The Carrier editorial reflects a consensus of the editorial board.
“You can do anything,” Donald Trump said in the 2005 tape recently released by the Washington Post. What Trump called locker-room banter is also known as objectification, disrespect and harassment. In the tape, Trump recounts to the television personality Billy Bush of “Access Hollywood” how he once pursued a married woman and expressed regret that they did not have sex. He brags of a special status with women: Because he’s “a star,” he said, he could violate women whenever he wanted. We need to hold men in positions of power accountable for sexual assault and violence.
He is not the only one. There is a shockingly long list of male celebrities in the music, film and sports worlds whose abusive pasts have hardly blemished their thriving careers.
When “Straight Outta Compton” was released, there was scrutiny around its executive producer Dr. Dre and his history of abuse. For the first time in over 20 years, Dre was forced to address his violence against women, including beating music journalist Dee Barnes in 1992 and allegedly physically abusing fiancée Michel’le during their six-year relationship, according to the New York Times. The mogul made a statement in Rolling Stone, then later made a formal public apology. Why did it take 20 years for Dre to have to deal with his history of violence? Yes, he has become a successful rapper and entrepreneur, but his success is yet another example of how influential men can “do anything” and get away with it.
When people think about Sean Penn, they don’t remember the nine hours of torture he put his then-wife Madonna through. They think about his dozens of critically acclaimed movies and his two Academy Awards. The Washington Post reported “Madonna was hospitalized after Penn struck her with a baseball bat. He was charged with domestic assault in 1988 and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.” How is a past so violent and shocking ignored? His success does not erase his behavior.
In an interview with Barbara Walters, Sean Connery advocated slapping around women. Charlie Sheen pleaded guilty to attacking his ex-wife Brooke Mueller, called women who had gotten restraining orders on him “sad trolls” and believes that being associated with him is great for these girls, reports Jezebel magazine. The list goes on: actors and entertainers Chris Brown, Josh Brolin and Nicolas Cage and athletes Ray Rice, Semyon Varlamov, Jordan Hill and Brandon Marshall have all been charged with domestic violence.
Because male celebrities can get away with sexual assault and violence, there are larger, cultural repercussions. Knowing that, instead of being punished for their actions, these men are celebrated and respected shows our culture’s disrespect for women. Celebrity culture caters almost entirely to men, from the objectification of women to the fetishization of male power and wealth. The power of the male celebrity, then, lies in a culture designed to applaud and protect them.
It’s time to hold men in power publicly accountable for their actions. We need to question the status quo and work together toward standing up for victims of sexual and domestic violence. We need to work toward a society that doesn’t ignore sexual assault and violence from celebrities even if we love the characters they play on TV.