To be really honest with you, Kevin Spacey’s news of child abuse and subsequent obliteration of his glorious career has left me devastated. I adore him with all my heart. For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was reading when Anthony Rapp accused him of sexual abuse. Spacey’s acceptance of the fact was even more shocking; his sexual orientation not so much. His fall from grace, being one of the greatest actors of his generation, to being deemed a narcissistic pedophile and sexual predator is both appallingly shocking and emotionally eviscerating. I personally connected with his portrayal of Underwood. Not only with the character, but with the actor in the process. Such was his conviction and emphatic turn as the power-hungry politician, that for once I couldn’t distinguish the two from each other. But like the old adage so condescendingly proclaims, all good things do come to an end.

 

Netflix finally made Spacey’s extrusion from its flagship ‘House of Cards’ official a couple days back, ambivalently breaking and winning hearts in a jiffy. The show is one of my personal favorites, and I don’t want to hide my admiration for Spacey as an actor. His nuanced and distinguished performances deserve credit where due, and for social and moral detractors who claim otherwise, perhaps its time for reconsideration. But what I couldn’t come to terms with was his misconstrued perception of viewing homosexuality as a complimentary to being a pedophile. Not only does this give a bad taste to an already down-looked upon the community, but also brings into question his character as an artist. The eponymous revelations have unmasked a persisting problem in Hollywood that needs our attention. Sex abuse at the hands of the rich and powerful is all cliched and glorified on paper; but when that becomes a reality, and traumatizes a 14-year-old kid, who is as unaware and hapless as we are about life, it becomes an issue. This isn’t a new thing, though. It dates back to a familiar hero we all credit our sparing smiles for; Charlie Chaplin.

 

Chaplin, the man George Bernard Shaw called “the only true genius motion pictures ever produced” had a depraved affinity for children. Only because of his status and money did this Hollywood legend avoid being locked up. His barrage of innocent victims is rarely mentioned and talked about. His first underage victim was Mildred Harris. While it is unclear as to when their relationship began, at the ripe young age of 16, Harris gave birth to Chaplin’s child. To avoid federal prosecution and jail time, he did what all desperate and unethical men would resort to marriage. Lita MacMurray’s case is even more painful to know and read about. Only six when she first met the acting paragon of silent films, her tumultuous journey is a lesson for all of us: always fight back whenever intimidated. Chaplin openly obsessed over MacMurray who lied to the press and told everyone she was 19 as he brought the pre-teen girl on public dates. Just like Harris, MacMurray was impregnated by Chaplin at the age of 16. Chaplin responded making MacMurray have an abortion and removed her from the film when she refused. Grey’s family threatened to turn him in for statutory rape. Chaplin married the starlet under duress, swearing her to secrecy until it finally came out. While Chaplin had the young girl under his control, it would later be revealed in court documents that she was essentially a child sex slave. Instead of reprimanding and ostracising him from the pristine corridors of celluloid, the industry welcomed him with open arms and awarded him with an Honorary Oscar in the year 1972.

 

Their divorce papers, which surfaced in the juxtaposed world of sensationalistic journalism in 2015, essentially were the final nail in the coffin. Some excerpts read as below:

“The papers reveal she was forced to perform sexual acts that were illegal in California during the 1920s. Chaplin demanded she takes part in a threesome with another woman. On one occasion, he screamed at her: “All married people do those kinds of things. You are my wife and you have to do what I want you to do.”

Harvey Weinstein is yet another example of a rich and elite class aristocrat getting away with anything he does. The list of gropers, who are hailed as heroes and glorified for their achievements in film-making, is a huge one. Roman Polanski is another example of an impoverished case of common sense of the common people. Winning an Oscar for ‘The Pianist’ in 2003, and receiving a standing ovation, has no bearing for his cruel acts, when he drugged and compelled alcohol on 13-year-old Samantha Galley, and then raped her. Still, an absconding fugitive from the United States of America, his acts of crime have never stopped people from proclaiming him a genius of his trade, which, to be very frank, is undisputed. Casey Affleck’s recent win at the Oscars is another example of how Hollywood is hypocritical in polemically attacking such inhumane acts, and then elevating the men who do it. Artistic permissibility is something which can be attributed to this egregious and widespread plague. When a certain artist has achieved a degree of fame and established themselves in the industry, they tend to be fatuously idolized and worshipped. This is perhaps what has happened with this Hollywood elite of satanic scum, which is frequented with showers of praises and awards. These despicable dirtbags have no shame in admitting to their crimes. It could get more graphic if I continue. So I’ll just stop here. Ciao.