About the Oscars, the abusers and the everyday sexism
Many people have many things to say about Gary Oldman, the winner of the best actor Oscar in 2018. This is what Letícia Acioli has to say about him and his case:
In 2001, the actor’s ex-wife, Donya Fiorentino, accused him of emotional abuse and physical violence. She had issues with drugs, and the judge working on the case said, in a very rude and sexist way, that she was lying and considered the case solved, giving the custody of their two kids to Oldman.
After the actor won an Oscar, Donya gave an interview and asked what had happened to the #MeToo movement, since Hollywood was still awarding abusers.
The couple’s son, Gulliver, now 20 years old, published a letter defending his father and saying that his mother has always been emotionally disturbed and that she insisted in those lies to harm Oldman’s reputation.
These are the facts. Now let’s go to my point of view.
I study social behavior and the impact of human actions in people, and also how much society contributes to the advancement or backset of mankind. I’m not a specialist at all, and I’ve already been called “social justice warrior”, exaggerated, “snowflake” and many other “cute” words because I defend victims. And you may disagree with me, by telling that “it was proved in court” that she was lying and all this discussion is a witch hunt.
But only pay attention to your own behaviors. Why is it so easy to criticize the legal system when we talk about black people and so impossible when we talk about women? White judges are many times racist in their judgment, we all know that, it was how society was built. Then, why when the subject is SEXISM, the legal system is suddenly so wonderful?
And why people feel more inclined to believe in the word of a person who was, at the time when the facts happened, only THREE years old, and choose not to believe in the victim who, seventeen years later, still says that the abuse happened?
Socially, the fact that Casey Affleck and Gary Oldman won back-to-back Oscars only proves how Hollywood is selective about who it is going to punish. Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and James Franco lost space, work, nominations, but why the others didn’t? Casey had his case solved “out of court”, so it didn’t really happen? “He paid”. Yes, he gave away money. But he still has an Oscar in his shelf.
About Gary, it’s all a matter of conscience. He played my favorite Harry Potter character and I loved him as an actor and as a person. Today, I chose to believe the victim. But before you start laughing and calling me names and saying that we only want to condemn all men without looking at the facts, think a little. Think about sexism in the film industry, sexism in life, and how it’ll always be so difficult to prove any case if you think that the view of a three-year-old should receive higher consideration than the words of a woman who opened up about her assault.
