The Climate is Changing…and I Don’t Mean the Weather

Hello there! Long time no chat…and for that I apologize, We will get reacquainted in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime I hope you are all alive and well.  So…here we go.

Before I begin, I want to add a disclaimer to the posting you are about to read; this post is NOT a condemnation of or in any way a challenge to the validity of the claims being made by the brave men and women who have had the courage to come forward and speak out about their horrific experiences with harassment. Each claim has been a crack in the veneer of a problem that has existed since the beginning of time; people in a position of power flexing that power in inappropriate ways for sexual gain. However, as the dominoes continue to fall on an almost daily basis, it has raised some questions that I felt were best expressed in this forum. I may jump around in the thought process a bit here, so for that I apologize in advance but bear with me.

Matt Lauer
Former Today Show Anchor

First, I must speak on the Matt Lauer firing. For more than 20 years, Matt, as anchor of The Today Show, has been a cornerstone of the NBC News brand. His freshly scrubbed good looks have been a morning show favorite, despite the network shows struggle for the top spot in the ratings in recent years. Still, beneath that bronzed veneer of a boy-next-door BMOC, there always seemed to be a layer of…how shall I say it…smarm.

Don’t get me wrong, I had been a Lauer fan for many years; I most respected his work ethic that showed with hard work and tenacity you can achieve the dream job, as Matt had done. Morning show anchor in the news business in indeed the “golden ticket,’ and he was the anointed “Golden Child” of network morning news. However, as his star continued to rise, so did the ego. Case in point; Ann Curry.

Lauer and co-anchor Ann Curry

A very well respected journalist in her own right, Ann Curry did much of what Matt had done for many years; worked hard in the trenches and towed the company line. She was exceptional at her job, and ran circles around Lauer when it came to journalistic skill. When Katie Couric departed the network in 2006, the buzz was that Curry would become the “heiress apparent” of the co-anchor spot. Network brass had other plans…some that were influenced by Lauer. Another seasoned journalist, Meredith Vieira was named the new co-anchor. Undaunted, Curry continued to do her job, and when Vieira left the show in 2011, the industry knew it was a slam dunk. Ann Curry would be the next co-anchor of The Today Show.

Then the firestorm began…

From day one, Matt seemed to do his level best to make the seemingly cohesive relationship between him and his previous cohorts effortless. With Curry, he was rigid and rather standoffish; a characteristic longtime viewers of the show had not previously seen from the handsome boy wonder. All the while, he had the ear of the powers that be at the network and was plotting Curry’s downfall even before she sat in the co-anchor chair. Lauer’s urging was most effective in his plans to oust Curry from the co-anchor spot, and in June 2011, just a few weeks after her first anniversary, it was announced that she would be leaving the show.  Matt Lauer got his wish…and the first public taste of how powerful he really was.

Okay, I admit that the previous account might sound a bit “judgy.”  As I said, I liked Matt Lauer, dare I say loved the man. But that is just it; he is merely a man. Not a demigod that he, and so many of those facing harassment accusations seem to think. I share of this story to illustrate how power can indeed seemingly corrupt. It was a very public example of how when given an inch, seemingly taking a mile does not look impossible. We have all heard the old adages about just that. One of my favorites…

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
(Extra points if you can tell me who this quote is attributed to…will share at the end)

That is the seemingly common thread in these stories of harassment that have emerged over the past few weeks and months. It is an illustration of how individuals in a position of power have chosen to cross a line of morality into the roster of sexual predators. In my own personal opinion it is sad, disgusting, horrifying, and sickening.

However…

As I said at the beginning of this post, I don’t doubt the validity of any of the claims being made against these individuals. In the coming weeks and months more will come out, and the allegations will be dealt with…legally. My question comes from the timing; especially occurrences from long passed. I do not mean to discount these claims; I cannot begin to imagine the physical, emotional and psychological scars left behind for the victims. But the “devil’s advocate” side of me has to ask if their choice to speak out has anything to do with wanting the accused to answer for what they have allegedly done, or to promote their own agenda and/or career.

According to the Ontario Confederation of University FacultyAssociations (OCUFA), a false allegation is “one the complainant brings knowing that what is alleged did not occur and, therefore, could not constitute harassment.” While a simple definition, allegations such as sexual harassment have to be considered carefully, pursuit of such a charge can be detrimental to the reputation and career of the accused, and irreparably damaging to the accuser should they be disproved.

    

It would not be the first time…and surely would not be the last someone hitched their wagon to one of these “falling stars” to make themselves more prevalent.   It is the implied guarantee of “15 minutes of fame” so many pursue…even to the ruin of others or themselves. It is this pathway that I personally find so damaging. It is this sort of action that makes the credibility of those who have come forward suspect, and those who have yet to come forward out of shame or fear of retribution that keep many victims buried in their own private tortured shadow.

Actresses Annabella Sciorra & Lupita Nyongo
and accused Harvey Weinstein

So why do I chose to blog about this particular topic? Well, the revelations about the seemingly “untouchable” Matt Lauer were the tipping point. Another reason is one of my favorite actresses, Annabella Sciorra, who has lived in fear for more than two decades at the hands of another accusedharasser, Harvey Weinstein. Add to that the heartbreaking account in the NewYork Times by Academy Award™ winning actress Lupita Nyongo about her own brushes with the king of the smarm kingdom Weinstein. If you have not read her account, I urge you to follow the link and do so. She tells the story from the perspective I am sure many young hopefuls in the entertainment business can relate. The difference is that she being a strong woman with strong convictions and a commitment to her own morals and principles that many new in the field do not. It should be required reading for budding stars, male and female, on how to handle such advances.

Former "Prairie Home Companion"
host Garrison Keillor

And now, as I write this, news that longtime NPR show leader Garrison Keillor of “Prairie Home Companion” fame has been added to the list ofthe accused. There appears that the list of allegations will not stop in the forthcoming days and weeks. Is it shocking? Of course, but as the mighty continue to fall, the shock becomes less and less.

I truly appreciate your willingness to read this far, and if you will indulge me for a bit longer, I’d like to talk a bit about the chasm of trust that these incidences have caused. For years, these individuals have either been informing or entertaining all of us. We have let them into our homes, paid to see their films; they have been a part of our day-to-day lives. Now, with these allegations we have questions; we feel duped to a degree. And we have every right to feel this way. As someone who has survived significant betrayal from someone much closer than a celebrity, I can tell you for sure the feeling is yours to do with as you will.

For me, I will reserve my final decision until all the facts are in; something we should consider in many aspects of our lives. We should exercise some compassion; not just for the victims, but for the alleged perpetrators as well. Anyone who would force themselves on another against their will is unconscionable. Still, these individuals, under the law anyway, are innocent until proven guilty. Add to that, these are individuals who have lost their way somewhere in their path to where they are. Offering a bit of compassion and hoping they will find their way back into the light.

For the victims, my hopes are different. There is no obligation for these individuals to offer a similar olive branch to their alleged harassers. What I hope is forgiveness for themselves, and to know that they are not a fault. Forgiving ourselves is a very difficult thing to do, believe me. But once you can, you can begin to heal.

Lord Acton

Congrats! You made it all the way to the end. Thanks for the time and consideration, and as always I encourage and welcome your comments. Also, as promised, the answer regard the quote at the beginning is John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1^st Baron of Acton, commonly known as Lord Acton. Did you guess it right?

Until next time…