Ask any half-thoughtful person if they feel that the post-#MeToo reputations of Harvey Weinstein and Woody Allen are roughly analogous, and they’ll most likely say “hardly…a single, highly disputable allegation is a far cry from several credible accusations of sexual assault and rape.” The fact is that the association persists only in the minds of certain journalists. Claudia Eller’s just-posted Variety interview with Cannes Film Festival jury president Cate Blanchett is a case in point.
Blanchett’s answer to Eller’s tabloid-attitude question (“Would you ever work again with Weinstein or Allen?”) skillfully sidesteps what she seems to actually think, which is “where’s the legal proof in the Allen pudding?” Remember Blanchett’s response to a similar question from CNN’s Christiane Amanpour a few weeks ago? She said that social media is great for raising “awareness about issues,” but it’s “not the judge and jury,” and that if evidence comes to light that warrants prosecution then a prosecution should result, but if the evidence isn’t there…well, you know, maybe the Robespierres should settle down, take a breath and direct their energies elsewhere.