change to be same paragraphs as french version

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kumquat 2020-05-01 19:15:09 +02:00
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@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ Ronan Farrow started his reporting on Harvey Weinstein at NBC, where it was init
While I suppose the implication of lawyers in Weinstein's abuse is hardly surprising, or even the use of private investigators in order to dig up dirt on accusers, what was truly shocking was the level of nefariousness of these private investigators. Farrow writes extensively about Black Cube, which as mentioned above, is a private investigation firm that's mostly populated by former Israeli spies, and who work as almost a sort of private spy agency (including the use of NSA/CIA level tactics against their marks). It's small wonder that previous journalists who were on the trail of Weinstein in the past eventually gave up, for fear of their or their families' safety. I can't imagine how lonely it must have felt, because saying that you feel like you're being constantly tracked or targeted makes you sound like you're paranoid of have delusions of grandeur. Certainly, they counted on this in order to further manipulate these targets. The most hair-raising story to me is how Black Cube used an undercover agent to befriend Rose McGowan and essentially report on her every move, what she was telling journalists and others. The level of depravity is unconscionable. It's small wonder she felt absolutely unsafe, because she had no idea who she could trust or who was spying on her on Weinstein's behalf.
There are a couple things that are implied but never directly stated/confirmed in this book. One of them is that Noah Oppenheim, who was initially in charge of the Today Show, then later became president of NBC News, may have put pressure to halt the story, because of his ties with Hollywood and his implied desire to return there to potentially make more movies. Noah Oppenheim already doesn't come off looking good in this book, because of how he tried to slow down and then stop the reporting, and certain statements he made makes him sound like many people who tend to doubt victims no matter the context. But then further questions are raised which are never really answered, namely, was he working in concert with Weinstein's legal team? It seems extremely likely, but we never get any real confirmation. Another theory that's implied but never confirmed is the possibility that AMI, who certainly must have had deals put in place with Weinstein much like Trump's, also potentially had stories of sexual harassment and/or assault against (now) former Today Show host Matt Lauer, and were using this as leverage to keep stories about Weinstein from coming out on NBC. While this definitely seems possible, especially considering Weinstein's legal team and AMI's open flaunting of journalistic integrity (something they were never known for at the best of times), we can never be truly certain if NBC tried killing this story because they were facing incredible outside pressure, nervous that things would reflect back on their own NDAs within the company, or if there were other reasons still of which we're unaware. The implication of AMI and Weinstein being involved makes sense though, because once Farrow left NBC, Weinstein's lawyers tried (albeit rather unsuccessfully) to have all of his reporting remain locked up with NBC, so he couldn't shop his story to a rivel outlet.
There are a couple things that are implied but never directly stated/confirmed in this book. One of them is that Noah Oppenheim, who was initially in charge of the Today Show, then later became president of NBC News, may have put pressure to halt the story, because of his ties with Hollywood and his implied desire to return there to potentially make more movies. Noah Oppenheim already doesn't come off looking good in this book, because of how he tried to slow down and then stop the reporting, and certain statements he made makes him sound like many people who tend to doubt victims no matter the context.
But then further questions are raised which are never really answered, namely, was he working in concert with Weinstein's legal team? It seems extremely likely, but we never get any real confirmation. Another theory that's implied but never confirmed is the possibility that AMI, who certainly must have had deals put in place with Weinstein much like Trump's, also potentially had stories of sexual harassment and/or assault against (now) former Today Show host Matt Lauer, and were using this as leverage to keep stories about Weinstein from coming out on NBC. While this definitely seems possible, especially considering Weinstein's legal team and AMI's open flaunting of journalistic integrity (something they were never known for at the best of times), we can never be truly certain if NBC tried killing this story because they were facing incredible outside pressure, nervous that things would reflect back on their own NDAs within the company, or if there were other reasons still of which we're unaware. The implication of AMI and Weinstein being involved makes sense though, because once Farrow left NBC, Weinstein's lawyers tried (albeit rather unsuccessfully) to have all of his reporting remain locked up with NBC, so he couldn't shop his story to a rivel outlet.
Speaking of Matt Lauer, I honestly think that was one of the most upsetting parts of the book for me. Even if you're not an angry queer feminist™, his firing from The Today Show was splashed all over the news. What troubles me about this is that while I heard that he was fired for questionable affairs with underlings, it clearly was much more than that. Brooke Nevils' interviews with Farrow go to show just how large news organizations like NBC can successfully cover up their complicity in gross abuses of power. I had heard all about the women who came out about Weinstein. I've heard almost nothing about Nevils. The implication to me is obvious - the takedown of someone like Weinstein is easier, because it's the story of a single bully who terrified everyone within his organization. Nevils' story is a lot messier and scarier to me, because it shows how different levels at an organization can work in concert together to protect talent and executives. I don't want to get into gory detail, but needless to say, Nevils explains how Lauer raped her while abroad at the Sochi Olympics, and continued to use the power imbalance to coerce her into additional sex acts during her time at NBC. Her story is deeply troubling to me, because it goes to show that we're far from finished in this fight, and what scares me most is during this time of confinement, we become complacent about "women's issues."
@ -25,4 +27,4 @@ There are other stories I've never felt comfortable telling. The story of drinki
> In the end, the courage of women cant be stamped out. And stories—the big ones, the true ones—can be caught but never killed.
Farrow ends his book (not counting the Epilogue) and his interviews with Nevils with this statement. While I admittedly harbor some doubts, I applaud his optimism, despite the toll this reporting certainly took on him and all the women who had the courage to speak to him. Recently, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison, and is still facing another trial in California. Some of the Matt Lauers of the world have been fired for their sexual abuse, but who knows how many others remain? It's only recently that in places like France, people have started to question the separation of the artist from his work (the ultimate excuse for continuing to support an abuser because they are apparently the only ones capable of making Art), and protests were made over Roman Polansky continuing to be feted by an artistic community all too eager to brush away "past indiscretions" in the name of art. We're only at very beginning of this. I don't think this fight will be won in my lifetime. But as long as people are willing to speak out, I try to remain hopeful.
Farrow ends his book (not counting the Epilogue) and his interviews with Nevils with this statement. While I admittedly harbor some doubts, I applaud his optimism, despite the toll this reporting certainly took on him and all the women who had the courage to speak to him. Recently, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison, and is still facing another trial in California. Some of the Matt Lauers of the world have been fired for their sexual abuse, but who knows how many others remain? It's only recently that in places like France, people have started to question the separation of the artist from his work (the ultimate excuse for continuing to support an abuser because they are apparently the only ones capable of making Art), and protests were made over Roman Polanski continuing to be feted by an artistic community all too eager to brush away "past indiscretions" in the name of art. We're only at very beginning of this. I don't think this fight will be won in my lifetime. But as long as people are willing to speak out, I try to remain hopeful.