Awards shows should not honor abusers
March 11, 2014
Michael Fassbender, Jared Leto, Woody Allen, Christian Bale. These are some of the men that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to nominate for Oscar awards and they have all been accused of violence against women.
Of course, the trend of nominating actors like this, and sometimes handing them an Academy Award, is nothing new.
In 1994, a college student sued Charlie Sheen after he hit her in the head after she spurned his advances. In 1996, he beat his then-girlfriend, who received seven stitches in her lip. And in 2009, he choked his third wife, Brooke Mueller, and threatened her with a knife. This is just to name a few incidents. And yet since the first incident of abuse, he has been nominated for three Golden Globes (winning one), four Primetime Emmy Awards and countless others, including a few Teen Choice Awards.
In 1988, Sean Penn was charged with domestic violence, after beat Madonna with a baseball bat, leading to her hospitalization. Since then, he has been nominated for five Academy Awards (winning two), five Golden Globes (winning one), three BAFTAs and innumerable others.
Roman Polanski, acclaimed director of “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Pianist,” along with many other critically acclaimed movies, drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl in 1977, later defending himself by saying, “Everyone wants to f*** young girls.”
And since then, he has been nominated for three Academy Awards, one Golden Globe and two BAFTAs. Polanski couldn’t accept his 2003 Oscar because he was a fugitive of the U.S. judicial system. Harrison Ford accepted the award in his place.
The list is endless. And every year, the organizations that head awards shows such as the Oscars insist upon sweeping disturbing events like these under the rug.
Michael Fassbender, Jared Leto, Woody Allen and Christian Bale have all been accused of violent and/or sexual abuse toward intimate partners as well as family members, and yet the Academy and other organizations still see fit to nominate them, and others like them, for awards.
One might say that the wrongs that they have committed are wholly unrelated to their deservingness to be rewarded for their artistic ability. But our view of abusive celebrities cannot be so black and white. Awards shows produced by prestigious organizations like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should uphold a standard of excellence, not just of artistry, but of humanity.
Rewarding abusers for the work that they have done removes the responsibility that must be placed on them for the violence they’ve inflicted on others and this must not be the case. Not only are the lives of domestic abuse victims torn apart by the horrific experiences they have had with these celebrities, but also their ability to expose the injustices done to them becomes severely limited when their abuser is a public figure, especially one so universally well-liked as Woody Allen or Christian Bale. The public will often choose to ignore such accusations because they don’t want their favorite celebrity to be tainted. Too often are rumors ignored because the public believes that a person’s personal life can be entirely separate from their professional accomplishments. This too is a misconception that must be deconstructed.
A person’s capacity for violence toward others influences every area of their life, including the work they produce and the way they interact with their co-workers both on set and off set. Simply because we see a movie or an interview with our favorite actor and cannot see any trace of instability or danger in their behavior does not mean that the people close to them are safe. We must not enable these celebrities to continue being viewed as an objective reality. We must see them as abusers on and off the screen so that their victims are not silenced by our willingness to turn the other cheek.
This is why the Academy should not continue to honor them. By recognizing the talent that allows their misdeeds to be ignored, organizations are sending a message that it’s okay to do bad things, as long as you’re talented, because that is all that anyone will ever remember. Except, of course, for the victims, who will never forget, and who have been silenced by a public that aggressively refutes their allegations of horrifying violence so that they may continue to watch their favorite movies guilt-free.
Elise Martorano is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at [email protected]
Merci • Jun 14, 2016 at 7:11 pm
Michael Fassbender settled out of court and paid 30 thousand dollars to his victim for her emergency room visits. He was never convicted because he refused to return to the USA until after she was paid off and a gag order in place.
Pinky • Mar 19, 2014 at 11:41 am
Michael Fassbender is violent abuser of women. Repost this sentence at every discussion if your tired of stars abusing and getting away with it!!! Hashtag and spell properly!
Gina • Mar 15, 2014 at 8:07 pm
In the case of Michael Fassbender abusing his ex girlfriend. Why won’t he comment? The district Attourney never dismissed the women’s accusation and the evidence is at the court house 30 thousand in hospital bills paid by Mr. Fassbender in exchange for her silence is obvious guilt. michael Fassbender is also being sued for knowingly spreading hepatitis to his female cast mates. How did this abuser get a work visa?
MelisaH • Mar 13, 2014 at 12:19 pm
An artist’s work should be judged on the merit of their work/performance. But that said, to know an actor’s or director’s background provides some insight into their thinking, their passion, their motivation. If that background includes a conviction, a public record history of violence, I think it changes the perspective of whenever we praise an actor for being “intense.”
BrooklynShoeBabe • Mar 12, 2014 at 10:42 pm
I think everyone has already made the point I wanted to make. Being accused of a crime and being convicted of a crime are two different things. I know the legal system in the U.S. is problematic but I still stand by its general principle of innocent until proven guilty. Also, once someone has been convicted and punished for his crimes, I believe they have a right to a livelihood. If a company hires a former rapist or drug dealer, by all means don’t use that establishment.
F. • Mar 12, 2014 at 10:06 pm
christian bale has committed no violence against his family. the charge was taken out and his own mother admitted that he did not touch them, what happened was heated discussion, unlike a physical assault. as a journalist you should find out the facts right.
Sarah • Mar 12, 2014 at 4:56 pm
I agree with much the others have already pointed out. I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for many years (also as a writer), and I know many of the cases/names you mentioned quite well. In some cases, you have a point, but in others, you really don’t have a leg to stand on.
