In the current environment a single accusation of sexual harassment isn’t necessarily a black spot a la “Treasure Island.” But facing three separate harassment claims is obviously cause for concern.

“Three harassment claims” presumably means that three persons (I’m guessing women in the case of AMPAS president John Bailey) have come forward, but did they do so as a group? Or did the harassment complaints surface of their own volition and time clock, and they just happened to arrive at roughly the same time? I wonder.

Academy statement given to Deadline: “The Academy treats any complaints confidentially to protect all parties. The Membership Committee reviews all complaints brought against Academy members according to our Standards of Conduct process, and after completing reviews, reports to the Board of Governors. We will not comment further on such matters until the full review is completed.”

Bailey, a 75-year-old cinematographer (Groundhog Day, American Gigolo, As Good As It Gets), replaced Cheryl Boone Isaacs as the Academy’s president last August.

Give the Academy’s pledge of due diligence, I wonder if it’s fair to mention the politically-incorrect comments of director Terry Gilliam, 77, in the same space. They surfaced earlier today in an interview with AFP (Agence France Presse). Not because Bailey and Gilliam’s situations are in any way similar, but I wonder if Gilliam will take any heat for his remarks (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote could debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May), or will the Robespierres cut him a break on the strength of his sounding a bit like a dinosaur?

Gilliam said the atmosphere around #MeToo has “got silly…people are being described in ridiculous terms as if there is no real humanity left anymore.” HE response: How is it silly or inhumane to demand that sexual harassers and other misbehavers face some kind of community pushback if they’ve hurt or exploited women in some kind of cruel way? Gilliam: “I feel sorry for someone like Matt Damon who is a decent human being. He came out and said all men are not rapists, and he got beaten to death. Come on, this is crazy!” HE response: Fair enough.

Gilliam: “I know enough girls who were in Harvey’s suites who were not victims and walked out.” HE response: If Gilliam knows women who did this then he knows women who did this.

Gilliam: “It’s crazy how simplified things are becoming. There is no intelligence anymore and people seem to be frightened to say what they really think. Now I am told even by my wife to keep my head a bit low.” HE response: Gilliam should listen to her.

Gilliam: “It’s like when mob rule takes over, the mob is out there [and] carrying their torches and they’re going to burn down Frankenstein’s castle.”