Hollywood suddenly stopped marching for women’s rights.
The country hasn’t dramatically changed in recent weeks. No new rules went into effect designed to smash the patriarchy, once and for all.
There is a new leader in the White House, but he’s been accused of both improper behavior and sexual assault like the last occupant.
What changed?
The letter affixed to both the new President and the most controversial governor in America, that’s what.
Yes, Hollywood’s most vocal progressive – think Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler – no longer weigh in on sexual harassment charges of late.
The reasoning couldn’t be more obvious, or disheartening, for those who hoped the industry’s MeToo movement spoke to real change, not partisan sniping.
Hollywood showed it was willing to give then-Vice President Joe Biden a pass last year for the various charges leveled against him. Alyssa Milano, arguably the loudest voice among her peers, offered a pathetic defense of her Biden defense.
At least she broached the subject. That’s more than 99 percent of her progressive peers did during the heated presidential campaign. Actress Rose McGowan offered a rare, and welcome, exception.
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Now, weeks after we learned about nine women alleging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed them in the work place, Hollywood remains silent.
Time’s Up did make some noise earlier this year after several women came forward with their allegations agains the Democrat. The nonprofit, created in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal to support women against lecherous men, served up a milquetoast request for an investigation.
“Allegations of inappropriate behavior in any workplace are deeply troubling and should be addressed. We call on the Cuomo administration to conduct a full and independent investigation into these claims immediately.”
An interesting wrinkle to the request?
Its board members include actress Ashley Judd — a Weinstein accuser who in 2019 hailed Cuomo for signing an anti-harassment law — and actress Eva Longoria, who praised Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic when she helped host last year’s Democratic National Convention.
That, more or less, was it regarding the organization’s efforts to publicly rally behind Cuomo’s accusers. The nonprofit hasn’t demanded Cuomo step down, either.
Three years ago, Time’s Up demanded future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh withdraw his nomination to the highest court in the land. That request came before the nation could hear accuser Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony against him.
Double standard on steroids.
Since then, Time’s Up has laser focused its clout on the Golden Globes, demanding the movie group improve its membership diversity. The nonprofit also spoke out recently about improving how the disabled are portrayed on screen.
A good faith Google News Search on “Time’s Up Cuomo” failed to find any recent stories tying the two together.
The same is true of Hollywood’s take on Cuomo. For months the stars showered the governor with praise. Handler declared her love for Cuomo, and others offered similar raves. The embattled politician even snared an Emmy for his COVID-19 briefings.
The stars ignored conservative media outlets accurately detailing how Cuomo’s COVID-19 decisions led to the deaths of thousands of elderly New Yorkers and how he helped cover up those statistics. Folks like Janice Dean worked tirelessly to expose Cuomo’s actions, while the corporate press couldn’t be bothered to investigate the matter.
Again, wrong party.
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Once President Trump lost the White House, though, reporters started to sniff around Cuomo’s pandemic behaviors. Media outlets suddenly uncovered a crush of troubling material from the Governor’s office, including new allegations tied to his nursing home scandal.
Then, one by one, former Cuomo aides started stepping forward to detail how the New York leader allegedly harassed them. Nine women, to date, offered similar stories of Cuomo’s sexual bullying.
The most recent accusation came at the end of March.
Sherry Vill, 55, claims the chief executive kissed her when he came to her home to assess flood damage in 2017.
“I was holding my small dog in my arms and I though he was going to pet my dog. But instead, he wedged his face between the dog and mine and kissed me on the other cheek in what I felt was highly sexual manner,” Vill said. “But I knew I felt embarrassed and weird about his kissing me.”
The rollout of accusations started last December.
Former aide Lindsey Boylan accuses Gov. Cuomo of sexual harassment in a series of tweets. Boylan, who is running for Manhattan borough president, wrote the governor “sexually harassed me for years,” adding “I know I’m not the only one.”
No celebrities rallied to defend the women in question, then or now. No Women’s March veterans demanded Cuomo step down or even tugged on their best walking sneakers.
Silence.
Well, Handler did admit in January that her “Cuomo Crush” had ended. Bee excoriatef Cuomo during one blistering “comedy” routine on “Full Frontal,” but little before or after from her powerful TBS perch.
One and done.
That’s a far cry from how Hollywood rallied en masse to block Kavanaugh’s ascension to the Supreme Court based on the most spurious of charges. Celebrities marched and shrieked their opposition to his nomination. Schumer purposely got herself arrest as part of her ongoing protests.
Schumer, a New York resident who once performed at Cuomo’s 2019 birthday party, is one of many stars staying mum on Cuomo’s alleged victims. She is on board with the governor’s plans to revitalize New York’s dormant arts scene following a year-plus long pandemic lockdown.
More recently, Gov. Cuomo declared his innocence regarding the nine women accusing him of various sexual assaults.
“All the groping, the sexual harassment, you deny all of that?” McKinley said.
“That’s right. Yes,” Cuomo said.
Believe All Women? That’s so 2020.
Perhaps part of Hollywood’s collective silence can be boiled down to unadulterated shame for their poor judgment.
There’s a serious side to this inactivity. Imagine the message this sends to women in vulnerable positions across the country. Hollywood has your back. We’ll rally for you, raise awareness for your plight and maybe get arrested to fight for justice.
Just don’t get caught in a Democrat’s web of sexual lies. If so, you’re on your own.
The post Hollywood Gives Gov. Andrew Cuomo Pass on Sexual Harassment appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.