With Harvey Weinstein getting ample attention with his douchebaggery, I feel it's important to note that the abuse didn't start with him, nor does it end with him. "The Casting Couch" is a phrase that's been around a long time. And while many have the sort of ethics and integrity that forbid them from engaging in such measures to get a role or other duty associated with movie making, many are coerced, forced, or otherwise exploited for the power trip shits and giggles of others.
For example, if I were to point out that the author of Lolita found much of his inspiration in the Baby Burlesk films which starred a 3 year old Shirley Temple being blatantly paraded around with sexual connotations and thus since the 30's, children of both genders were sexualized. Temple played many roles, such as prostitute, show girl, and "cradle bait," meanwhile a young costar engaged in a strip tease. And these films are given a pass to exist; how is that acceptable? How is it okay to the point society at large turns a blind eye to sexual exploitation of kids?
While most of the people coming forward regarding Harvey Wienstein and Hollywood sex abuse have been women, it should be noted that a number of boys and men have been accosted. Due to society focusing on female victimhood, boys and men are expected to be stoic and not admit to being sexually abused. It creates a system of silence that these abusers thrive in and sex abuse survivors barely survive in, capitulating in order to make a living, and more often than not turning to sex, drugs, and reckless behavior to cope with their experiences.
But if we delve into the 1980s, the Iran-Contras were on people's lips and for a sweet second, the media actually reported that children were abused at the highest levels in American society; I say for a second, because when the DC newspaper reported on the White House Call Boy Scandal, those papers were snatched up to keep them out of the public's eye.
Tom Brokaw briefly reported on it; watch this and keep in mind the language of enabling he uses. For instance, he doesn't address the ages of the "call boys" which were 13-15, nor does he question the fact that those pimping children out were arrested for financial issues, not the sexual exploitation of minors.
It's insidious, the way words can be twisted around to cover the asses of those who need a bad dose of sunshine to cleanse their atrocities from the earth. I guess going after the use of credit cards to buy sex is more tasteful than stopping child abuse. That right there, tells you everything you need to know about the media's participation in revealing the truth regarding the sexual exploitation of others, especially children.
And finally, tying into the last point, there was a documentary made that referenced the White House Call Boy Scandal. It aired three times on American television before it was destroyed by the people who have that kind of money to throw around; one tape survived, and it's been posted on YouTube for posterity.
Also, there is Boys For Sale, a 1981 documentary about the elites use of children for prostitution and murder.
The point is that systematic abuse can no longer survive with society's blind eye. Weinstein is the beginning of its end, but until it's completely eradicated, it will continue to thrive in the shadows.