Note: this post contains images of nudity and hypocrisy

The Rape of Lucretia
Right-thinking people everywhere are shocked by the scandal of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein acting inappropriately with so many women. They’re scandalized by the likes of George Takei, Kevin Spacey, Bill Clinton… The list just keeps on growing. People trying to get ahead, to advance their career, get taken advantage of by people with the power to propel them forward or hold them back.
Where did Weinstein get the idea that these women would grant him sexual favors in order to advance their careers? He groped them, demanded massages, exposed himself, forced sex… What did they say or do that he mistook for encouragement? They were probably being deferential, wanting to stay in his good graces. But that’s a far cry from acquiescing to sex. What’s the culture that made Weinstein think they would trade sex to advance their careers? Is it because most of them were willing to shed their clothes and have simulated (sometimes not simulated) sex with other performers as part of their career?
And what about all the politicians, journalists and others who use power to demand sex? Maybe we should also think of them as part of the entertainment industry. Or perhaps the problem is a culture which denigrates human dignity, such that sex is not primarily an expression of love, closeness and faithfulness, but rather an industrial commodity to be exploited and exchanged.
Naked hindsight
Harvey Weinstein, and all the other letches who harass and abuse women, men, even children deserve to lose the power that they hold over people who want to advance their career. But smug condemnation of harassment that took place one, ten, twenty years ago only shows how good hindsight is. If women don’t want people to think they’re willing to trade sexual favors to get ahead, they shouldn’t get naked on command, to rub against other bare-skinned performers. Movie-makers would then have to rely on interesting stories, well-written scripts, and good acting to attract an audience. A difficult challenge, indeed.
Weinstein’s accusers
These are many of the women who complained about Weinstein’s willingness to advance their career in exchange for sex. Most of them were willing to make sex part of their career:
Where did Weinstein get his lecherous ideas?