Hollywood Looks in the Mirror
How Tinseltown's takedown of the Catholic Church was nothing more than disingenuous posturing
Image courtesy of Joseph Plotz
Am I the only one with Deja vu?
It wasn't so long ago that the world was allowed a look behind the curtain and learned that the Catholic Church had swept under the rug decades of sexual abuse by its priest.
And now Hollywood, America's absurdly secular guardians of art and entertainment, is confronting its own vile coverup. The revelations of Harvey Weinstein's methodical predation have shed light on yet another cultural tragedy from an institution that claims to champion feminism and regularly uses its bully pulpit to attack ideologies it finds politically unsavory.
Such as, well, the pro-life Catholic Church. Tinseltown wasted no time dramatizing and documenting what was arguably the most sordid scandal in the history of modern religion—there are numerous films and documentaries tackling the Church's most heinous abuses. From Deliver Us from Evil to Hand of God to Twist of Faith, Hollywood's attack on the Church was multi-faceted, and rightfully so. The Church's deeds deserved exposing.
The most popular film, Spotlight, took home Best Picture in 2016.
Now we know, however, that while Weinstein's enablers were collecting applause and awards for chronicling the Church's abuse, they were themselves facilitating a very similar nightmare and subsequent coverup.
Lest you think the comparisons dissimilar, consider that not long ago former child star Corey Feldman accused Hollywood bigwigs of running what was essentially a pedophile ring; an allegation that drew the ire of The View's Barbara Walters and that now has received new life.
And while it can certainly be argued that the Church's mission is loftier in the sense that it is spiritual, for secular elites in La-La Land holiness is often defined in terms of success. It's no surprise then that Meryl Streep, the Tom Brady of the Oscars, referred to Weinstein as "God," or that the sleazy movie magnate has been thanked more than God by Academy Award winners.
Most importantly, however, both scandals represent egregious behavior covered up for motives largely financial and political.
While nearly all of Weinstein's colleagues have tried to distance themselves from his antics, there is little denying that his behavior was common knowledge; Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane alluded to Weinstein's predation at the 2013 Academy Awards.
If Seth McFarlane knew, you can bet your ass the super stars and starlets who now feign outrage were deeply familiar with Weinstein's behavior.
After all, Hollywood is a town and culture mired in gossip—the entire enterprise is comprised of competing cliques that air one another's dirty laundry on the front pages of tabloids and, sadly, respectable papers day in and day out.
But the real crime may well lie in the fact that Hollywood had multiple co-conspirators.
In a world where the line between celebrity journalists and the red carpet is almost nonexistent, it should come as no surprise that progressive torchbearers NBC and the New York Times killed previous stories attempting to expose Weinstein.
Or that the powers-that-be in Washington, D.C., where Weinstein's hefty campaign contributions and frequent endorsements made it easy for the party that champions feminism to overlook what was surely common knowledge, were likewise on the take. Tribalism is a powerful bond, and progressives stick together.
So now that the veil is lifted, how will Hollywood write its own story?
After all, it's one thing to repeatedly attack an institution you fundamentally disagree with, but quite another to dig the dagger into your own heart; Academy Awards from dramatizing others' pain are no doubt more enjoyable than self-immolation.
Here's a suggestion: Hollywood can start by doing what it does best, telling stories. And when they cast these sordid Weinstein biopics and tales of pedophilia, they would do well to give the first auditions to the actors and actresses who were abused for decades by the very institution they held in such high esteem.
That is, of course, if they're willing to relive the horror.
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