The Me Too Movement: The Sexual Harassment and Assault Thread

[Lencho01]

Looks like John Lasseter's found new work:

Ousted Pixar Chief John Lasseter Hired by Skydance Animation

Here's the memo they wrote to staff about bringing him on...

Spoiler

Dear Colleagues:

I wanted to share with you first some news that we are announcing today.

Industry visionary John Lasseter is joining us to lead Skydance Animation. John will be based in Los Angeles and will report directly to me.

Bill Damaschke will be transitioning from his current role, and we are hopeful he will choose to remain within the Skydance family.

The attached press release outlines the news more fully, but I wanted to share a few things that have informed our decision to bring John on board.

First, no one can dispute John’s legacy building Pixar and Walt Disney Animation into the leadership position they now enjoy. His creative vision and forward-looking approach to animation has transformed the entire industry. At his heart, John is a storyteller – with a unique ability to tell beautiful and emotionally-driven tales that resonate and inspire audiences around the globe.

Second, I know many of you are aware of John’s admitted mistakes in his prior role helming those
studios. John has been forthright in taking ownership of his behavior, apologized for his actions and has spent the past year on sabbatical analyzing and improving his workplace behavior.

Third, we employed outside counsel to thoroughly investigate the allegations, which we considered serious and have warranted our full attention as we made this important decision. The senior leadership team and I have all carefully evaluated the findings of this extensive investigation.

Let me be clear: we have not entered into this decision lightly.

While we would never minimize anyone’s subjective views on behavior, we are confident after many substantive conversations with John, and as the investigation has affirmed, that his mistakes have been recognized. We are certain that John has learned valuable lessons and is ready to prove his capabilities as a leader and a colleague. And he has given his assurance that he will comport himself in a wholly professional manner that is the expectation of every Skydance colleague and partner.

We are very hopeful and excited about what the coming years will bring, as John’s art transcends generations and cultures, while deeply resonating on a fundamental level with what makes us uniquely human.

The senior leadership team and I will be hosting a town hall for all Skydance Animation colleagues shortly to speak with you directly about this transition. Additional town halls at SDM and SDI will take place today and tomorrow.

Skydance Animation colleagues, please be on the lookout for a call-to-gather email. I look forward to speaking with you in person.

Thanks,
David

They better be damn confident about him not slipping up, because that is a huge lawsuit just waiting to happen.

John Lasseter Hire Prompts Tough Questions At Skydance Town Hall; David Ellison Asks Staff For Time & Patience

Skydance Consulted Time’s Up Before John Lasseter Hire (EXCLUSIVE)

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Time and Patience for their hiring of a known harasser? Uh huh...

No wonder Time's Up thought they were looking for an organization for cover.

 

[Herofan]

I feel like the documentary does a good showing of how he was insulated by the black community. It is not dissimilar to OJ. Crazy thing is, the Boondocks and Chappelle were pointing this out like 15 years ago.

Comedy can both get away with a lot and not have a big impact because viewers assume most of it is pretty exaggerated (and most of it is so what isn't isn't particularly noticed).

Kelly did outright face prosecutions at that time, both that happening and fellow celebrities not assuming he must be guilty feels oddly both appropriate and weird. Of course a lot of celebrities get tabloid-accused of illicit sex (although usually consensual and with adults) all the time so it makes sense they would be doubtful of other accusations.

I don't think there's a really clear answer to what either other singers/actors, companies or audiences should do in response to accusations, it's easy to yell Boycott but that's demanding a lot especially when abuses are widespread. The main problem with not boycotting is that the accused would keep being rich.

 

[Lencho01]

John Lasseter Expresses Deep Sorrow & Shame About Past Actions At Emotional Skydance Animation Town Hall

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Comedy can both get away with a lot and not have a big impact because viewers assume most of it is pretty exaggerated (and most of it is so what isn't isn't particularly noticed).

Kelly did outright face prosecutions at that time, both that happening and fellow celebrities not assuming he must be guilty feels oddly both appropriate and weird. Of course a lot of celebrities get tabloid-accused of illicit sex (although usually consensual and with adults) all the time so it makes sense they would be doubtful of other accusations.

I don't think there's a really clear answer to what either other singers/actors, companies or audiences should do in response to accusations, it's easy to yell Boycott but that's demanding a lot especially when abuses are widespread. The main problem with not boycotting is that the accused would keep being rich.

