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IRISH ACTOR LIAM Neeson has said that “there is a bit of a witch hunt happening” in Hollywood when asked about the ‘MeToo’ movement.
Over the past few months, a spotlight has been placed on allegations of harassment and inappropriate behaviour in the entertainment industry following a number of serious allegations about the US producer Harvey Weinstein.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Late Late Show last night, Neeson said that the movement was “healthy” and allegations such as those were “across every industry”, but that “the focus was on Hollywood” at the moment.
But he added that he was “on the fence” about harassment allegations against Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman.
He called the actions that Hoffman has been accused of as “childhood stuff”, but also distanced himself from that behaviour, saying “I’m not saying I’ve done similar things to what he’s done”.
Hoffman has been accused of sexually harassing a teenage intern during the 1980s. Two other women have said Hoffman assaulted them on 1987 movie Ishtar, while another woman, a friend of Hoffman’s daughter, has also made allegations against the actor.
Neeson said of the allegations against Hoffman last night:
When you’re doing a play and you’re with your family (other actors, technicians) you do silly things… and it becomes kind of superstitious, if you don’t do it every night you think it’s going to jinx the show.
Earlier in the interview, Neeson gave the example of the dismissal of US radio star Garrison Keillor, who was dropped from his long-running local Minnesota radio show.
Neeson said he had been reading about him recently.
“He was listening to a sad story from a female friend of his, and at the end of it he put his hand on her back, and she had a blouse on and it was her bare back. And he immediately pulled his hand back and apologised.”
He said that the woman had said it was fine, but months later his station had received a call from the woman’s solicitor, and his radio station then “dropped him”.
The ‘MeToo’ movement encourages victims of this behaviour to speak up about inappropriate incidents that have happened to them.
At this year’s Golden Globes, actors, producers, directors and other film crew members wore black and ‘Time’s Up’ badges to show their solidarity with victims of sexual harassment in the industry and to signal their support for drastic change.
Neeson is in Dublin this week to receive a Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad, which highlights work by Irish people living overseas, and to attend the Irish premiere of his latest film The Commuter.
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His dead right,there is a witch hunt going on led by the media,now after he says his on the fence about it the media poke the flames,the world is gone pc mad where men can’t have an opinion anymore without being labeled something
@dick dastardly: poor white men. The true downtrodden of the 21st century. Not so long ago, they could earn 10 times more than woman, slap that noisy cow round and chase as much skirt round the office as the like. Feminazis blah blah. Equality blah blah.
@john Appleseed: Idiot .
@john Appleseed: You can’t change the past unfortunately. All those wrongs have been made right in terms of legislation and societal attitudes.
It sort of begs the question, what equality exactly are today’s “feminists” (an insult to to the real feminists who created real change, and not hysteria and division) looking for?
@Eoin Sheehy: Supremacy. The satirical message of George Orwell’s Animal Farm could easily be applied to these feminists.
@Ken Hayden: with bells on!!!!! is he trolling?
@dick dastardly: judging by the green thumbs a lot of people agree with you, however it’s becoming very clear by those green thumbs that people will agree but are now becoming afraid to comment as they will be lambasted by the loud minority, I’m a woman, I agree with you. We are coming to a stage where the silent majority are becoming more and more fustrated because they are been silenced and we know THAT never ends well. Both sides should have a voice and both sides should be allowed to comment without the fear of been torn apart for it.
@dick dastardly: ooops my comment was meant for you not the nit wit.
@Eoin Sheehy: perhaps these latter day feminists are looking for the eradication of men in society or perhaps the eradication of men in high powered positions such as leading Hollywood actors or in politics.
@john Appleseed: You’re great Craic I’d say John.
@Frank Dubogovik: You never know .
I’m not a woman , but I have sisters and nieces , and they’re very much in charge .
@Ken Hayden: Then why have a second account with the name Angela?
@Paul P O’Sullivan: No , Angela is firmly a man .
