Hollywood's Next Creep

[mango_fandango]

There’s a kids’ film out, called Show Dogs, which has caused controversy because of this:

Spoiler

The film has been criticized for normalizing child grooming given a plot point where the main character must have its genitals nonconsensually fondled, and how the other characters "teach" him how to merely "relax and enjoy it". 

How the fuck this is in a KIDS’ FILM I have NO clue. It’s disgusting. 

[Terrie]

Seems a little misleading to leave out that the character being "fondled" is a dog. 

[mango_fandango]

2 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

There’s a kids’ film out, called Show Dogs, which has caused controversy because of this:

  Reveal hidden contents

The film has been criticized for normalizing child grooming given a plot point where the main character must have its genitals nonconsensually fondled, and how the other characters "teach" him how to merely "relax and enjoy it". 

How the fuck this is in a KIDS’ FILM I have NO clue. It’s disgusting. 

ETA: The character in concern is a dog, but still, the overall message is gross.

(Whoops, edited my own post by mistake).

 

Edited May 22, 2018 by mango_fandango

[clueliss]

Apparently, not all creeps are male.  Bachelorette 2 Meredith Phillips was assaulted during her season.

 

https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2018/05/bachelorette-meredith-phillips-sexual-assault/

Quote

Bachelorette Meredith Phillips says she was drugged, sexually assaulted during season 2

The Bachelorette season 2 star Meredith Phillips. (Photo by Bob D'Amico/ABC)

by Andy Dehnart 23 May. 2018 | 11:38 am

The star of The Bachelorette 2, Meredith Phillips, says in a podcast that she was drugged and sexually assaulted while filming The Bachelorette 2.

She revealed this in a conversation on Reality Steve’s podcast, telling Steve Carbone that she was “lonely” during filming of The Bachelorette, and when asked what the hardest thing about the production was, she said:

“Well, besides being always really tired and some of the producers were—how do I say this? Helpful but not helpful, in terms of trying to make me relax.  Um, well, normally, wouldn’t talk about this, but I’m going to tell you because it’s bothered me for years. And I know another friend of mine who was currently working on the show felt the same experience I did, about getting roofied and in a hot tub and kind of accosted.”

Steve asked if she was roofied by a producer, and Meredith said,

“By a masseuse that a producer hired to come into my room and to give me a massage, and she said, Okay, I’m going to give you a pill. And I’m like, Okay. I just assumed it was, like, an aspirin or something to loosen up my back, or Tylenol, or something. And it definltey wasn’t that, that’s for sure. The last thing I remember was she got naked and she was in the tub with me, and rubbing my back and rubbing areas probably she shouldn’t have. And then I was put in bed. I woke up naked. Don’t remember much.”

The show was still in production in Los Angeles, Meredith said, and this occurred in the room where she was staying. She said:

“This is hard for me to talk about because I think I’ve put it somewhere else in my brain. […] I remember everything until a certain point, and when the pill kicked in, I literally couldn’t even move my body, so I have no idea what the pill was, at all. All I know is that I was told that, This will make you feel better.“

Later in the podcast, she added:

“When I couldn’t move my body when she drew me a bath and got in with me naked, I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t move my limbs let alone even smile. I probably was drooling. So I don’t know what I was given.”

Steve asked if she wanted to leave the show after being violated,

“True. There definitely was a part of me that was like, I don’t want to be a part of this, that’s for sure. But I am also the kind of person that finishes what she starts. So there was that. And I obviously couldn’t end it.”

Meredith also said:

“It is a huge deal. I have worked through it. Maybe thrown it in the back of my mind. I had no control. Zero. I think that was the hardest part for me, that I couldn’t even lift my arms to say no.”

After recording the interview last week, Steve tweeted, “My jaw is on the floor. Speechless. I honestly don’t know what to say or how to respond. You will hear some major truth bombs next week.” He also tweeted, “It’s unlike any podcast I’ve done so far. Quite a few long pauses & dead air bc I didn’t know how 2 react sometimes.”

Listen here:

Meredith’s season of The Bachelorette was filmed in 2003, and aired in early 2004. Meredith was one of the finalists on The Bachelor season 4, but was rejected by Bob Guiney. At the end of The Bachelorette 2, she got engaged to Ian McKee, but they split up.

She married Michael Broady in 2011, and has not been in the media or a presence in

In 2013, she talked to Good Morning America about her alcoholism, not blaming the show (“It was my choice to drink it and how much I consumed”) but pointing out how accessible alcohol was (“It’s always right there. There’s a lot of booze. [Alcohol] is the 26th person in the room.”).

