Friday, February 21, 2020
These Horror Stories From Hollywood Assistants About Working In The Industry Sound Too Sadistic To Be True
brobible.com: This is a dusty old take but what you are about to read is why the masses cannot take Joaquin Phoenix seriously when he lectures us about milking cows or Leo preaching about the climate, because Hollywood icons thrive in an industry that is rife with power abuse and abject immorality.
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Reading these Hollywood assistants "horror stories" is insane. I feel like many people will think of their favorite artist, actor, or performer and automatically put them on this pedestal. Everyone has their idols. Everyone has someone that they look up to with everything in their heart, but the fact of the matter is that most people don't know their idols in real life. They have never met them in person or seen how they actually work in the real world when the cameras are off. Yes, I'm sure that working on set every day can be incredibly stressful and it can affect how you act towards others, but it is no excuse for treating someone with complete and utter disrespect. It's awful that people will move to Hollywood in an attempt to follow their dreams when in reality, they are often left working as an assistant that only uses them to do their dirty work for them. No 27 year old should have to endure being yelled at while on the toilet and made to ask for permission to use the restroom.
It seems that privileged people in positions of power feel entitled to the lives and the time of the people working for them. What a shock! As horrible as these stories are, I honestly expected some of them to be so much worse. Some of these stories sound like these big-shot film people abuse their assistants just for fun. I mean seriously, sending them across town on a second trip to get BETTER ICE? What does that even mean? I cannot imagine what compels people to be such nightmares to work with and work for. Nothing about their status or their money or job gives them the right to treat another human being like a punching bag of a servant. These young people are doing their best to provide for whoever they’re working for, and objectively they’re probably doing a pretty good job of it too. There is no reason their bosses should be getting angry with them. There is also no good reason these assistants should not have benefits, fair pay, and days off.
The fact that I was unsurprised by the conditions these assistants were put through really comments on the imbalance and abuse of power in the entertainment industry. It's fairly well known that those jobs are very sought after and thus many in a position of power feel they can treat people however they want because those that resist are fired and there's always someone willing to replace them. For this abuse of power to end, these interns and assistants need to refuse to be treated in such ways. The more people are willing to degrade themselves to attain and retain these jobs, the more it validates this form of treatment in the business. I can't imagine going into the workforce as an adult and allowing my employer to treat me the way these people have been. I would never work for someone that was so selfish they didn't let me sleep or shit in peace. One thing that really irked me about this article was the closing statement that you had better be talented enough to work your way up in Hollywood. Talent won't save you from being walked over by your employers. A strong sense of self-worth and the unwillingness to kowtow to abusive people in positions of power will.
I’ve always assumed that many people in high and famous positions in Hollywood probably have some kinds of ego issues and sense of power but hearing actual stories from assistants surprised me. I can’t imagine ever having such a high amount of privilege and heir of superiority to treat those who are there trying to HELP ME like garbage. I already feel bad if I wind up getting a little impatient with someone doing something for me. Making someone go on a whole separate errand for just… better ice?? is utterly ridiculous and almost sadistic. Or requiring someone who is a full adult to ask if they can use the bathroom? It seems like they’re living in a completely different reality than pretty much everyone else. I feel like they think that because they’re big names, they can get away with doing whatever they want. And I also think there are some assistants who are so desperate to get their foot in the industry that they let themselves be walked all over. Of course being treated like rats isn’t their fault, their bosses should be appreciative of the work they do. If I ever get into a position that requires me to have an assistant, I’ll be sure to keep my humanity and treat them right.
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