7 Uncomfortable Questions ‘Bombshell’ Cast Should Answer
Few films have earned as much free publicity as “Bombshell.”
The film, in select theaters Dec. 13, chronicles how Fox News founder Roger Ailes sexually harassed numerous female staffers while pressuring his peers to cover his trail.
Make no mistake. Reporters adore “Bombshell.” Story after story details the film’s #MeToo reverberations, the talented leading ladies (Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron) and how director Jay Roach nailed the look of Fox News studios.
Outlets gleefully shared the production team’s stealth research tools, including foot fetish sites, to get every last detail.
These reports also let the stars weigh in on sexism, cable news, the #MeToo movement and so much more. That’s understandable given the subjects in play.
Some questions, though, aren’t being asked of either the female leads or co-star John Lithgow.
Why?
The answers may be awkward. Uncomfortable. Inconvenient, even. Shouldn’t reporters ask some, if not all, of the following questions during the press roll out for the film?
Why is Hollywood’s #MeToo Movement Blind to Certain Sinners?
Hollywood stars trashed President Donald Trump for alleged sexual harassment against a number of women. They similarly smited him for the infamous Access Hollywood, “Grab ’em by the [bleep]” tape, recorded during a private conversation.
Sexual harassment deserves to be outed, and if Hollywood helps play a role in that, all the better. So why have so many stars stayed silent over Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax? He has been credibly accused of sexual assault by not one but two women.
Former Vice President Joe Biden repeatedly invaded the private space of women, some of it caught on video. He’s the current Democrat front runner for the presidency. How many celebrities have called him out for his transgressions?
Alyssa Milano, one of the industry’s most political stars, actually defended Biden on this front.
Former Rep. Katie Hill, who engaged in sexual relations with staffers, showed predatory behavior isn’t just relegated to men.
What do all these people have in common? They’re Democrats. And, more importantly, politically active Hollywood players stayed silent about their transgressions.
That makes the industry’s #MeToo movement, aggressively pushed by the “Bombshell” stars, look overtly partisan, no?
Why Did Hollywood Rally on Behalf of Christine Blasey Ford?
Conversely, Hollywood rose up in collective fury when President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court last year. They insisted Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Ford decades ago based on the flimsiest evidence possible.
We’ve since learned nearly two dozen solid reasons not to believe Ford’s testimony. Do the stars owe Kavanaugh an apology? Did they improperly use their celebrity clout to hurt a Republican president?
Do We Really Need Three Hollywood Projects Tied to Ailes’ Self-Made Downfall?
The 2018 film “Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes” captured the same material covered by both “The Loudest Voice” on Showtime and now “Bombshell.” Three projects. Three ways to tar both Ailes and the network he created. Why?
Why Hasn’t Hollywood Spoken Out Against President Bill Clinton (And His Inner Circle)?
President Clinton was credibly accused of rape by Juanita Broaddrick. He leveraged his role as the most powerful man in the world to have an affair with a White House intern. Paula Jones sued him for sexual assault, ending with Clinton paying her $850,000 in a settlement deal.
Clinton also has disturbing ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, a man convicted of sexually abusing children.
Has the Hollywood community spoken out against the former president? What about George Stephanopolous, a former Clinton aide? The latter is a key player at ABC News, a man who once bullied reporters from covering Clinton’s “Bimbo Eruptions” and partied with Epstein.
And what about Hillary Clinton? She lied on her husbands’ behalf to diffuse the Monica Lewinsky scandal. More recently, we learned she turned a cold shoulder to reporter Ronan Farrow after he started tracking Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual assaults?
Weinstein had been an active Democratic donor prior to his downfall.
Where is the Matt Lauer Story? Les Moonves?
Ailes’ notoriety is well earned. He created a news channel that forever changed the TV landscape. Fox News continues to crush the competition. Any scandal tied to him is worth examination. What about Matt Lauer? He lorded over NBC’s “The Today Show” for two-plus decades, apparently doing much more than that behind the scenes.
Moonves oversaw an entire broadcast network, CBS, using his power to allegedly attack women, hurt their careers and more.
Moonves’ reign, which abruptly ended when he was ousted Sept. 9, seems to be a throwback to an earlier era in Hollywood, when the town was ruled by larger-than-life bosses who demanded attention, extreme loyalty and sex from the people who wanted to be in pictures.
Rose lacked the aforementioned players’ power, but he, too, served as a respected journalist for decades.
Will those stories ever become Hollywood projects? If not, why not?
Shouldn’t Conservatives Have a Right-Leaning Network to Call Their Own?
There’s a not so subtle message behind the trio of Fox News projects, along with Hollywood’s repeated attacks on the network.
It’s not legitimate. The right-leaning Fox News doesn’t deserve a spot on our multl-channel TV landscape. Why? Doesn’t half the country deserve a station to call their own? If not, why not? How is Fox News’ biases any different than what MSNBC delivers, just from a different point of view?
How Could Hollywood Not Know About Harvey Weinstein?
It took years for Weinstein’s actions to see the light of day. Was that true behind the scenes in Hollywood?
Quentin Tarantino knew plenty about Weinstein’s tactics. He heard firsthand from his “Kill Bill” star, Uma Thurman, and former flame Mira Sorvino. Brad Pitt knew, too. He told Weinstein to knock if off after hearing what the producer did to his then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow.
Sabo is partly responsible for the “They Knew” campaign, showing images of Meryl Streep’s eyes covered with text next to Harvey Weinstein https://t.co/UsJJrqNLXw
— VICE News (@vicenews) January 8, 2018
How many more people knew? Comic/director Bobcat Goldthwait thinks the answer is disturbing.
…there’s a hypocrisy from my fellow peers, and I’m not even talking about the abusers, there’s a hypocrisy where they knew this stuff was going on and they facilitated it and now they’re saying, ‘hey we’ve got to listen to women.’ And it’s bulls*** because they knew what was going on.”
The rumors were endless. Dozens and dozens of stars, both big and small, had personal stories to share about Weinstein’s predatory ways. Why did everyone keep so silent? And is Hollywood the best industry to lecture us about #MeToo behaviors given how many stayed mum about Weinstein (and others)?