How the 'casting couch' joke helped Hollywood cover up sexual abuse

[NelsonG]

Time to throw this old couch to the curb. 

After two weeks of horrific revelations about predatory producer Harvey Weinstein — and now his brother Bob — it's hard to imagine we'll see another "casting couch" joke in movies or TV for some time – if ever. 

But as the industry examines the parts of its system that let Weinstein act unchallenged, we should not ignore the fact that the whole concept behind his behavior has been baked into its product for decades.

SEE ALSO: Harvey Weinstein's harassment was an open secret in Hollywood. He's far from alone.

The casting couch is shorthand for a cartoon image: the lascivious old producer with roaming hands pursuing a young starlet in an uncomfortably close seating situation during a private audition. The more this became a cliche of entertainment, the more it blunted the edges of a harsh reality for untold numbers of women.  Read more...

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