Sexual Harassment Not A New Thing in Hollywood

Re “How can we end sexual misconduct?” (Question of the Week, Oct. 30):

The problem is it takes at least two to have a problem and it’s easy to simplify this saying men are taking advantage of women, men taking advantage of men or women taking advantage of either sex.

In Hollywood as in many businesses it comes down to what someone’s willing to do to get and keep a job. There are far too many cases of someone wanting a job more than they want to not be taken advantage of. That’s a fact. To deny it is pure ignorance.

Far too many men and women will do whatever it takes to get the career they too desperately desire. I’m certainly not saying it’s right or moral or not criminal in some cases. 

Those using the one charged with misconduct need to take a much longer look inward. The contempt may be for themselves as much as for the accused.

I worked in the industry over 30 years and this isn’t anything new or original for Hollywood and many businesses. Quid pro quo at its worst.

— Vance Frederick, Long Beach

Education is key

It all begins with educating our young men and woman. Give them good self-esteem and education so when going out into the work field they will not feel the need to use anything but their brains to make a good impression and get the job they want.

When going for that interview a hotel room is not the place! If advances are made, excuse yourself and report it immediately. 

No statue of limitations would encourage people to report such behavior at the time and maybe these individuals would not be able to continue to hurt others.

Read the original article on: http://www.presstelegram.com

Hollywood Surrounded by High Anxiety

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, Nov. 6, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

High anxiety in Hollywood

Hollywood has always reveled in scandal. The rumors, the whispers. The unfortunate photographs. The apologies and returns to grace. But the recent sex abuse stories have turned into a parade of tawdry violations and twisted passions, the stuff of movies acted out in real lives against the unglamorous air of disgrace. Some wonder whether Hollywood has been forever changed. Los Angeles Times

Story behind a lawsuit: The story of the woman who claims director Brett Ratnerraped her — and how she is now dealing with a defamation suit filed by the Hollywood titan. Los Angeles Times

Plus: Did being gay but in the closet help Kevin Spacey hide allegations of abuse? BuzzFeed News

Beyond the ‘killing fields’

Long Beach is home to the largest diaspora of Cambodian people outside of that country. For years, the community lived in the shadow of the "killing fields" of the 1970s terror and genocide campaign. But now, Cambodia Town is moving from survival to success. Los Angeles Times

Could more people have been saved?

The fire that swept through Redwood Valley last month — killing nine people, including some who were trying to escape the flames — has prompted questions about whether more could have been done to evacuate the community more quickly. A Times review of police and fire dispatch calls that morning reveals a chaotic scene as officials debated when to send evacuation orders and struggled to comprehend the dimensions of the emergency. Los Angeles Times

Housing woes: As expected, rents are already rising in Napa County after the firestorms. Napa Valley Register

On the lookout: Lawyers are circling around Santa Rosa’s burned-out neighborhoods. Press Democrat

Pricey insurance benefit: For the rich, private firefighters helped out in wine country. Wall Street Journal

 Read the original news on: http://www.latimes.com

2017 Hollywood Film Awards Stunned as Kate Winslet Kissed Allison Janney

The 2017 Hollywood Film Awards had some surprise girl-on-girl action.

At the Beverly Hilton Sunday, Shailene Woodley presented the Hollywood Actress award to her Divergent co-star Kate Winslet, who next appears opposite Justin Timberlake in the Woody Allen movie Wonder Wheel. 

At the beginning of Winslet's acceptance speech, she told Woodley, "Thank you, Shai. Thank you so much for those wonderful words. I'm very proud to be next to you on this stage. Thank you for your grace, your integrity and your beautiful words."

Rather than stand alone in the spotlight, Winslet wanted to shine a light on others in the room, so she used her speech to herald their accomplishments. "What a great room this is to be in tonight, filled with so many achievements and such powerful creativity. 

I'm deeply appreciative of this acknowledgement, at a time when the voices of artists play such an important role in storytelling and pushing boundaries, and that feels necessary today—more than ever before, I think," she said. 

Winslet went on to say that "one of the most rewarding things about this job" is "the opportunity to work alongside incredible actors," and so she wanted "to thank and applaud" her fellow actors being honored, "for your passionate dedication and your brilliance."

"Allison Janney is in this room. Allison, I know I don't really know you, but I just want to be you," she said. "I do. Or just stroke you or something. I mean, we could always kiss, maybe."

As Janney cheered from her seat, Winslet said, "Maybe?"

Janney jumped up and rushed toward the stage.

"Oh, it's gonna happen. Quick, quick, quick!" Winslet said. "This is an exciting moment, isn't it?"

After sharing a passionate (albeit quick) kiss on the lips, Winslet was too flustered to finish her speech. "Thank you very much," the actress told the audience. "Now I'm a little bit breathless!"

Read the original news on: http://www.eonline.com

Kate Winslet, Gary Oldman and Jake Gyllenhaal Honored at Hollywood Film Awards

 James Corden hosted the event, also lauding Timothee Chalamet, Sam Rockwell, Allison Janney, Mary J. Blige, Joe Wright, Adam Sandler and Angelina Jolie.

"What a year 2017 has been for movies: there was the reboot of Beauty and the Beast, the reboot of It, the reboot of The Mummy, the reboot of Blade Runner — you guys, you've outdone yourselves! I don't know how you do it, you're geniuses," jested James Corden while hosting the Hollywood Film Awards.

The event, held Sunday at the Beverly Hilton, isn't televised and lauds previously announced winners, some of whom are from movies that haven't been released yet. Joked the Late Late Show host, "Like the Donald Trump pee tape, I'm just excited to know they're out there and I might just get to see them one day."

Corden also poked fun at himself in his opening monologue for the ceremony, celebrating the best of the film industry: "Who better to do that than me, the voice of Hi-5 from The Emoji Movie, currently available on Blu-ray with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 9 percent? It's a match made in heaven, isn't it?"

Throughout the evening, Wonder Wheel's Kate Winslet took home acting honors, as well as an onstage kiss from the night's supporting actress honoree Allison Janney of I, Tonya. After being introduced by her Divergent co-star Shailene Woodley, Winslet noted the amount of notable talent in the ballroom, including Janney. "I know I don't really know you but I know I just want to be you. I do, or just stroke you or something.

I mean, we could always kiss, maybe?" she said candidly. As Janney then made her way to the stage, Winslet said, "Ah, it's gonna happen! This is an exciting moment!" (Winslet also nearly took home two trophies, since Mudbound's Mary J. Blige accidentally left her breakout performance statuette at the podium after receiving it from Viola Davis, and left Corden to come onstage and retrieve it.)

Jake Gyllenhaal delivered the evening's most moving speech that paid tribute Jeff Bauman, the Boston Marathon bombing survivor that he portrays in Stronger. "We've always had this compulsive need for heroes, the need to transform ordinary humans into superhumans, but Jeff Bauman never wanted to be a hero," he said, after being introduced by Amy Adams. "I don't know if I could've found the courage to do what Jeff did in real life, but I know something now that I didn't know then: if we could find in ourselves the strength that Jeff found, we just might not need heroes."

Read the Original article on: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/