That Was Fast

I don't have too much to say about the Harvey Weinstein scandal.  He seems to have done some disgusting and perhaps criminal things, and there isn't much to add beyond that.

What's intriguing is how the scandal happened.  For years, apparently, he was harassing women (and worse), and many who seemed to be aware of it looked the other way. In fact, he was feted, both by Hollywood (for his movies, mostly) and the Democratic party (for his noble work on their behalf).

Then, the story comes out in a respectable journal (The New York Times and soon after The New Yorker), and the dam breaks.  Suddenly, a bunch of people who wouldn't talk for years rush to tell their stories, or, if they have no stories, denounce Weinstein.

The most fascinating thing may be how he Weinstein first reacted, figuring he could charm his way out of it.  He acknowledged (weakly) he needed to be a better person and would work on that, but meanwhile he'd go after the NRA and Donald Trump.

Probably nothing would have worked, but he clearly didn't know the mess he was in.  The cascade started and before you knew it, he was a non-person.  His credits were removed from some projects, and other projects that required his money were shut down.  In a matter of days, he went from being a power broker to a pariah.  It seems Hollywood is done with him.

He must be bewildered.  He got away with it for so long, why now? (Perhaps he didn't even think he was getting away with anything.)

And perhaps there are a bunch of other powerful men out there right now who are wondering if this will happen to them.