Good Morning America reported that “her drinking problem went from bad to worse after she broke off her engagement to [Bachelorette winner Ian] McKee and when both of her beloved parents died in the span of four years.”

Meredith told People magazine that, during production, “I was drunk every night. But I knew my tolerance levels. Alcoholics are good at that. I figured out how much I could drink and function.”

 

[Rachel333]

*sigh*

Eight women accuse Morgan Freeman of inappropriate behavior and harassment.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/entertainment/morgan-freeman-accusations/index.html

This is a pretty damning line:

Quote

Several other times during this investigation, when a CNN reporter contacted a person who had worked with Freeman to try to ask them if they had seen or been subjected to inappropriate behavior by an actor they had worked with -- not initially even naming the actor they were asking about -- the person would immediately tell them they knew exactly who the reporter had in mind: Morgan Freeman. 

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Rachel333

[clueliss]

allegations about Jeffery Tambor (and Jason Bateman) on the set of Arrested Development.

 

[Terrie]

Ugh. Tambor's comment in the article that he was "moody." I really wish the idea that creativity is somehow linked to being emotionally volatile would go die in a ditch. You can be a creative genius and not be a raging asshole.

Edited May 24, 2018 by Terrie

[Rachel333]

Yeah, I'm a big Arrested Development fan so I've been following the recent Tambor stuff pretty closely. To clarify, there is nothing sexual alleged about Tambor's behavior on Arrested Development. After Tambor was fired by Amazon, Netflix investigated and found no allegations of sexual misconduct on their sets. He was clearly verbally abusive to Jessica Walter, though, and even he isn't trying to deny that which is why it's so infuriating to hear his male coworkers come to his defense.

The actual interview yesterday was from the New York Times. There's an audio clip which is particularly upsetting. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/arts/television/arrested-development-netflix-interview-jeffrey-tambor.html

Jessica Walter is literally in tears talking about what happened and how in all her years in the business she's never been spoken to like that, and Jason Bateman dismisses it as normal. She's been in the business literally longer than he's been alive, and yet he still acted like he knew better than her about what is normal. It was a quintessential example of mansplaining. Alia Shawkat tried to say that what happened shouldn't be acceptable but the men spoke over Alia too.

Jason Bateman apologized today on twitter, and Tony Hale said on twitter that he reached out personally to apologize to Jessica Walter.

The reactions have been interesting, and encouraging. I'm used to getting frustrated by people defending the men in these stories, especially when it's a particularly popular man (like Louis CK), but I think actually being able to hear Jessica trying to speak through tears while men jump in and speak over her has made people less inclined to defend those men. Even on places like /r/arresteddevelopment where most commenters are huge fans of the show and the actors, the vast majority of the commenters are very disappointed with the men, particularly Jason Bateman, and aren't trying to excuse his behavior.

[PennySycamore]

Show Dogs was pulled from distribution immediately after it was pointed out that the inspection of the dogs' genitals and the "relax and enjoy it'  was VERY problematic in a kids' movie.  Hell, it's problematic in any movie.  

[mango_fandango]

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Weinstein has been released on bail. He’s got to have a GPS device, I think, and has to surrender his passport, but seriously? Money seems to rule over justice. Fucks sake.

[Terrie]

16 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

Show Dogs was pulled from distribution immediately after it was pointed out that the inspection of the dogs' genitals and the "relax and enjoy it'  was VERY problematic in a kids' movie.  Hell, it's problematic in any movie.  

It wasn't pulled, so much as it under went edits. https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/23/entertainment/show-dogs-controversy/index.html

If you know much about dog shows, the scene is extremely dumb. Yes, male dogs are checked to make sure there are two descended testicles (both are missing from the dog in the movie --  dog testicles are not subtle). It's less invasive than a hernia check. No one is standing around groping the dogs. 

[Cleopatra7]

George Takei’s accuser is now saying that the sexual assault “probably didn’t happen”:

http://www.towleroad.com/2018/05/george-takei-sexual-assault/

[AmazonGrace]

He's about ready to run for president

[AliceInFundyland]

I can’t keep boycotting my entire popcultural history. 

 

[purjolok84]

Show Dogs was pulled from distribution immediately after it was pointed out that the inspection of the dogs' genitals and the "relax and enjoy it'  was VERY problematic in a kids' movie.  Hell, it's problematic in any movie.  

Oh, gross!

[AmazonGrace]

 

[purjolok84]

Well, I mean, I guess if he doesn't REMEMBER assaulting someone ... then it SHOULD be water under a bridge and he can do whatever he wants, right?

[emoji52]

[AmazonGrace]

Not Hollywood exactly but... Why does he still have a job? 

