Monday, March 12, 2018
Female Crew Member Leaves 'Stranger Things' Alleging Duffer Brother Abuse
The Mary Sue: Time is truly up for dealing with abusive and sexist conditions of all kinds in all workplaces. Yesterday, a female member of the crew on Stranger Things announced on Instagram (just in time for International Women’s Day!) that she wouldn’t be a part of filming the show’s third season. Her reason? The show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers.
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4 comments:
It is disheartening to see that the epidemic of abuse in the film and tv industry extends to shows which I love such as Stranger Things, but it is important in these times to divorce fantasy from reality. Often the abusers who get away with the most are judged by the art they make regardless of their character or abuses. Moving forward, we need to ensure that abuse is not tolerated in the industry, and judge those accused objectively, regardless of how popular or successful their work is. I hope that the show can go on despite this troubling development, but if the Duffer Brothers have to go, so be it. House of Cards is going on without Spacey, as did All the Money in the World, so it is possible. We can make art while still being decent and inclusive, so if that means sacrificing a few shows for the good of the industry as a whole, I believe we should favor ideals and morality in the process over the superficial quality of the end product.
Though I am not surprised that this has happened as I am sure it is happening a lot and not being reported or publish, I am still extremely disheartened. It is very disheartening to hear that a show’s creator is the reason for her walking off because they are the people in power and have some power to cancel/keep the show the running. This means that it would take a lot more power to shut down the show than if say the leading actor was the main proponent of verbal abuse. Unless legal action is taken it would be hard to stop the Duffer Brothers as they write, direct and produce the show because in the show hierarchy there is little above them. I hope that Netflix takes a stand and cancels the show or takes the Duffer Brothers our of their power position. I was talking to someone the other day about how it's sad when shows get canceled because of one person’s negative action but I think contrary. There are tons of other shows that are running/about to pop up and keeping a show going just to appease viewers/producers is wrong. Actors and production staff are people too who deserve better working conditions that aren’t just controlled by what people want but by what is ethically and morally right.
I agree with the author of this article that it is important not only to call out industries and the abuse employees can suffer but also to name names. How is one supposed to avoid being in contact with such a horrible, abusive man if they don’t know who he is. I think it is very important to know exactly who has been the cause of such great suffering for women. Declaring #timesup is of course very important but nothing can be done until we know who is the problem. I also appreciate that the author of this article highlights the importance of being aware that sexual and violent abuse are not the only kinds of abuse that women and people of all genders suffer from in industries. We need to be fighting against all these kinds of abuses and unfair behaviors that have been given to white, privileged males, making them think that it is okay to say and do the things they do that are crimes.
It is absolutely infuriating to read yet another case of sexual harassment and gender discrimination within the work place. Even though it seems as though she regrets doing so, it was so important that she raised her voice about the abuse by the Duffer Brothers. Higher ups in the industry keep getting free pass after free pass after free pass (as mentioned in the article) and it excuses these people and their actions, even in a time when the discussion surrounding sexual harassment within the entertainment industry is so prevalent. I have said it before, and I believe it still to be true, but I think that a reoccurring issue in this discussion is the fact that some action to be taken, is truly not enough because the perpetrators are still in powerful enough positions that their careers are left untouched. Theatre, music, film, and all other forms of art that is favors safe work environments and inclusivity needs to be pushed to the forefront of audience’s eyes, and supported in the same manner.
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