By Sheris Mendiola, Courier Staff Writer
There have been multiple power figures in Hollywood accused of sexual harassment.
Actor Kevin Spacey is no longer starring in the award winning TV show House of Cards because of the multiple men who came forward about his sexual assaults. The Today Show anchor, Matt Lauer, was fired and openly admitted to the allegations. Amidst allegations of inappropriate behavior, comedian Louis C.K got his Netflix show canceled and was dropped from the FX network. Harvey Weinstein’s former producer of Kill Bill and Lord of the Rings trilogy is completely out of the entertainment industry. James Franco who was accused of sexual misconduct was taken out of Vanity Fair magazine cover. Many other men have been accused. Sahar Kharie said, “All these men deserve the punishment they are receiving.”
Mirzifaye Erana, a student at James Logan said, “These men think that women want them. They believe that the women genuinely like them. They act like it’s acceptable until it’s publicly addressed.”
This is obviously an abuse of power. These powerful figures in Hollywood take advantage of their status and use it against people who they believe are inferior to them. They act like it’s acceptable. It’s a fact that it’s a sense of power which drives them to commit these actions.
There’s no way to actually prevent these actions, it’s only a matter on how we, as a community will handle the situation. The #metoo movement and time’s up movement encourages women to voice out their “sexual violence and harassment issues.” Senior Savian Nagel said, “It’s a good idea for women to be more open because it brings attention to the issue.” Senior Janice Timbol said, “I’m happy that women are having courage to voice out because some would feel embarrassed or ashamed.”
It’s better to confront these issues than to hide them. The entertainment industry is doing its best to handle these issues, but they need to establish more comprehensive workplace guidelines.