I took my parents home to Alabama for the Crimson Tide vs. LSU game Saturday, and I had occasion to get some insight into current events from my Druncle Mac. I pass on his blue- collar views because I feel strongly that they go a long way to explain why Trump is president.
Mac will never win a humanitarian award. I once saw him call the manager over when he saw a baby changing station in an airport men's restroom to tell him, "There must be some kind of design flaw." He made the manager promise to look into it. He also says, "I have two favorite songs. One is Elvis' rendition of 'Dixie'; the other is not."
My Druncle Mac had an interesting take on the Harvey Weinstein case: "I'm lucky to be too poor to have any accusers come forward to say I got grab-- with them years ago." He also said a lesbian construction site manager he once wrestled (true story) thought about suing for harassment when she won. He said the lawyer came in and felt his wallet and looked in her purse, and said there was nothing he could do about it.
His point is that sexual harassment claims are a rich man's problem. These women (via a Gloria Allred-type attorney) all seem to be coming out saying they were inappropriately touched years ago. By whom? The answer seems to be: "anyone willing to settle." No doubt many were harassed, but Mac is just saying.
Ron HartView other columns by Ron Hart
Long ago, Los Angeles declared itself a sanctuary city for powerful, ugly, nasty old men. Men that ugly can only get action by trafficking in their power. The same can be said for powerful politicians in D.C. Washington has long been the Hollywood for ugly people.
Mac went on to pontificate that most of these "victims" who suddenly came forward with claims of sexual harassment had to know Weinstein's reputation and went to his hotel room anyway. When one actress was asked, "Why didn't you not go to a married movie producer's hotel room, knowing what you know about him?" she responded, "And give up on show business?"
There is always truth in his drunken, blue-collar observations. He readily admits men are cads. Mac has always said, "God created man in just one day - on the seventh, when he was probably not paying attention - and it shows."
One of the many things I like about free market capitalism is that it quickly punishes boorish behavior of people like Harvey Weinstein. In leftist Hollywood, it just took longer, but then the avalanche came. Just when you think no one could mess up his career in the movie business worse than Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey pops up and says, "Wait a second, hold my Appletini."
There might be a comeback opportunity for Spacey and Weinstein: I hear Subway is looking for a new spokesman.
Keep in mind, Druncle Mac has not had the best relationships with women. When I once asked him how he and his then-wife were doing, he said, "Ronnie, not so great. We took out large insurance policies on each other; now it's just a waiting game." This from a man who does not buy car insurance. We were watching a GEICO commercial on TV that promised to save 20 percent on car insurance. Mac said that was nothing; he saved 100 percent on car insurance by leaving the scene of every accident he's ever been in.
In essence, Weinstein was using his position and extorting ambitious actresses for sex. Awful, yes, but being a horndog jerk is not a crime. Otherwise Bill Clinton would be serving life.
Rape and assault are serious crimes and should be examined in this case. The sad thing is that, in some states, the woman who taped Weinstein doing some things in his hotel room would face felony eavesdropping charges. The reluctance to come forward could be traced to our convoluted legal system where a "Russian collusion" investigation ends up with charges for unrelated technical matters.
Both Mac and Harvey are walking and talking testaments to the fact that telling someone to "just be yourself" is terrible advice to give some people.
There are always going to be creeps, and piling on after not saying anything when it happened does not make victims "heroes." This #MeToo seems too late, victimizing and self-congratulatory. But Hollywood created this world. Weinstein, Ratner, et al., are still around Hollywood. Bill Cosby and O.J. are out now, too. What a great time to be a young woman in Los Angeles!
A syndicated op-ed humorist, award-winning author and TV/radio commentator, Ron may be reached at Ron@RonaldHart.com or Twitter @RonaldHart.