Dear Gossips,
A year ago today, people were making predictions. One major prediction. That prediction didn’t happen, and it sucked. I’m going to do what we did a year ago today on this site – which is make another kind of prediction. That prediction ended up coming true. And I was pretty confident about it. My track record with this particular kind of prediction is actually pretty good; I nail it about every other year. But first… some other business.
Yesterday The Washington Post published an article about the Hollywood crisis management machine and how it’s been affected by the Harvey Weinstein situation. In the past, publicists were able to dictate to the media what they could or could not ask celebrities, especially related to scandal. That’s not working anymore because one of the Hollywood flaws that the Weinstein allegations have exposed is its transparency problem.
The disgrace of Harvey Weinstein has disrupted the industry in so many ways. And it’s happening during award season. According to The Washington Post, this will also have an impact on how Oscar campaigns are handled. Some are predicting that negative campaigning will be rampant during this award season.
Complicating the issue is negative campaigning — Hollywood’s version of mudslinging — in which consultants call reporters with unsavory background information about Oscar hopefuls to boost their own candidate. In the new environment, a male contender’s questionable reputation is, some fear, ripe for exploitation.
“I think negative campaigning is going to be amplified this year because of the climate,” said Fox Searchlight President Nancy Utley, adding that she believes merit-worthy allegations should be aired.
But that’s so f-cking Hollywood, non? Don’t come forward with knowledge about a predator until, you know, you might get an Oscar out of someone getting called out. It’s a cynical read of the situation, sure. Still, if that’s the way it works, if it’s about “what’s in it for me”, does that help to change the culture in the long run? One thing’s for sure though – Casey Affleck must be looking at his Oscar with so much relief.
Click here for more at The Washington Post article.
Yours in gossip,
Lainey