Both domestic abuse and sexual assault are subjects very close to my heart for reasons I won’t go into here, and I agree with the general sentiment of your article. However, you NEED to do your research before you accuse people.
What you do is bordering on defamation and libel, I totally agree with Jame and N. It’s exactly what gives some journalists a bad name, and it doesn’t help the cause at all. This subject is much too important to treat it so carelessly just to bring a point across.
Christian Bale’s case was one of “verbal assault” (the charges were dropped btw). I live in the UK, where the whole situation took place. Here, you can already be charged with verbal assault if you just tell someone you’ll kick their arse. And that’s pretty much what happened – he went off on his mother and sister and basically told them to fuck off, or he’ll kick them out. There was no physical violence involved. His mother later admitted she just wanted to “set his head straight because he went loud in front of his nieces”, and that she possibly shouldn’t have went to the police (she even said at some point it hadn’t been her who contacted the police; her story really never added up).
He was questioned, there was no case, all charges were dropped.
People have one quick glance at a webpage, read “assault” and think it means battery. It doesn’t, and it wasn’t in his case. Even the verbal assault charges have been dropped, so really: It was just a loud argument at the end of the day. If you’re trying to imply that’s equal to domestic and/or sexual abuse, go ahead…
The case of Jared Leto started as a rumour on internet forums. It might be true that he’s sleazy or has a thing for groupies, but it It might also just have been a hater who thought it would be funny to post libellous crap. You find Reddit items like that every day.
If that’s what we base our opinion on without anything else to back it up, we might find ourselves in serious trouble as journalists and writers. And in that case, we really deserve it…
Anonymous • Mar 12, 2014 at 1:14 am
Please keep Christian Bale out of this. He yelled at his mother in London’s Dochester Hotel because she said some outrageous things about his wife. He was deeply disturbed by the death of Heath Ledger and is famous for his hot temper. But he never physically abused any woman and he is married to Sibi Bale for last 8 years.
News link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1037313/EXCLUSIVE-Arrested-Batman-star-flew-rage-mother-insulted-wife.html
what • Mar 11, 2014 at 8:24 pm
I’ll agree with you on the likes of Woody Allen, Charlie Sheen, and Roman Polanski, but you might want to do a little more research on the incident with Christian Bale and his family members before you lump him in with those guys. Hardly the same type of situation at all.
And Jared Leto? I don’t see any evidence of him being accused of being violent towards women. If you’re going to call out someone as violent and abusive, I think you need to be able to back that up with some facts – police reports, charges, etc.
Jame • Mar 11, 2014 at 7:28 pm
I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, but if I were one of the celebrities mentioned in your article, especially someone like Michael Fassbender, I’d sue you. I’ll admit to being a fan of his, which is the only reason I know about the charges against him. I can’t say I’ve researched any of the other men you mentioned, but the charges against Fassbender were dropped, and he was never convicted of any crime.
I take abuse against women very seriously, but I’m also a journalist who knows it’s not alright to convict someone in your article… which is exactly what you did with this blanketed statement, “One might say that the wrongs that they have committed are wholly unrelated to their deservingness to be rewarded for their artistic ability.” The wrongs they have committed? Where are your facts! Where’s the attribution! What’s the source! Some of the celebrities you mentioned were indeed convicted, but that statement is so vague with your use of the pronoun ‘they’ that you personally have found every man mentioned in your article guilty of the crimes of which they were accused. That’s libel. You (and your editors) just published a defamatory comment, and those actors could easily take legal action.
The entire argument outlined in your article is completely undermined by your failure to use proper attribution and follow journalism standards. The focus of this piece is one that SHOULD be discussed, but if you want to be taken seriously with an op ed such as this, then spend more time presenting your facts properly.
N. • Mar 11, 2014 at 6:25 pm
What is the story with Jared Leto? And more generally, where is the line between unsubstantiated internet gossip and proof that someone is an ‘abuser’…? All I can find is that a journalist accused him of hitting on her in a ‘sleazy’ way during an interview…does this really merit being lumped in with Polanski? This may not really matter when those concerned are rich and famous, but it’s hard not to notice that that internet has facilitated the rise of a culture of pernicious, unaccountable gossip that is easy to manipulate and hurt people with.
Susan • Mar 11, 2014 at 5:32 pm
I agree with your basic point. Unfortunately, in your lead you list four men who have not even been indicted, much less convicted, of anything. They may have been accused, but an accusation does not amount to automatic guilt. I can’t think much of the rest of your argument when you are so careless in spreading what may simply be slander.
Bonnie • Mar 11, 2014 at 3:30 pm
Big difference between being accused of a crime and being convicted. Not sure about everyone listed, but charges were dropped on Fassbender and there have been no other reported incidents. Unless you were involved in any of these cases, it is not ok to assume guilt.
LaurieR • Mar 11, 2014 at 11:18 am
In the case of Fassbender, he was never charged with anything and his case was investigated even after his accuser withdrew her accusations. Investigated by the district attorney’s office of Los Angeles and they found no evidence to support her claims. But by all means, continue to label him an abuser though there’s no evidence to support it. What does that make you, by the way?
kira • Mar 11, 2014 at 9:09 am
do you realize that unlike Fassbender and Bale there are not real accuses toward Leto, do you? This is defamation. Rumours on Tumblr are not proofs or reliable sources.
Benny • Mar 11, 2014 at 3:15 am
So if I should decide to accuse you of violence against me, you agree that you should be ineligible for any journalism award in the future?