My family know what I think , in fact everyone on the site I work on knows .
@john Appleseed: there was inequality in the past. Men were the ones sent down coal mines, men were the ones given a gun, sent into battle and blown to bits.
Let’s stop looking to the past for righteousness indignation
@Paul Lanigan: kids and women were sent down too…
@dick dastardly: you are allowed an opinion love just like women but just to point out this to you this #metoo movement started over ten years ago with women sharing their experiences in the work place. Then Hollywood took over which has blown the lid on things so that’s why it’s in your face lately. We can’t as a society be quiet anymore about abuse of power, from serious sex abuse to the more subtle ways of control in work situations.
@selfsustainable: Quite right. The Thought-Control Gestapo are getting more vicious by the day.
@Eoin Sheehy: “…All those wrongs have been made right…” All those wrongs have not been made right. Look comparatively at how women in sport are supported. Katie vs Conor provides a prime example. Glass ceilings in business, politics, academia the arts abound! It’s scary to read you and the thumb uppers believe it’s all been sorted. Women who have finally called stop in having to endure being raped, groped, verbally abused and financially disadvantaged as they go about their daily lives are being reduced to little more than whining Minnies while an increasing number of males are crying leave us alone, stop picking on us, we didn’t mean it, we didn’t know it’s affect, we don’t remember, or in Liam Neeson’s justification, it’s just childish ‘superstition’. That takes the biscuit!!
@Bernie: when you live on a completely different world view from the norm, expect to be seen as a weirdo
i thought his comments were fair and he is very honest , unfortunately he will
get scalded for this now by the media
@Finnster: I wouldn’t imagine he has 2 fux to give
He was spot on last night. He gave a perfect example of the “witch hunt” and how its getting out of hand but also agreed that there is a serious problem in the movie industry and other industries..
He’s right, but he’ll probably get torn apart for it. I’m sure they’ll be plenty of outraged people on Twitter. He should probably not have said anything, silence can be misinterpreted but never misquoted.
@O Swetenham: i was delighted someone actually finally said it!
@O Swetenham:
For evil to succeed it is only necessary that good men do nothing. At least he has the courage to tell the truth as he sees it come what may.
Whatever is said the Media will find an angle to turn it bad. If I said I liked beans they would say I was discriminating against peas or say I loved to fart !
@Terry Cahill: No, no, no. You can’t lay this one at the feet of the media. In his own words he OK’d the groping of a young woman by Hoffman on the basis of his (Hoffman’s) need to satisfy some pathetic superstitious belief. Really!!!! And hundreds of you think that’s ok??
The media is twisting nothing. He said it, he justified it…Stop letting him off the hook. There are so many good, good, men out there. Thumbing up Neeson’s comments is batting against good decent men, not for them. I say thumbs up for all the good guys!
@Bernie: sure the media twists nothing haha, one of my favourite quotes comea from the media in response to trump “it’s not his job to tell the people what to believe, it’s ours”
Trial by media. Perhaps time media blackout should be a thing until cases are actually settled rather than having media outlets push their own agenda.
LADS ! you would nearly be afraid to say hello or shake hands with a woman now the way things are heading
@Dave barrett: but no one’s accusing anyone of looking or saying hello. Sexual harrassment, threatening to end someone’s career, and sexual assault… just steer clear of all three of those… act like the gent I’m sure your Mammy hoped you’d be, and you won’t go wrong.
@Bortoli: So you read the example of the radio host who accidentally touched the lady’s back, apologised, was told it was ok, then was dropped by the station?
Where does that fit into your triad?
@Dave barrett: then on talk shows you hear women complaining that they don’t meet “real men” anymore, and that men are afraid to chat them up, talk about mixed messages. Then older women will admit that is the one thing they miss about getting older no wolf whistles or men chatting them up.
