Board 8 > So Morgan Freeman is now accused of sexual misconduct

(+) Yeah! (+)

http://variety.com/2018/film/news/morgan-freeman-harassment-inappropriate-behavior-1202820911/

So this is the Darkest Timeline, right?
---

Oh god damnit
---

This is the worst thing
---

XIII_rocks posted...

Oh god damnit

---

I wonder who will be next.

Tom Bombadil posted...

XIII_rocks posted...

Oh god damnit

Not sure if there's a single major figure I'd be surprised about getting metoo'd. Well, Fred Rogers, but being dead for 15 years probably shields him as much as anything.
---

Tom Hanks would be a surprise.
---

CaptainOfCrush posted...

Not sure if there's a single major figure I'd be surprised about getting metoo'd. Well, Fred Rogers, but being dead for 15 years probably shields him as much as anything.

I bet Fred Rogers literally beat up people who sexually harassed other people.
---

This is awful, but I have to admit I laughed at this:

the actor looked her up and down before asking, How do you feel about sexual harassment?

Best pickup line ever
---

Tom Hanks would surprise me.

Will Smith would surprise me.
---

scarletspeed7 posted...

Tom Hanks would be a surprise.

He has almost limitless wealth and influence along with a 30-40 year history of working directly with beautiful young women. I wouldn't be surprised.
---

Please no. Please please please no.
---

CaptainOfCrush posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

Tom Hanks would be a surprise.

He has almost limitless wealth and influence along with a 30-40 year history of working directly with beautiful young women. I wouldn't be surprised.

Yeah, but women he has worked with almost universally and independently say how great he is.
---

Literally no one would surprise me because of the witch hunt mentality of guilty until proven innocent the movement has at this point in time

I'm not saying all the allegations are nonsense, just that it's easy enough for them to gain traction off little enough evidence that I could see anyone that pissed some people off at some point in their careers being targeted.
---

Also Barack Obama is a saint.
---

not too surprising, i guess
---

Don't idolize people

trdl23 posted...

Please no. Please please please no.

---

Vince McMahon would surprise me

I cant even type that with a straight face
---

Lopen posted...

Literally no one would surprise me because of the witch hunt mentality of guilty until proven innocent the movement has at this point in time

I'm not saying all the allegations are nonsense, just that it's easy enough for them to gain traction off little enough evidence that I could see anyone that pissed some people off at some point in their careers being targeted.

Eh I dunno, I think a large part of it is that women simply excused this behavior much more years ago. I spoke with two older women about this at the time that Matt Lauer news was breaking (one is a tax client, the other was an admin at my old job). They both said that when they were working back when "they were young," it was common for the boss to pinch the secretaries or receptionists on the bum and was hardly considered a big deal. They criticized the women of today for blowing up what they considered a non-issue.

When a story breaks that includes allegations from multiple independent women (eight in this case), I'm more likely to believe it right away.

Where I may differ from the average bystander - here's everyone's chance to call me a piece of shit - is that I don't think a story like this is THAT huge of a deal. Morgan Freeman is a pervert and is gross toward women; yes, that's disappointing, but it's planets apart from the actual monstrous shit people like Cosby or Spacey pulled.
---

No, oh gods no.

(Seriously though, witch hunt. (X) Doubt.)
---

Hope its not true since he seems like such a nice guy.

8 people plus 8 corroborating witnesses plus public comments hes made before is a lot
---

CaptainOfCrush posted...

Where I may differ from the average bystander - here's everyone's chance to call me a piece of s*** - is that I don't think a story like this is THAT huge of a deal. Morgan Freeman is a pervert and is gross toward women; yes, that's disappointing, but it's planets apart from the actual monstrous s*** people like Cosby or Spacey pulled.

I think it depends on how he responds to it.

If he continues to laugh it off as no big deal, he sucks.

If he addresses the issue sincerely and with an eye towards using this wake-up call to start making things better for women in the industry, hes okay.
---

CaptainOfCrush posted...