 

[AmazonGrace]

Oh dear

[Rachel333]

Chloe Dykstra writes about her abusive relationship with Chris Hardwick. It's bad. https://medium.com/@skydart/rose-colored-glasses-6be0594970ca

[clueliss]

Caught this one due to writer Amy Berg's twitter.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/brad-kern-being-investigated-as-cbs-renews-ncis-new-orleans-producers-deal-1120350

CBS has renewed NCIS-New Orleans and inked a new deal with producer Brad Kern despite the investigations into his behavior

Quote

NCIS: New Orleans' Producer Investigated Again, Even as CBS Renews Overall Deal (Exclusive)

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Brad Kern

Insiders are angry over writer-producer Brad Kern remaining involved in the hit drama despite a new inquiry from outside counsel over claims of sexual harassment and racially charged comments.

NCIS: New Orleans producer CBS Television Studios is hiring an outside investigator to look into allegations of harassment and misconduct against Brad Kern, the former executive producer and showrunner of the CBS procedural, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. At the same time, CBS Television Studios has inked a new two-year overall deal with Kern. 

Kern was the subject of two internal investigations by CBS, both of which began in 2016, not long after his arrival at the show in January of that year. He also was the focus of a December story in which more than a dozen insiders described an alleged pattern of misogynistic bullying, racially insensitive comments and harassing behavior during his time at NCIS: New Orleans and stretching back at least 15 years. 

In a statement, CBS says it dealt with Kern's earlier issues. Amid the sexual harassment reckoning in Hollywood, the studio also has initiated a new independent probe to look into the claims against Kern both then and now. Kern has subsequently hired crisis management publicist Howard Bragman.

"The 2016 allegations concerning Mr. Kern were acted upon immediately with a thorough investigation and subsequent disciplinary action to address behavior and management issues," CBS tells The Hollywood Reporter. "We have received no further complaints since this action was implemented. In addition, Mr. Kern agreed to step down from his leadership position as showrunner this season and transition to a consulting producer role. We now believe this matter merits further inquiry and therefore we have engaged outside counsel to review both the original investigation as well as the current situation.” 

The investigation, which is expected to include but also go beyond the scope of the previous probes and potentially explore new complaints against Kern, will be led by Kate Gold, a senior partner in the labor and employment group of the law firm Drinker Biddle. 

As the investigation plays out, absent any new or current complaints, Kern will still work from the writing offices of NCIS: New Orleans. He continues to be represented by WME. 

READ MORE

'NCIS: New Orleans' Showrunner Exits Following Misconduct Investigations

Kern’s deal with CBS TV Studios expired this spring, at the end of the fourth season of the CBS procedural. The studio's new two-year pact with Kern will keep him in a consulting producer position for season five. According to sources close to NCIS: New Orleans, Kern has been in the show's writers room daily since it opened May 29. These sources say the plan has been for Kern to play a key role in the writing of episodes until production begins, and then work with editors once filming for the drama begins in New Orleans.

The situation has caused anger among many who have worked on the show in the past (those still with NCIS: NOLA are generally too scared to speak out).

"By doing a new deal with Brad, CBS sent a clear message to all of their employees that emotional, mental and psychological abuse isn’t a fireable offense," says one person who worked under Kern at NCIS: New Orleans and who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. "As a consulting producer, Brad is still in a position to mistreat NCIS: NOLA staff members in the writers’ room and postproduction.”

A number of sources who spoke with THR in recent weeks expressed cautious relief on Thursday when they learned that CBS is initiating a new investigation. Participation in the probe is not necessarily limited to those who worked for NCIS: New Orleans. It’s unclear at this point what shows would be covered by the inquiry, but Kern also worked on The CW drama Beauty and the Beast and, before that, programs like Human Target and the original Charmed, among others.

A number of sources who spoke out for the December story — and additional individuals who have come forward since then — tell THR that Kern’s behavior, which included racially insensitive comments and vindictive treatment of colleagues, including a nursing mother, pervades NCIS: NOLA to this day. Multiple sources say the atmosphere at the show has been "toxic" since he arrived — and has remained that way even after the second HR investigation concluded.

"If the party line is that everything was fine after that, I can tell you for a fact that’s not true,” says one woman who worked for NCIS: NOLA after the second inquiry ended in February 2017. “It was a dreadful, misogynist culture led and created by Brad. He bullied women and he discriminated against them. It didn’t matter who you were and how nice he was the day before — your turn always came.”

This woman says she thought about informing HR, but was afraid of Kern and was worried about the studio's support of him. But the primary reason she didn’t go to HR, she says, “is because I was sure nothing would be done — because nothing has been done.” Upon hearing that a new investigation was being undertaken, she says, “if I think the new inquiry is serious, I might consider participating.”

