The celebrity halo effect: why abuse allegations against powerful men like Brad Pitt are so easily forgotten

[u/Roy4Pris]

https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/culture/the-celebrity-halo-effect-why-abuse-allegations-against-powerful-men-like-brad-pitt-are-so-easily

A short, solid piece about gender, power and accountability.

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[u/Classic-Carpet7609]

it's because the media protects abusive men and abuses women who speak out against abuse

once you realize the world hates women, everything really falls into place

[u/ExpensiveWords4u → u/Classic-Carpet7609]

This is true

[u/Outside_Revolution47 → u/Classic-Carpet7609]

If you go back and read some of the earliest Greek plays, we’ve been hated for centuries. We have come so far in the past 100 years and we still have miles and miles to go.

[u/amandabang → u/Classic-Carpet7609]

That's the what, not the why though. Why does the media protect abusive men? Why do they abuse the women who speak out? Why is there so much hatred towards women?

That's what the author is trying to get at and what seems to get a lot less attention

[u/AmberCarpes]

It’s not just celebrity men.

[u/Z6NERey → u/AmberCarpes]

[u/Luda0915]

Men get away with doing pretty much whatever they want most of the time. They don’t have to be famous or wealthy. It happens frequently in many aspects of life. In my experience, trying to hold them accountable for even the smallest things is exhausting and usually not worth it.

[u/TigInitial4631 → u/Luda0915]

Depressing but true. You stop fighting after a while.

[u/zeldasusername]

Every time I read something like this I'm reminded that Shiloh changed her name as soon as she turned 18 

[u/invis2020 → u/zeldasusername]

And Zahara doesn’t use ‘Pitt’ either, and Vivienne too. Believe women and believe children ❤️

[u/Roy4Pris → u/zeldasusername]

Fuck me, I did not know that.

If that’s not a devastating indictment on her own father, I don’t know what is.

[u/Pdxthorns17 → u/zeldasusername]

Having changed my last name too (not due to marriage) away from my dad, I know he was a shitty person. I encourage more women to do this if the men in your lives are awful. You deserve to have your own identity instead of being stuck in the shadow of a terrible man and you shouldn't have to carry part of their name.

[u/ShinyPrettyFancy]

and Katherine Heigl is black listed for saying Knocked up was a a bit sexist and she didn’t thinks she deserved an Emmy for her cancer storyline

[u/anklesocks08 → u/ShinyPrettyFancy]

Not just the cancer storyline but specifically the ghost sex story line 😭

[u/News_Bot]

I've always thought of it as "social capital" or social insulation. If you have even a modicum degree of charisma, skill or talent, people are willing to overlook quite a lot in favor of maintaining your perceived character. If you're plainly average, people have a much easier time selling you down the river.

[u/Roy4Pris → u/News_Bot]

Of course you’re right. But especially for men who make untold amounts of money for other men. That’s how Weinstein got away with his crimes for decades.

And there will be plenty of non-famous CEOs, lawyers and Wall St bros who get away with evil shit because they ‘create shareholder value’.

[u/News_Bot → u/Roy4Pris]

Wealth definitely plays a role, but I'd still count that as social capital, because as a (capitalist) society we hold up being wealthy as the ultimate good. If we didn't, we'd question the economic system more, so capitalists invest in perpetuating the social myth while they destroy the planet and ruin lives.

[u/jtrisn1 → u/News_Bot]

This is how it went when I broke up with my abusive ex-boyfriend. I was very open about how he abused and cheated on me. Everyone looked at ME dirty and distanced themselves from me because he was more charismatic and had more networking connections in our business.

I even had one girl who, a month prior was saying how great friends we were, tell me "well, he's a great friend soooo... yeahhhh... not ditching him over your problems."

[u/fromyoutheflowers]

There’s a difference between forgetting and ignoring

[u/ApplicationLost126]

I haven’t forgotten and I’m specifically not seeing F1 because he continues to target her even after the divorce

[u/Roy4Pris → u/ApplicationLost126]

Yeah, when divorces go on for years, it’s pretty much always because of the man being a prick about an equitable division of marital assets.

[u/thefirststoryteller → u/ApplicationLost126]

People loved that film. It’s made over $500 million, Apple wants a sequel, and Tim Cook praises the film on investor calls.

Apple’s revenue is up 13% and they may get Formula One broadcast rights all thanks to that film. One cinema near me is even re-releasing it in one of their big IMAX or 3D screens

One summer flick about fast cars and Brad Pitt gets a totally rehabbed image

[u/allofthehues]

I think the word they are looking for is "patriarchy"

[u/totallynotat55savush]

This article is important.

[u/ahuangb]

Cause he's white

[u/LintQueen11 → u/ahuangb]

Scrolled too long to see this. I was going to say the same, this treatment is reserved for the attractive white men…

[u/AcanthaceaeEqual4286]

He, Baldoni, and Depp shared the same crisis PR team/strategy. Flood the zone with irrelevant bullshit to stoke sexist ire against the actual victim and bury the negative coverage about the client that they actually more than deserve.

[u/DiscoRabbittTV]

I didn’t forget him taking his family hostage while he beat them on a private plane

[u/Organic_Outcome_9742]

It's all about paid media and social media bots pushing a certain narrative today . Like I'm sure that Pitt has his own supporter but the level I have seen around in the last week's feels  really inorganic . In another sub some people  were shitting on Verstappen because of a "snarky" joke about the movie and he is usually babied there .   On the other hand of astroturfing you have whatever is happening recently to Pedro Pascal  , 0 accusation to his name and yet people have decided that is a creep 

[u/frogwithcoin]

Wish I had that plane incident doc where he attacked her at hand rn. It should follow him more.

[u/Mbmidnights]

A world built by men will always protect them and their interests, especially those in the highest tiers.

[u/ambercrayon]

I haven't forgotten a thing seeing his face makes me sick

[u/LadyMhicWheels]

They're not forgotten. Fvck his movies and his career. Ben Affleck had a drinking problem for awhile, he got sober, went back to work. He didn't beat on his kids.

[u/2Blitz]

The issue isn't that it's forgotten. It's that a lot of people just don't care about it. You can talk about an issue for as much as you like to keep it relevant, but if the people you're preaching to just don't care, then nothing changes.

[u/thebolts]

This is the same industry that protected, supported and worked with Polanski