Weinstein scandal shows Hollywood is full of it

By now, everyone has read about the accusations surrounding Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein. His list of accusers has grown significantly over the last week, as dozens of women have now come out and accused him of sexual assault or rape.

I, like most, happen to believe Weinstein is and will be found guilty of some of the accusations. In fact, he even admitted to some wrongdoings in a statement released last week. For the sake of the facts present, I hope he has his day in court where we can separate fact from fiction.

I have many questions for all parties involved, including why Hollywood A-listers like Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow only decided to come out against Weinstein when it was professionally convenient. They’re established actresses. What did they fear? That’s not to suggest that their allegations are not true, but stories like these always seem to become victim to the bandwagon mentality. We cannot become a society where every allegation against someone is assumed to be true.

Whether he is guilty of all the accusations against him, Weinstein isn’t the biggest player in this story. Hollywood is. The industry is now in a public relations crisis, with actors and actresses having to distance themselves from Weinstein and his behavior.

The real question is: who knew beforehand? Is it possible that some in Hollywood honestly had no idea what was going on behind the scenes? Yes, it’s possible, but is it also possible to believe no one knew? Was all of Hollywood truly ignorant of his misdeeds? I find it unlikely. Some people had to know. If Weinstein really went around Hollywood assaulting and raping dozens of women, then surely there were at least just as many people who knew.

This fact alone makes the scandal a symbol of Hollywood’s disgusting hypocrisy.

Too often over the last few years we’ve seen Hollywood’s elite lecture America on what is morally acceptable and what is not. That’s practically what all award shows are these days anyway — a gathering of wealthy celebrities giving themselves awards and virtue signaling, all while talking down to the rest of the country.

It turns out Hollywood isn’t so virtuous after all. It reminds me of that old idiom, “Do as I say and not as I do.” In other words, Hollywood is full of it.

Take Meryl Streep, for example. At the Golden Globes she said, “When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”

She wasn’t talking about her pal Weinstein. She wasn’t talking about Roman Polanski either, a man she once cheerfully applauded at the Oscars even though he wasn’t in attendance because he fled the country after he drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl.

She was talking about President Donald Trump. Now, days after the Weinstein story broke, she said Weinstein’s acts were “disgraceful” and an “abuse of power.” Meryl, your outrage seems all too selective and convenient.

How about Kate Winslet, who has since come out and said her way of standing up to Weinstein was by refusing to thank him after she won an Oscar in 2009. Oh. She, too, has praised Polanski and is working on a new movie with Woody Allen, a known creep who married his own stepdaughter and has faced allegations of sexual assault.

The nation’s resident feminist, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, claimed she was “appalled” when she heard about the allegations surrounding Weinstein, a man she also called a friend. She also added this type of behavior “cannot be tolerated.” This is coming from a woman who has tolerated that type of behavior for decades. She knows exactly what a sexual assaulter looks like — she’s married to one.

Forgive me if I’m not convinced by Hollywood’s fake outrage. Hollywood is morally bankrupt, and it has been for some time. We the people can see right through the hypocrisy.

Eduardo Neret is a UF finance senior. His column appears on Wednesdays.