[GrantDawg]

I'm going to post a wall text here with random thoughts on the situation. I expect that no one will actually read it, but I hope some do and pick it apart or add their own thoughts. Mostly, I want to see if I am way off base, or if anyone can see what I am thinking here.

I think in most ways this "purge" is a very good thing. It has been needed, and long over-due. This systematic abuse of woman has always existed in the work place, and has survived especially strong in the entertainment industry. The fact is, this will probably never completely go way. Some men (and in some cases women) will probably always use their positions of power or prestige to create a hunting field to prey on people below them for their sexual appetites. Men of power especially often have a high sense of entitlement. Adding control over someones career in the mix, then you have the recipe for abuse. With the revelations and the consequence of such, it might make some of those men pause. It will also make it much harder for such men to get away with as they have in the past.

Some of these revelations have been big shocks (Garrison Keillor, really?). Some just shouldn't have been. I was surprised by Matt Lauer initially. Mostly how rapid it came down. Yet, once I thought about it, it really wasn't shocking. The rumors of his affairs had been pretty much out there for years. To the point just a few years ago his wife filed for divorce, and it was the very open secret (or in other words, not a secret) that his sleeping with co-workers was the cause. He had ran off a co-worker that he had been in an affair with, and he had stalled the career of a few others that had not been receptive to him. All was public rumored at the time, but NBC had protected him from being officially outed numerous times.

Of course, Weinstien was the same, if not worse. Not only rumors, but open "jokes" about his abuse of power has been common for years. Allegations had been even public record in the past, but his power and influence had kept any from becoming dangerous to his position. The same can be said to a lesser extent of Louis CK. When the dominoes started falling after Weinstien, it was actually my first thought "how long till Louis CK gets caught up in this?" His masturbating in front of female comedians again had been openly known. This movement allowed that to be exposed more than just a few jokes. The consequences should help to stop these thing from, if not ever occurring, then to not become serial or systematic as often.

My fear, though, is the consequences of all this can be quite dangerous. So far, most of these allegations have had a good bit of supporting evidence. Multiple accusers describing the same things occurring at different times with friends and colleagues confirming being told about them at the time it occurred. That makes for about as strong of evidence for this type of crime as you generally get (short of video or audio evidence). The nature of the misdeeds being "he said/she said" type actions also makes this current "witch-hunt" feel to these last couple of months troubling.

The "Me, Too" movement has been a driving force to expose much of the downfall of these systematic abusers. It has been a very good motivator to get these women (and men) to openly reveal what has happened to them in the past, and stop the cycle of abuse. What worries me, though, is the idea behind this movement is that we should never question the statement of the alleged abuser. Since this has all been trialed in the court of public opinion, the lack of ability to even question the accuser is very dangerous. I understand the motivation behind it. It is easier for a woman to come forward if there is no fear of being shouted down as a liar or "slut-shamed" for somehow "asking for it". I don't think I am calling for that to occur, and a suppression of that kind of destroying a witness is a very good thing. When the evidence is "he said/she said" the inability to even question the statement of the accuser means an "guilty till proven innocent" situation, and basically one allegation totally destroying a persons career.

Another open secret that exists, especially in entertainment, is the "casting couch". Sometimes it is the casting director or agent offering the quid-pro-qou of "sleep with me, and I'll get you this role". Other times, though, it is the other way around. People do often offer sex to get ahead. I remember one time when I was young and working in a pizza restaurant. My friend was a general manager, and the store had a opening at manager. One girl wanted that job so bad, that she pulled my friend in the office, removed her coat with nothing underneath and said "I want to be manager". If someone would do that for a crappy job at a pizza restaurant, imagine what people would do to fulfill their life's dream of becoming a star. Now how easy would it be to turn that around and say "I was abused" if they want vengeance on the person that rejected them, or even did have sex with them but didn't fulfill their ambition?

I don't have the answer to all this. I don't know if their is one. What say you? I'm sure most of you are smarter than me. What is your answer?