“Polanski, Cosby, Gibson”: John Oliver Slams The Oscars Over Harvey Weinstein Hypocrisy
"See you at the Oscars next year, where Casey Affleck will be presenting Best Actress."
Over the weekend, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – best known as the guys behind the Academy Awards – voted to expel Harvey Weinstein after a number of women came forward and accused the influential producer of sexual harassment and assault. In doing so, the group said that they were sending a message “that the era of wilful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behaviour and workplace harassment in our industry is over.”
Thing is, while no one was particularly sorry to see the back of Weinstein, many are accusing the Academy of hypocrisy for claiming to take a strong stand on this issue while still celebrating the careers of a number of other alleged sexual predators.
So @TheAcademy has voted to expel Harvey Weinstein. Good. A reminder that Roman Polanski and Bill Cosby are still members. Keep going. pic.twitter.com/zf2QmJzkh6
— April (@ReignOfApril) October 14, 2017
Recently, Last Week Tonight host John Oliver addressed this double standard head on.
“Finally the group that counts among its current members Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and Mel Gibson has found the one guy who treated women badly and kicked him out,” he joked on this week’s show. “Congratulations Hollywood. See you at the next Oscars where, and this is true, Casey Affleck will be presenting Best Actress.”
If you’re not across all the Terrible News Out Of Hollywood, Roman Polanski plead guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in 1978, and subsequently fled to Europe to avoid prison in the United States. He’s been accused of similar crimes since. Bill Cosby has been accused of sexual assault and rape by dozens of women. Mel Gibson plead no contest in 2011 to a charge of misdemeanour battery against his then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. Casey Affleck has settled two allegations of sexual assault out of court.
The segment on Last Week Tonight also came shortly after film director Woody Allen expressed his concerns that the Weinstein scandal would lead to “a witch hunt” in Hollywood. Allen has previously been accused of molesting his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, although he has repeatedly denied the charges.