@James SonofLochlann: I read it. It’s an example of the witch hunt which is happening. But I also think most joe soaps won’t be taken to court. Stop crying lads its ok to say hi to ladies.
@Dave barrett: women are bad news anyway :) stay single and live a happy life lol
@Bortoli: its interpretation. If there is chance of money to be made from law suit over something that happened over 30 yrs ago then its ridicules. With this witch hunt every man is fair gsme in hollywood at the moment. Mud sticks.
@Scorpionvenomm: to late. I married mrs right. Now i have three women in my life. Lost cause really.
@James SonofLochlann: If that story is true, then what happened is very wrong. Alas I think we all know stories such as these are at the thinnest edge of the wedge. There should be zero tolerance of any false report, particularly of a predatory nature against a man or a woman. Similarly, even one unwanted sexual advance is wrong and should be decried, not excused. End of!
Yeah he’s spot on the media will drop it like a lead balloon once they get their noses in some other trough. He’s also right about it being in every industry but no one wants to know about that because that would mean looking to home.
Don’t worry it’ll all be sorted, Deirdre O’Kane is going to wear black.
While I agree that this has turned into a witch hunt… why pick Dustin Hoffman? Sounds like it’s just his mate. If it’s true… what he did to do his daughter’s friend is childhood stuff alright… her childhood.
@john Appleseed: He was asked about Hoffman directly I’m fairly sure
The spin on this article is shocking and doesn’t reflect the interview at all. Go to RTÉ player.. watch the interview and then make your mind up. Media spin like this is dangerous. It can both damage people’s careers and have an impact on victims.
There is a growing number of people , Male and Female, who are beginning to question the Metoo movement. While it may have had some merit, it was almost immediately hijacked by the permanently outraged twitterati. This has most definitely lead to a witch hunt and has not helped reports of genuine sexual assaults.
I do think the interview needs to be watched in its entirety. Tubs was listing people where allegations had been made and Neeson was in agreement until Hoffman’s name was mentioned. Seems Neeson was at odds as to whether the allegations against Hoffman were true.
If the pc snowflake feminists keep going the way it’s going male babies will have to be aborted for their own feckin good. Who the hell would want to live on a world as a male with these angry women calling the shots.
@Stephen: Oh petal, there are snowflakes here but it’s not the women.
@Stephen: *throws head back* HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAH HAHAHAHAHA
That’s the most hilarious comment I’ve seen. Thank you.
Also, “who would want to be a male with all these angry women calling the shots”? Now you know how women have felt throughout history.
@Amy Ní Bhuachalla: Ah . It IS about revenge.
@DaisyChainsaw: worst comeback ever
@Stephen: Im not afraid of women you snowflake.
@Stephen: lol, that is hilarious
@Paul Lanigan: Only surpassed by your non comeback!
There must be a Blockbusting film in the making on this Issue but is there any Actor left that hasn’t been involved in these scandals ? Might be a opportunity for Daniel O’Donnell to launch his acting career
All we need is balance and common sense in reporting ,but the media and the legal brigade see a rich gold seam and will exploit it and in the end innocent people will no doubt suffer .the law is there for everyone ,it must be respected but never exploited .
You’d think men never got unwanted sexual attention from ugly women. And by the way that’s what it all boils down to women complaining about unwanted sexual attention from men they don’t find attractive. Get over yourselves girls. Most of the time it was only cause he had the beer goggles on anyway.
@Stephen: if Harvey Weinstein looked like George Clooney do you think there would be a word about it?
@Stephen: James Franco is in hot water now and I would have thought a lot of women fancied him
You’d want to be very brave to accuse Liam Neeson, because he has a certain set of skills, he would find you, and he would…….
@Charles McCarthy: that’s takin’ it to far.
Witch hunt, the irony of the world used. But witches weren’t real, rapists, sexual offenders and pervs are. There is no doubt that Hollywood has been rife with abuse yet so many here rail against the (predominantly) women coming forward. Yes it took years for many women to feel strong enough to do it, so what? That in itself shows how difficult it is to come forward. We had it here with the laundries, it took decades.
