Variety: The legislation known as the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, along with its accompanying proposed Treasury Regulations, has already had a significant impact on the entertainment industry. While not every effect is known, several unintended consequences are immediately apparent.
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These cuts are exactly the opposite of what the entertainment industry needs. This discourages victims of sexual assault from stepping forward, as their legal expenses will be covered less, and they will likely receive less compensation. Victims are also now required to pay taxes on their settlement, further incentivising further sexual abuse in the entertainment industry. As well, food and such expenses are now completely un-deductible. While this is nowhere near the first cut, it hurts an industry already damaged by the destruction of the National Endowment of the Arts. As well now, firing employees is now more favorable as it provides a greater tax deduction than before. None of these things are good for the entertainment industry, which has been repeatedly attacked by our Republican congress and our President. Our President has repeatedly taken action against free speech and against artistic expression in our country. I doubt this will be the last time as well.
This article is definitely an important read. It is so easy to get so over-whelmed and fed up about hearing these ongoing changes and negative effects but as future leaders of the theatre industry we need to have a better grasp on these things and understand what it might mean for us. This legislation could very likely affect the ways many theatres are able to operate as we have known them to. I did have a bit of issue with the way the author approached the backlash faced by sexual assault victims the financial implications of this are terrible because people aren’t able to be compensated in the same ways that they have been previously however SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS ARE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF THEIR ASSAULT. Compensation is an important factor to account for but when you break it down to numbers and conclude your point not by clarifying the fact highlighted above, but instead saying “Ouch” there is an issue in the delivery of that message. All of these effects are quite important for individuals and the industry to understand.
There’s a lot to be frustrated about in this article, but my main target is the part that impacts people who sue over sexual harassment. It’s just another way in which the ruling power--I use this phrase to encompass the elected officials, the biased/counterfactual media outlets, and the ultra wealthy individuals who influence them--is working to silence women. Because so many of the people in power have so little disregard for women, and because so many of them are guilty of harassment and/or assault, it benefits them greatly to discredit women’s allegations. The story they’re implying here is that the majority of people who come forward about harassment are trying to get something out of it and/or are lying because it benefits them to do so, and therefore the government should set up systems to protect companies from these evil, greedy people. This is messed up, to say the least, and hugely damaging. All we can do is continue to support and protect survivors from where we are, and keep fighting to change the story.
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