A number of sources expressed surprise and deep dismay about the fact that Kern scored a new deal at the studio in recent weeks. “They don't have to continue to do business with him, and that they choose to do so says they don't value any of the things they claim to value,” says a woman who worked for Kern on NCIS: NOLA.

“The industry likes to pat itself on the back for honoring the #MeToo movement, but sexism and misogyny is so deeply entrenched, the progress made is tenuous at best. It’s made of gossamer. If Brad Kern keeps his job in light of yet another investigation, it’ll be proof of that,” says William Schmidt, executive producer of an upcoming History drama and a co-executive producer on the original Charmed when Kern ran that show. 

Former colleagues of Kern’s are as troubled as recent employees. 

“I was co-executive producer to Brad’s executive producer on Charmed, so I’ve seen first-hand how he poisons the writers' room with unprofessional comments,” says writer-producer-director Nell Scovell. “The two recent harassment investigations show that his behavior has continued. This is unfortunate. You get better work when every writer in the room feels safe. I know I will experience backlash for speaking out, but I want this business to change and I want writers’ rooms to feel safe for all.”

Others expressed frustration with Kern's title change, which they regard as an attempt to draw attention away from problems in the workplace while allowing them to continue. Executive producer Christopher Silber, who had been Kern’s second-in-command, is now the showrunner. But given the way TV shows work, a former showrunner is still a powerful person, especially if he is a presence in the show’s offices. Some sources also take issue with the idea that Silber is an improvement on Kern.

“When Brad called other writers terrible names, Chris said nothing. When Brad said sexist and racist statements that hurt staff members, Chris never challenged him,” says a person who worked for Kern at NCIS: NOLA. “Instead, Chris made fun of and belittled the investigations in front of writers who had already gone to HR, and who took a huge risk to file complaints against Brad. Chris created an even more tense and toxic environment. He acted like the HR investigations into serious offenses committed by Brad were a waste of time. That made it clear to everyone that no matter what awful thing Brad said or did, Chris was on Brad's side. Chris is not a solution to the Brad problem. He is an example of the culture of complicity.”

READ MORE

CBS Scorecard: Complete Guide to What's New, Renewed and Canceled

Those in the wider TV community who have followed the situation from afar find themselves disappointed by it. Amy Berg, an executive producer on Starz's Counterpart and DaVinci’s Demons, does not know Kern and has not worked for him. But she says if the industry is to change in positive ways, “we need strong allies at the studio and network level who won’t wait until there’s a public relations nightmare before they do the right thing. In this case, it seems like they were hoping the attention on them simply went away. I wish it wasn’t up to the victims to continue the conversation, but sadly that’s where we’re at.”

"I'd love to take my work to CBS, but the outcome of this investigation — and how seriously the network and studio take these issues going forward — will deeply influence whether I want to pitch my projects there," says a woman who has worked with Kern in the past. 

Sources tell THR that more a dozen female writers and editors — as well as a number of men who objected to or disliked the toxic atmosphere on NCIS: NOLA — have left the show in the past two years. And the alleged mistreatment doesn’t necessarily end when people leave: Some sources say that even when they exited of their own volition, Kern told others they had been fired.

Shawn Ryan, a writer and executive producer of CBS' SWAT and NBC's Timeless, says, “While I have no personal knowledge of this particular case, CBS, or any other broadcaster, is right to investigate serious complaints emanating from their writers' rooms or sets. Additionally, I would hope and expect that studios and networks be willing to live with the consequences of whatever a fair and impartial investigation might conclude.

“As a proud member of the WGA, we also have to reckon with the sad reality that abuse and harassment of writers is often at the hands of other, more powerful writers,” Ryan continues. “As a guild, and as an industry, we must find ways to stop mistreatment and abuse in order to foster a culture of safety for all writers and the people who work with us."

 

[ADoyle90815]

Nerdist has even put out an official statement regarding Chris Hardwick and the abuse allegations.

https://nerdist.com/an-official-statement-from-nerdist/

[AmazonGrace]

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

[PennySycamore]

I don't know how many of you watch Southern Charm on Bravo, but one of the castmates  on the show is disgraced former SC state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel.  If he'd been black or even a poor white, he'd be serving a 30 year sentence for cocaine trafficking.  I think he got 6 months in federal prison.  His problem during this season was apparently his relationship with the skanky golddigger Ashley.  Nope, his biggest problem is that several women, including a former nanny of his children have accused him of sexual assault.  I need to find the news stories and post the links.  Wikipedia says that he won't be returning to Southern Charm next year.  

I think the Wikipedia article does have a bit more info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ravenel