And the Pervert of the Year Award Goes to....

Casey Affleck. There has to be one, right?

Congrats to the year's most gifted
woman hater!

You know, watching the Oscars on Sunday night, I couldn't have guessed that by Tuesday morning, my utter ambivalence toward this guy would have been supplanted by good ol' fashioned revulsion. I even bought into the whole "unrecognized but more talented younger brother getting his due" narrative that'd been constructed around him throughout this awards season. And I enjoyed Manchester by the Sea, at least, you know, as much as it was humanly possible to reap enjoyment from that sad sack.

But sure enough, I didn't know until after the Oscars that this season's best actor winner had settled two sexual harassment cases out of court in 2010, both involving women who worked on Affleck's infamous fart of a bad film, I'm Still Here. The allegations ranged from the stupidly offensive (on-set 'jokes' and encouragement to get with other crew members) to the violative (drunkenly crawling into one woman's bed as she slept) to the violent—"grabbing" one woman when she refused to have sex with him.

But see... when I don't say their names like that, or put their positions on the film into context - as Time Magazine fails to do in its safe little article on Affleck's "Oscar controversy" - it's easy to be dismiss these allegations. Maybe it was these safe media reports that created just enough ambiguity to sail Affleck through the "people talking" storm and to his trophies. A woman on a film is a bad omen, anywho - you seduce one pretty PA, and suddenly you've got a lawsuit on your hands!

Well how's this: their names are Magdalena Gorka and Amanda White, and they were the Director of Photography and Producer on the project, respectively. White had worked with Affleck over the last decade of her career, the two were the only two women on the film, and their contracts made them among the most powerful figures in the production. The daily harassment and trauma that each experienced during this production was designed, sanctioned, and perpetuated by Affleck to strip them of any power or agency that their positions presupposed. They were subjected to daily harassment, partaken in even by their subordinates. In what should be seen as a clear concession of Affleck's guilt, both women's cases were settled to the undisclosed tune of between $1.5 - 2.5 million dollars each.

Even though many publications and journalists reported on Affleck's history of sexual harassment throughout the awards season (for better reads than wimpy Time Mag's, opt for Huffington Post or this very detailed Daily Beast article) the actor was still adorned with every Best Actor award out there, besides the SAG. Funny, that: the only voting body that did not award Affleck just happened to be the one comprised of his peers and colleagues... Brie Larson knew full well that she had the entire Dolby Theater behind her when she denied Affleck the standard niceties.

 A hero in the eyes of Gods and Men, Captain Marvel herself

It just begs the question: in this historic Academy Awards:

in which Mahershala Ali, the first Muslim actor was awarded;

in which Asghar Fahardi's unmissable absence created a poignant moment of protest for those affected by Trump's unlawful ban;

in which Best Picture went to Moonlight, which must be the most intersectional text and diverse cast and crew that the Academy has ever awarded...

Why - WHY - is the Academy STILL giving awards to men who abuse women?

When Hollywood has never more legitimately enjoyed its pedestal of preaching empathy and 'speaking truth to power', why does it continue to normalize sexual assault by awarding 'talented' abusers?

It seems that every year some pervert is Hollywood's darling, be it Woody Allen or Nate Parker. I'm already exasperated as all hell at the lack of female representation in the writing, directing, really ANY creative categories besides acting. And now I - and all the women working or hoping to work in this industry - have to watch sexual criminals, who contribute to the regression or stagnation of gender equality in entertainment; who, abusing their female colleagues, denigrate and mock any progress toward gender equality, preen and puff and accept awards presented by an actress who won last year for portraying a survivor of sexual abuse?

The only thing trumping that irony is this year's big twist: two perverts for the price of one!

Good old Mel, resident wife beater and anti-semite (but only when he's drunk, you know), has served his sentence and is back among Hollywood's elite. It seems when one sexual abuser makes a come-up, another makes a come-back.

So, what was it we were just saying, about the Oscars championing social justice?