While much attention has been focused on Washington D.C. and the happenings in and around the Trump White House, Hollywood has "stolen" the spotlight the past week.
Instead of shining a light on the glamorous "La La Land" of Hollywood, this scandal is as ugly and messy as they come. The downfall of movie executive Harvey Weinstein has been swift and unparalleled as more than 50 actresses and others in the industry have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct.
Their stories hearken back to "Old" Hollywood, when the studios ruled the movie industry, and women were poorly treated. More recently, actresses and women in behind-the-scenes roles have lobbied for equal pay to their male counterparts, with varying results and criticism. That some of these same actresses are speaking out shows that, finally, someone is listening. That includes the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which had the good sense to expel Weinstein.
Still, it does seem shocking in a year that has seemingly seen progress - finally - as minorities were honored at both the Oscars and Emmys for stories that highlighted and embraced diversity - that Weinstein's and other male industry figures' indiscretions are only now coming to light.
Be it due to sheer number of women who have come forward and with how serious the allegations are, that Weinstein wasn't able to skate by with an apology, and has had few allies defend him.
The fallout has expanded beyond a male movie exec abusing an actress. Actor Anthony Rapp ("Star Trek: Discovery") leveled allegations of sexual misconduct against "House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey. The result? Spacey has admitted to having past relationships with both men and women (in the immortal words of Ellen DeGeneres - almost - "yep, he's gay"). It's too bad Spacey wasn't comfortable enough with this truth to reveal it before he had to use it as a defense. Netflix responded to the allegations by announcing that "House of Cards" would basically be canceled.
Where does Hollywood go from here? Those spotlights will shine bright no matter what, but the knocking down of "House of Cards" is just the latest and certainly not the last downfall.
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