...

...

...

Was there any meaning in this post at all?

 

[Teelie]

John Lasseter Expresses Deep Sorrow & Shame About Past Actions At Emotional Skydance Animation Town Hall

It's good he admits that and feels bad about it but I also don't think the employees, particularly the women are still all that excited about his presence after that.

 

[Sithborg]

The Skydance CEO also apparently told his employees that he wouldn't have hired Lassetter if he were more like Weinstein, which is... not a good look.

But, it looks like there is already some fallout forming.

https://io9.gizmodo.com/paramount-animation-will-reportedly-not-collaborate-wit-1831768416

 

[Lily Adler]

Which one is Skydance?

 

[terry78]

The one that keeps funding Mission Impossible movies.

 

[Donner]

Why a pop idol's stand against her assault sparked outrage in Japan

I respect Japan as a technologically innovative society, but **** they gotta fix their gender inequality.

 

[Schlosser85]

There's tons of victim-blaming even in places like Italy too. A bunch of Italian women in the film industry criticized those who spoke out about sexual harassment.

 

[terry78]

As ass backward as we can be here in the USA at times, when it comes to female rights the rest of the gang don't exactly have their houses in order.

 

[Sithborg]

The idol industry in Japan is... very disturbing.

 

[Sithborg]

And in disappointing news, Brad Bird has come out in defense of John Lassetter.

Brad Bird on ‘Incredibles 2’ and John Lasseter’s Redemption

I can completely understand his complicated views. And how he could still be friends with him. But, it veers way too much in not actually understanding what the issue with Lassetter was. Essentially the definition of privilege. I didn't experience it, so it didn't happen.

 

[terry78]

Yeah, is why it is. I mesn he makes his poonts and everything. But yeah.

 

[Teelie]

We see it all the time with people who can't reconcile the good person they know with the abusive and terrible person other people know.

He's trying to defend his friend but he's ignoring the harm he caused.

 

[terry78]

Chris Brown detained in Paris over rape accusation, police say

 

[Teelie]

I saw that earlier and given who it is I tend to think it is probably true. Someone with his history being violent with a woman is no surprise.

 

[Donner]

Luckily her phone was recording the rape. But I'm sure there will still be those that say she's lying because...she's a woman? I dunno. Whatever excuse they come up with.

 

[James.B]

Bryan Singer Hit With Fresh Allegations of Sex With Underage Boys

In the report, four men allege that Singer had sexual encounters with them when they were teenagers in the late 1990s. One of the men, Victor Valdovinos, says he was a 13-year-old extra on the set of “Apt Pupil” when Singer fondled his genitals.

The three other accusers are identified in the story by pseudonyms. One, identified in the story as Andy, says that he had sex with Singer when he was 15. Another man, identified as Eric, says he was 17 when he began having sex with the director. Singer would have been 31 at the time. The third man, Ben, alleges that he and Singer had oral sex when he was 17 or 18.

“He would stick his hands down your pants without consent,” the man told the Atlantic. “He was predatory in that he would ply people with alcohol and drugs and then have sex with them.”

Singer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, denied to the magazine that Singer had ever had sex with underage boys, and disputed various details of the accusers’ accounts.

The authors of the Atlantic article, Alex French and Maximillian Potter, spoke to 50 sources over the course of a 12-month investigation. French and Potter are both affiliated with Esquire, French as a writer at large and Potter as the editor at large. The article was initially expected to appear in that magazine.

‘Nobody Is Going to Believe You’

 

[antsman41]

Finally, **** Bryan Singer.

 

[Detective Conan]

I don’t know why it took so long for Singer’s downfall to happen. I mean just last December he was being sued for rape and it hardly was a big deal at all. I hope this means Singer never works in Hollywood again, but given what we’ve seen over the last few months I’m not totally optimistic that Singer will finally get his just deserts over this.
The best that can happen now is that he no longer attached to direct that Red Sonja film(and that will happen).

 

[Donner]

Bring him down.

 

[Schlosser85]

His downfall hasn't happened yet and I'm not holding my breath. We've gotten this whole "Bryan Singer underage sex scandal exposed" headline multiple times before and then he keeps getting big gigs.

 

[Herofan]

^Probably because there previously have been so many scandals, accusations and lawsuits and none of the lawsuits succeeded.