When a story breaks that includes allegations from multiple independent women (eight in this case)

Or it could just be eight independent women he pissed off at various points in his career seeing this #MeToo stuff as a way to pay him back and just throwing a hail mary. All it requires is Freeman having been an asshole to work with at times for this be a viable theory.

I mean I don't really care either way and I'm not one of these people that idolizes Morgan Freeman whatsoever. I'm just saying when you've been in as many films as Freeman has eight isn't really a lot and the current climate is such that I could see it happening pretty easily.
---

Yeah I don't feel that there's much wriggle room
---

CaptainOfCrush posted...

Where I may differ from the average bystander - here's everyone's chance to call me a piece of shit - is that I don't think a story like this is THAT huge of a deal. Morgan Freeman is a pervert and is gross toward women; yes, that's disappointing, but it's planets apart from the actual monstrous shit people like Cosby or Spacey pulled.

I don't think that's too crazy an opinion, I mean even the phrasing as "misconduct" in the title is anywhere near as harsh.

It's skeevy behaviour, particularly the skirt thing when the simplest rule of decency is keeping your hands to yourself, but even that story he doesn't even "accomplish" the task of lifting a skirt.

It's harassment, as the article is titled, but I don't see any mention or claim of sexual assault ala Cosby/Spacey/Weinstein. Harassment can be forgiven if Freeman responds well, assault though is where you get completely irredeemable characters.
---

Lopen posted...

All it requires is Freeman having been an a****** to work with at times for this be a viable theory.

Being a lecherous asshole is basically all theyre accusing him of. Theres no criminal allegation.
---

Yeah I know that

I'm saying he could be more of just a vanilla asshole and less of a lecherous asshole and if people wanted to be taken seriously they'd make him out to be lecherous to draw eyes these days.
---

Lopen posted...

Or it could just be eight independent women he pissed off at various points in his career seeing this #MeToo stuff as a way to pay him back and just throwing a hail mary. All it requires is Freeman having been an asshole to work with at times for this be a viable theory.

I mean I don't really care either way and I'm not one of these people that idolizes Morgan Freeman whatsoever. I'm just saying when you've been in as many films as Freeman has eight isn't really a lot and the current climate is such that I could see it happening pretty easily.

eh. that would mean there's eight women who coincidentally 1) happen to be so vile and miserable that they're willing to accuse an innocent man of sexual misconduct, and 2) are willing to have their reputations damaged when it turns out he IS innocent.

i'd be willing to believe this theory if this was about a few women, but eight is a bit much.
---

Not the greatest statement, but Freemon confirms allegations

https://twitter.com/Variety/status/999698225929039872

Probably have something better to say with more time but uh yeah
---

Lopen posted...

Yeah I know that

I'm saying he could be more of just a vanilla asshole and less of a lecherous asshole and if people wanted to be taken seriously they'd make him out to be lecherous to draw eyes these days.

Making up a conspiracy of lies to taint someones reputation doesnt really seem worth the hassle and threats that inevitably come to #MeToo accusers
---

Imo that's not really confirmation as much as damage control because it's the best way to save face these days. It's better to apologize than deny because it's not as though he's been accused of criminal behavior.
---

GuessMyUserName posted...

Not the greatest statement, but Freemon confirms allegations

https://twitter.com/Variety/status/999698225929039872

Probably have something better to say with more time but uh yeah

That would be career death right there.

after reading the article it sounds like this isn't quite as bad as i had imagined

comparatively run of the mill inappropriate behavior as opposed to a weinstein or cosby situation
---

Also keep in mind I'm not saying the stories are even necessarily outright fabrications.

There's a difference between lecherous sexual harassment that is legit making women uncomfortable and not liking a guy and painting any sort of comments with any sort of sexual leanings with that brush because you want to bury him and this is the most efficient way to do so in the current societal climate.

Like for example "how do you feel about sexual harassment" from the article is potentially a kinda funny quip to compliment a woman's looks more than something that should be making well-adjusted women feel uncomfortable. It's all about delivery, context, etc, which we won't get an accurate picture of hearing only the accuser's story.
---

He did it
---

FlyingForever posted...

