.... although with some people it resides just under the surface ready at anytime to take advantage of any weakness......

I always understood that this was what religion was all about. Education for the soul, understanding the difference between right and wrong....

Albeit, some still aren't learning.....

 
 
 
Hal A. Lujah
Professor Guide
9.1.2  Hal A. Lujah  replied to  Nowhere Man @9.1.1    7 years ago

In all peoples hearts there is this cruel dark place, hidden down in a dark back corner

Speak for yourself.

 
 
 
Nowhere Man
Junior Guide
9.1.3  Nowhere Man  replied to  Hal A. Lujah @9.1.2    7 years ago

That's the only person I can speak for Hal. and yes I have that deep dark spot.

I'm honest enough to admit it....

But then I have done a lot of soul searching in my life.

You?

 
 
 
Hal A. Lujah
Professor Guide
9.1.4  Hal A. Lujah  replied to  Nowhere Man @9.1.3    7 years ago

I don’t have the cruel, dark space that I see in so many others.  I just don’t.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
9.1.5  author  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Nowhere Man @9.1.1    7 years ago
I always understood that this was what religion was all about. Education for the soul, understanding the difference between right and wrong....

I think with or without religion we know right from wrong. In fact, it has been shown that even psychopaths understand right from wrong, they just don't care. 

 
 
 
Nowhere Man
Junior Guide
9.1.6  Nowhere Man  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @9.1.5    7 years ago

Very true.

Personally I believe that Religion is just a guide. It is how your parents teach you as to whether there is a real appreciation for right and wrong....

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
9.1.7  Bob Nelson  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @9.1    7 years ago

You are 100% correct that this issue shouldn't be a political one, but one of justice.

That's not simple. Justice is expressed through the law... which is very political.

 
 
 
mocowgirl
Professor Quiet
11  mocowgirl    7 years ago
What changed that "woke" us?

Ironically, I believe it is safety in numbers in reporting serial rapists that has finally made our society start putting the criminal on trial instead of his victims.   Isn't it appalling how many victims that the rich and powerful men have?

Also, many of the rape victims are older and have little left to lose in the court of public opinion.  They want the justice that has been denied the majority of rape victims in the US forever and a day.

Bill Cosby has been a serial rapist for decades because individually his victims had no voice.  And even with dozens of women telling how Cosby drugged and raped them, it is doubtful that the rapist will ever be convicted - (which is usual in the United States).

With a newly minted defense team now led by Tom Mesereau, who successfully defended Michael Jackson in 2005 against claims of child molestation, the once-beloved actor will be back in court April 2 in Norristown, just outside Philadelphia.

I am not really optimistic that large segments of our society are going to believe individual rape and/or sexual assault victims in their community.  I suspect that most rapists will never be charged, and the few that are charged, over 90 percent won't be convicted because the victim will continue to be put on trial - especially in small town America.

 
 

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