Hollywood Sees Fall of Role-Models

I spent my entire birthday, Oct. 5, on a Greyhound bus. While scrolling through my Twitter feed to pass the time, a New York Times article broke—“Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades.”

And thus began the fall of my supposed role models.

The Harvey Weinstein story, further reported by the Times and the New Yorker, has resulted in multiple revelations of sexual harassment in all corners of the media. From actors such as Louis C. K. and Kevin Spacey, to politicians like Al Franken and Roy Moore, every week seems to darken the white clouds that hung over notable individuals. But, while much has been said about the deserved ending of some of these men’s careers, the impact of their legacies extend beyond their finished products.

A two-time Academy Award-winning actor, Spacey’s name alone came with prestige.

This has further increased with his starring role as Frank Underwood on Netflix’s House of Cards, the show that arguably propelled Netflix to the forefront of prestige television.

This led to multiple programs where Spacey mentored young actors, including an online MasterClass—all discontinued due to allegations of misconduct at some of these programs. While many aspiring actors looked to him as their role model, their ambitions were preyed upon and cut short due to his fame.

These events aren’t just limited to the world of film.

Journalists like Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer and Glenn Thrush have excelled in their respective fields. In each case, they are accused of using their power—two of them as lead anchors on broadcast networks, another as a White House correspondent for the New York Times —to lure young, aspiring female reporters into uncomfortable sexual encounters.

Incidents like these discourage people from seeking advice in their fields of interest, as it makes them wonder which of their role models they can trust. In Vox’s expose on Thrush, it noted how his stature in political journalism made women want to stay on good terms with him to further their careers

I mention these cases because, as I’ve watched seemingly every man I’ve looked up to deal with sexual misconduct, I’ve come to the realization that their actions didn’t end with their direct victims.

Every film they’ve starred in is tainted, every piece they’ve written is stained—no one can view their product without judging the artist, discouraging people everywhere from seeking out their talents.

That’s not to excuse their actions. What the Kevin Spaceys and the Matt Lauers of the world did merited their careers ending because sexual misconduct should never be tolerated.

But one can’t claim they weren’t talented at their roles.

Kevin Spacey is a great actor, capable of cracking a role to perfection. Charlie Rose is a masterful interviewer, able to immerse his audience in intimate conversations on his program.

These people did terrible things and failed as role models, but their contributions to society should continue to be studied.