He did it

Wow thanks for this insightful post.
---

Lopen posted...

Also keep in mind I'm not saying the stories are even necessarily outright fabrications.

There's a difference between lecherous sexual harassment that is legit making women uncomfortable and not liking a guy and painting any sort of comments with any sort of sexual leanings with that brush because you want to bury him and this is the most efficient way to do so in the current societal climate.

Like for example "how do you feel about sexual harassment" from the article is potentially a kinda funny quip to compliment a woman's looks more than something that should be making well-adjusted women feel uncomfortable. It's all about delivery, context, etc, which we won't get an accurate picture of hearing only the accuser's story.

Lifting a girl's skirt and asking if she's wearing underwear probably doesn't need a whole lot of context.
---

He didn't do it
---

He maybe did it
---

MrSmartGuy posted...

He didn't do it

This post is more insightful than the other post by 71.4%
---

Mr Lasastryke posted...

He maybe did it

This post is more insightful by 171.4%
---

skullbone posted...

Lifting a girl's skirt and asking if she's wearing underwear probably doesn't need a whole lot of context.

Yeah. But most of them weren't anything nearly so outlandish as this. Obviously eight people outright lying would be a bit much to believe-- seven people embellishing how uncomfortable they felt and one person outright lying is a lot easier to believe though. Or whatever. It's not as cut and dry as it looks despite there being "eight accusers" reading the stories that's all I'm saying.
---

Lopen posted...

skullbone posted...

Lifting a girl's skirt and asking if she's wearing underwear probably doesn't need a whole lot of context.

Yeah. But most of them weren't anything nearly so outlandish as this.

Are they as outlandish as this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULF5oQaG2-o" data-time="
---

Lopen posted...

skullbone posted...

Lifting a girl's skirt and asking if she's wearing underwear probably doesn't need a whole lot of context.

Yeah. But most of them weren't anything nearly so outlandish as this.

Well I guess it's good that he only had 8 incidents of sexual harassment in his career and 7/8 of them weren't so bad.
---

TIL that Morgan Freeman isnt gay.
---

skullbone posted...

Well I guess it's good that he only had 8 incidents of sexual harassment in his career and 7/8 of them weren't so bad.

I'm saying the possibility that 7/8 of those incidents weren't "harassment" by any realistic definition of the word is a real one and that one outright made up story being tossed in the pile is a possibility as well.

We'll never really know because as I said it's not going to be worth Morgan Freeman's time to fight this as he's freakin 80 years old and probably about on his way out of being in the public eye anyway, the accusations are relatively softball, and it's easier and frankly more beneficial to his public image to just wring his hands and apologize profusely since that's the way things are these days.

I mean, the possibility that there is no embellishment is a real one too-- I'm just saying there are reasons to take the accusations with some salt. If you like Morgan Freeman you shouldn't let this shatter your view of him because we're probably never really going to know the whole truth.
---

GuessMyUserName posted...

CaptainOfCrush posted...

Where I may differ from the average bystander - here's everyone's chance to call me a piece of shit - is that I don't think a story like this is THAT huge of a deal. Morgan Freeman is a pervert and is gross toward women; yes, that's disappointing, but it's planets apart from the actual monstrous shit people like Cosby or Spacey pulled.

I don't think that's too crazy an opinion, I mean even the phrasing as "misconduct" in the title is anywhere near as harsh.

It's skeevy behaviour, particularly the skirt thing when the simplest rule of decency is keeping your hands to yourself, but even that story he doesn't even "accomplish" the task of lifting a skirt.

It's harassment, as the article is titled, but I don't see any mention or claim of sexual assault ala Cosby/Spacey/Weinstein. Harassment can be forgiven if Freeman responds well, assault though is where you get completely irredeemable characters.

I agree this isn't really that bad. Some of the accusations seem really tame.

I mean you can't defend the lifting up the skirt one but the rest of them just seem like he says some sort of flirty compliment that made the women uncomfortable.

I've certainly seen way worse said on a regular basis by both sexes without people batting an eye. I know it's not the case but when people say sexual harassment, I instantly think inappropriate touching not words.