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Title: "What difference does it make how you got the role?"
Source:
Medusa Project
URL Source: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/1 ... s-it-make-how-you-got-the-role
Published: Oct 18, 2017
Author: Evgeniya Brik among others
Post Date: 2017-12-03 06:58:50 by A Pole
Keywords: Weinstein, Hollywood, Russian
Views: 2737
Comments: 25
[...]
Evgeniya Brik.
Television and film actress, best known for “Hipsters” and “The Geographer Drank His Globe Away,” and the TV shows “The Thaw” and “The Optimists”
The most incredible and unexpected thing is that this story has affected me not only personally, but professionally. I took part in a project that was partly produced by Harvey Weinstein, playing a small part on an American TV series. And now it’s unclear if the show will continue filming. I hope it doesn’t shut down.
This is all appalling, of course. As I understand it, this person had enormous power, and he probably suffers from some psychological disorder. But in my view there’s a lot that’s strange here, and I have a lot of questions about this story. Hollywood is a place where rumors can explode in a second, and America generally is a place where a person can be accused of sexual harassment for one wrong opinion. Over there, men are generally scared of saying anything out of line to women, or looking at them wrong somehow. How did these women keep silent and conceal all these terrible acts by this well-known producer for so many years? Why did actresses go to his hotel room, when auditions and meetings are carried out at studios? Were they all really so scared that he would ruin their careers, and that’s why they were ready to tolerate such humiliation? Honestly, I don’t understand it.
Of course, it’s difficult for anyone who wasn’t there to judge, and we can only imagine and learn what we can from the statements we’re hearing now. We can’t even question them [the women who have accused Weinstein]. But it’s good that this has come to the surface, and he’ll be punished for this in America like he would nowhere else. He’s already lost everything and everyone.
I think that any person always has a choice, and no fear can silence someone for so many years and force them to do these things, and then make them act friendly and hang out together, after all these incidents. Sure, it’s a thin line in the world of cinema. This is a raunchy world of creative, complex people. In his book, [Swedish director] Ingmar Bergman, who of course had many wives, wrote that cinema is an erotic, explicit art where romances are all too common. This is a sphere where relationships are structured a little differently, but there are also very basic things to understand, like in any profession. There’s the boss and his subordinates, who are subject to his decisions and are afraid of losing their jobs. Then the boss goes off the rails, and everyone around him only fuels his enthusiasm by staying silent and fearing bad blood with him. I’m sure it’s very hard to talk about this openly, and come clean. But better late than never.
In no way am I trying to judge these women and say that they’re to blame. I’m just thinking aloud and analyzing things, trying to understand how this nightmare could have happened. I have a daughter who’s an aspiring actress, and if she wants to stay in this profession (or any other profession, for that matter), it’s very important for me to give her an accurate, full sense of how, where, and with whom to interact. For women in the world today, it’s very important for them to know this from childhood, so they’re able to protect themselves.
Regarding Russia, I think stories like this might unfortunately exist here, as well. But I don’t know how much everyone would be ready to come clean and go public, if this happened here. Maybe that’s the secret: somebody starts, and then the others find the strength to come out, too. Nothing like this, thank God, has ever happened to me, and I’ve never heard anything from my colleagues. Luckily [for me], everything has been pretty banal and simple: auditions, offers, and then filming.
[...]
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When judging right from wrong,you have to take cultural differences into consideration.
American feminists see men,especially powerful men,as their enemy. Russian women,in general,tend to see men as humans who are their other halves. "Men need women and women need men. We are different and that is why we need each other."
They also tend to see powerful men as potential husbands and fathers to their children.
That does NOT mean the typical Russian woman is a quiet house mouse,though. Make no mistake about it,SOMEBODY is going to be the boss in your house. If you don't step up to the line and accept your responsibilities as the head of the family,she will push you out of the way and take charge. Having a family is serious business,and somebody NEEDS to be in charge and responsible. If not the man,it will be her,and the man's life will become a living hell.
The truth is that Russian women at heart are really like all other women everywhere else. Even if they have a strong man that SEEMS to be in charge,the truth is that they pretty much always get what they want by using their femininity as a tool to manipulate their men. The men know it,but mostly don't care because what man DOESN'T love a feminine woman?
In this respect they are millions of miles ahead of American women,who over the last couple of decades seem to think the way to get what they want or need is to issue orders to their men,who are also their enemies.. From what I have seen,this is pretty much the norm now in America,and it seems to me that nobody is really enjoying it.
#5. To: sneakypete (#2) (Edited)
The truth is that Russian women at heart are really like all other women everywhere else. Even if they have a strong man that SEEMS to be in charge,the truth is that they pretty much always get what they want by using their femininity as a tool to manipulate their men.
That's called, "using feminine CHARMS." Or in a sense , "flirting."
Men do it too.
There is a thin line between a hard manipulation and using people -- and being pleasant, and just happening to also be a good looking, charismatic female/male.
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