Michael Moore on Weinstein allegations: 'Let's use this moment to end the abuse of women in our industry'
Michael Moore describes the investigations into Harvey Weinstein’s “repugnant and abhorrent behavior” as a “profound cultural/social/political moment” that he believes “could actually ignite a historic change in our society.”
On Friday, the documentary filmmaker shared a lengthy letter on his Facebook page, titled, “Use This Moment to Create a World Without Harveys,” where he addressed the ever-growing list of sexual misconduct allegations leveled at Weinstein.
“Anyone with a flicker of a conscience or a modicum of decency stands, as I do, with the women who’ve summoned the courage to tell the truth about Harvey Weinstein,” opened Moore. “But well-meaning platitudes of support for the abused are simply not enough.”
Saying that on “more than one occasion” he’s fired men whom he discovered were harassing women, Moore continued, “All of us (men) must share the responsibility for allowing a society to exist where women do not feel safe. A society where, when they are abused, they do not feel safe to tell their stories without fear of retribution and without shame. A society that doesn’t badger, blame or scoff at women when they tell their stories. Or how they tell their stories. Or ‘how long’ it took them. They carry a burden that most of us (men) never have to experience. If you can’t empathize with that or understand what they are dealing with, then maybe you’re part of the problem.”
Beginning with last week’s bombshell New York Times exposé that featured numerous women, including Ashley Judd, accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment, further allegations have continued to surface. Actresses Asia Argento and Rose McGowan have both claimed the producer raped them. He denied those accusations in a statement through his representative: “Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein.”
Weinstein served as an executive producer on Moore’s 2004 documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, but the relationship turned sour when Moore sued the producer and his brother, Bob, for unpaid profits from the film. The suit was settled out of court. Still, The Weinstein Co., which fired the co-founder in the wake of the scandal, recently acquired the rights to Moore’s upcoming Donald Trump-centric documentary Fahrenheit 11/9. Representatives for Moore did not immediately respond to request for comment on the film’s status.
“Let’s use this moment to end the abuse of women in our industry,” continued Moore. “Let’s make this a call for men to take a stand against the men who perpetrate this corrosive, criminal behavior, to call them out and shut them down. We can do this. All it takes is the will and the decision to say ‘enough is enough!'”
Not just calling for action, Moore also included steps he believes Hollywood and society need to immediately take. His four suggestions: all abusers of power needing to step down; everyone become a “documentary filmmaker” to expose these actions through recording and sharing; men who do treat women with respect need to confront the others; and Hollywood studios and corporate America “must declare gender parity the new priority.”
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