Hollywood and #MeToo: Separating the Art from the Artists

#MeToo Exposed Not Just a Problem for Hollywood, but for Audiences.

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past two years, you probably have no idea what the #MeToo movement is. Long story short, it was a social media trend that exposed the ungodly amount of sexual harassment that is still rampant in the entertainment industry. Essentially, that old cliché of a Hollywood producer stroking his chest hair while asking a young actress just how badly she wants to be a star isn’t that far of a stretch. A lot of popular and powerful men (and some women) have been exposed for their heinous conduct, most notable is the famed producer and human waste receptacle, Harvey Weinstein. However, he’s not the only one. #MeToo exposed a lot of beloved stars from Kevin Spacey to Sylvester Stallone to, even, “woke bae” George Takai. Of course, powerful people doing terrible things with their power in tinsel town isn’t “new” (see Roman Polanski), but it’s definitely made it a lot harder to enjoy some of our favorite films thanks to these rotten apples. 

Look, I love movies. I also hate sexual assault (which shouldn’t need to be said, but these are the times we live in). So, seeing over 100 celebrities accused of sexual misconduct or worse in the wake of the #MeToo scandals is pretty devastating. Not nearly as devastating as it is to their victims, but it’s left me torn about some of my favorite movies. Worse than that, a lot of stars got off scot-free thanks to the statute of limitations on such crimes and enough money to throw at the problem to make it go away (aka settling out of court). They’re still making movies, and I’m still kind of obligated to see them as a critic. There are even older films that I loved that I’m struggling to see in the same light. After a lot of thought on the matter, I’ve come up with the only possible solution in the face of an ever-growing list of Hollywood degenerates. I have to separate the art from the artist. 

Before anyone assumes that means I’m giving these sleazy pricks a free pass, let me explain the reason behind my decision. Film is a collaborative art form. It isn’t just one person’s creation. Dozens, even hundreds of people work on movies. For me to condemn every Bryan Singer project isn’t just “punishing” him. It’s punishing Hugh Jackman, Benicio del Toro, the entire cast of House, and so on. Yes, he should answer for any wrongdoings he’s done, but I don’t believe that the innocent should be dragged down with him. While some of them might have been aware of the scuzzy stuff he may or may not have been up to, a lot of people signed on to do a project because it seemed like something cool. Because of that, I have to pull my disdain for his ilk out of the picture when watching a movie or series. I can hate the person, but because of how many people are involved in the creation of the art, I can’t automatically hate it. 

It kills me to say this, but because there have been so many people exposed by #MeToo, that seeing a movie without a problematic name attached to it is next to impossible. I love Deadpool, but that doesn’t excuse T.J. Miller from the shit he pulled. I might sneer at every scene he’s in, but I’m still going to see Underwater. Polanski is potentially one of the worst of them all, but that doesn’t make Chinatown or Rosemary’s Baby any less brilliant. Luc Besson has been accused of terrible things, but damn it I still love The Fifth Element and The Professional. While I might defend the validity of their art at times, all of the artists who have been found guilty of their crimes are on a personal list of people I would punch in the face if I ever met them. It’s just really unfortunate that it took something like #MeToo to finally get Hollywood to start taking action. If it had happened sooner, the list might not nearly be as long as it is, and I wouldn’t feel morally compromised watching certain actors or actresses on the big screen.   

Now I’m sure there are some people out there that say, “but what about false accusations.” Well, first of all, every accusation should be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. Second of all, the statistics on false accusations show that the number is minuscule at best. I think we should be more concerned for those that haven’t come forward out of fear that their attacker and their cohorts might completely ruin them. Hollywood is a place filled with powerful people and #MeToo showed that there are many who take part in this vile and depraved behavior. I know that this is a country where the system is supposed to presume one is innocent until proven guilty, but if anything, we’ve learned that the system is broken when it comes to these cases. Besides, the sleazeballs being accused have enough people “supporting” them as is. 

Once more, I want to emphasize that separating the art from the artist is not excusing their behavior. It’s allowing all the other people involved in the filmmaking process to have their contributions be seen and appreciated. If you think this is “impossible” just know that I do it every time I review a Quentin Tarantino movie. No, he hasn’t been accused of assault (plenty of other stuff though), I just can’t stand him and his stupid face. The fact remains that I gave Once Upon a Time in Hollywood a chance for Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, and they were great in it. Because of that, I’ll continue to denounce plenty of actors, directors, and producers, but I will still see movies and keep an open mind, not for them, but for all the artists that didn’t do anything wrong and have to make a living (not everyone in Hollywood is stupid rich). So, I wholeheartedly support #MeToo, but I also want to keep supporting innocent creators. Of course, next time one of those scumbags who did has a one-man (or woman) show, I’ll definitely skip it.