Another day, another young self-declared feminist choosing to work with Woody Allen, another collective sigh from those of us exhausted by abuse apologism.
Allen is casting his next untitled film, and reports are rife that the line-up will include Kristen Stewart, Bruce Willis and Jesse Eisenberg. Working with Allen is nothing new for Eisenberg, who previously starred in Allen's To Rome With Love, but it will be a first for Willis, and most interestingly, Stewart.
Stewart has long been a proud feminist, though admittedly her views on her generation’s feminism seems a little unsure, as she calls out both what she sees as a rigid adherence to political correctness and a lack of political direction. Speaking to The Daily Beast about people who refuse to adopt the label ‘feminist’, Stewart remarked:
“That’s such a strange thing to say, isn’t it? Like, what do you mean? Do you not believe in equality for men and women?” she said about her peers who reject the label. “I think it’s a response to overly-aggressive types. There are a lot of women who feel persecuted and go on about it, and I sometimes am like, ‘Honestly, just relax, because now you’re going in the other direction.’ Sometimes, the loudest voice in the room isn’t necessarily the one you should listen to. By our nature alone, think about what you’re saying and say it—but don’t scream in people’s faces, because then you’re discrediting us.”
She went on to say about the younger generation of female actresses, “It’s been easier for us, and because we don’t have as much of the anger, so it’s like we can’t get behind it and it’s a bit embarrassing.”
But, she added, “That being said, it’s a really ridiculous thing to say you’re not a feminist.”
Her stance of feminism makes her decision to work with accused child abuser Allen all the more disheartening. While once undoubtedly a master filmmaker, his offerings over the past decade have been largely uneven, with two middling-to-panned films for every critical success. Magic in the Moonlight, To Rome With Love, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Whatever Works, Cassandra’s Dream, Scoop, Melinda and Melinda – these films, all released in the past ten years, had disappointing box office takings and reviews, and demonstrate that Allen is now more miss than hit.
The declining standard of his work, combined with the consistent and emotive allegations regarding sexual abuse, demonstrate that working with Allen is no longer a status symbol nor an achievement for an actor; and looking at his recent body of work as a whole, is evidently not a decision based purely on the strength of the material, either. Any dreams actors have of working with Allen are based on the idol they grew up with, not the alleged child abuser with waning talent that they’re now faced with. Decades ago, Allen was placed on a pedestal, and now actors seem to be betraying their own principles in order to keep him up there. What's a pedestal without an icon on top of it?
While the merits of working with Allen are questionable, the cons are obvious and serious – and so choosing to work with him indicates a conscious and deliberate decision to ignore allegations of abuse. It’s interesting to compare these decision in light of the almost blanket condemnation that Bill Cosby has faced from actors and celebrities – but then, he’s not producing much work these days. Would celebrities be less vocal in their criticism of Cosby if there was more chance of getting some work out of him down the line?
What’s even more infuriating is that Allen seems so totally lacking in awareness or remorse. Just look at the subject matter of the two films he has released since Dylan Farrow posted her emotionally devastating account of Allen’s abuse: Magic in the Moonlight dealt with a man trying to prove that a woman three decades his junior was a liar and a fraud, despite his obvious attraction to her. Meanwhile, Allen’s upcoming film Irrational Man – which stars self-declared feminist actresses Emma Stone and Parker Posey - focuses on a philosophy teacher who starts a relationship with one of his students. Allen either has a genuine obsession with younger women that he acts on in life as well as in art, or he is deliberately making light of serious allegations of child molestation by shoving images of relationships with age &/or power inequalities in our face. Or - both options are true.
Is it not time to question the type of actor who chooses to step over self-declared abuse victims just to work with that?