@Jeanette McDonald: #metoo is being used as a weapon to take out men who some women dislike. It’s unnecessary that a man loses his career because of an accusation of unwanted sexual advances from 30 years ago.
It dumbs down the meaning of sexual assault for those with more serious accusation.
For example Sara Silvermans sister came forward with a 25 year old story about her ex boyfriend and director. What did that achieve only ruin his career? It’s like revenge porn only worse.
@Jeanette McDonald: I was once propositioned by a man. He said he liked me and that I could live with him at his apartment. He even said he’d get me a job.
I said “no thanks” and that was the end of it
@Jeanette McDonald: what about the men who were abused by women in Hollywood and probably can’t come forward because they’re men and will be accused of trying to take the attention away from the women claiming the same thing or told theyre lying or that its different because theyre men. The whole thing has gotten out of control. If someone has genuinely been abused they should go to the appropriate authorities not to Twitter
@Sam Harms: Any person who has been accosted should come forward. Some men have; Kevin Spacey ring a bell????
So you think that women should stay silent, Paul and Gareth? So those who’ve been raped, accosted, assaulted, should just stay quiet? Interesting
@Jeanette McDonald: I said men who were abused by women, last time I checked Kevin Spacey was not a woman. Nobody is saying people should stay quiet but they should go about it properly not through Twitter
@Sam Harms: I meant a man accused Spacey. But of course if there are men assaulted they should be supported.
And you know if you read through some of the comments on this story here, you should see exactly why women haven’t come forward, many of those comments are vile
Political correctness Brigade won’t allow people have an option.
Now run along girlies before I catch up with youse and plant a big wet one on your lips and give you a good oul paddling
There will be a lot of actresses out of work after this. The balance of power is held mostly by men in Hollywood, rightly or wrongly. Women who are starting off in the industry will find it harder to get work. It’s wrong on so many levels, but these type of gender specific movements only create soundbites and I see no concrete ideas about how women and men can protect themselves from predatory behaviour. Calling a spade a spade, being an actor/actress is not easy in Hollyweird. Not many other professions tolerate such abuse. The casting couch will continue for a while yet me thinks.
In the example he raised, surely said reporter would have a legitimate case to challenge his dismissal if that’s all that’s happened? Patting / rubbing someone on the back does not equate sexually harassment / assault and to suggest it is, undermines real victims and the subsequent impact that sexual harassment / assault can have on someone. There needs to be a line drawn in the sand as these kind of examples only help create a straw-man argument.
Witches , burn them .
Probably the wrong word to describe it .
But I Will say , in our history , there is no record of witch hunting .
@Ken Hayden: Apparently you are not following the Charleton Tribunal poor Sergeant McCabe and his family this wouldn’t happen to a Witch
@Ken Hayden: Islandmagee witches. 8 convicted in 1711. Hardly Salam but it is still a part of the island’s history.
@Ken Hayden: Wrong again,Ken!
You would think it was just about Hollywood but this #metoo movement started over ten years ago by an activist comparing lives of ordinary people and the abuses that happened to them at their places of work etc. I prefer that c.k. comedian dude putting his hand up yes I fooked up and apologising instead of hiding the fact he was a flasher. Weinstein deliberately tarred the name of a few actress so they didn’t get work because he was brushed off by them. And it happens in all areas not just in Hollywood.
Liam Neeson is right, even when he is wrong. Its the natural way of the world. Get over it.
Those French actresses and academics etc. have got it right. Actually there is a very balanced article by Finola Meredith in todays IT on this subject. It’s surprising to see such a balanced article being published in the feminst controlled IT. Fintan must have been asleep.
#Salem
It’s like there throwing blocks on the fire to bring the cauldron to boil. What block is next, sure who gives a shit just fire one on
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