Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Euphemisms such as the casting couch must go – they've been used to normalise abuse for too long
theconversation.com: Hollywood is in the business of making myths. As the storyteller, it has the capacity to create legends and approximations of real life that develop into something so plausible that it creates a whole paradigm. Hollywood stories typically depict tales of power, fame, riches and happy endings –- and one of the most enduring about Hollywood itself is that of the casting couch.
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The entertainment industry needs to start addressing these issues head on and stop pretending like they don’t exist. The idea of the “casting couch” is absolutely disgusting, and the fact that it has become so normalized that it is the truth that is happening right in front of everyone, yet nobody is doing anything about it, is even worse. This is the same thing that happened with Hugh Hefner and the Playboy bunnies. There were some solid rumors circulating about the inner workings of the Playboy house, but nobody tried to intervene or find out more details; it just “wasn’t there business.” This industry is one of the hardest to grow in, and having this underlying idea that you can always trade sex for money if nobody will take you seriously not only encourages sexual assault, but also diminishes the intellect and ability of these women being assaulted as if they could never have made it without the casting couch.
This article actually makes a few very good points, not just the one advertised in the article's headline. While the main focus of this article is rape culture and how the pattern of shame and silence have trapped many women, especially in theater and film, it also makes another interesting point. The article talks about stories and storytelling, and how stories like 'the casting couch' can shape the reality of situations, and it was intriguing to me how these stereotypes can make something exaggerated or satirical into the truth if enough people believe it to be so. Destroying stereotypes and turns of phrase like those seen in the article wouldn't only help reduce stigmas or silence now, but prevent situations of normalization in the future by making it into the exception instead of the rule, encouraging people to speak against it now that it's not normal.
Again, this article is touching on the Harvey Weinstein scandal. I agree with this article as well. I mean, it’s hard to not agree with articles that are fighting for the rights of women. And this article brings up another issue about sexual abuse: the use of euphemisms: “In an interview with BBC’s Newsnight, actress Emma Thompson said abusive behaviours were diminished by this long-held euphemism. The term “pestering” -– as she says it might have been described in more straitened times -– seems almost innocuous; relating to something a little bit annoying and that should just be shrugged off. Again, it is this script that has long driven attitudes and behaviours. Thompson adds that the language of sex addiction also masked what can more rightly be described as predatory behaviour.” By using softer words in articles and reports the issues these women are facing as diminished. We need strong, and realistic words to tackle this issue.
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