I read today that the chances of being stuck by an asteroid were statistically higher than having false memory syndrome or lying about being sexually assaulted. This does not surprise me at all. In recent weeks, there has been considerable virtual ink about the resurfaced allegations by Dylan Farrow that she was sexually molested by her one-time stepfather, Woody Allen.
These allegations were first made some 20 years ago and resulted in no charges being laid because of the vulnerability (read: presumed lack of reliability) of the child making them. However, Allen was denied custody of all the children he shared with Mia Farrow, his partner of the time. Their union ended after she found nude pictures of her daughter, Soon Yi Previn and learned of a relationship between Allen and her oldest child. Dylan's allegations emerged shortly after this and were brought to light by a paediatrician. After Allen again refuted the charges, Dylan offered point-by-point rebuttal of Allen's denials.
The public discourse around this case has been distressing, to say the least. "No charges were ever laid," seems to be the de facto response of many pundits and members of the public. Surely, we are not all so naive that we believe that the criminal justice system is immune to error. The basic tenet of the legal systems in the United States and Canada is that it's better to let a guilty man go free than send an innocent one to jail. The decision not to press charges against Woody Allen was a subjective one, which without question was influenced by Allen's celebrity status.
I've noticed that people find it easier to compartmentalize Allen's talents as a cinema auteur which is argued has nothing to do with his personal predilections. Similar stances were also taken with respect to Elia Kazan, who was known to have named names for the McCarthy's blacklist. In 1999, Kazan was to receive an honourary Academy Award for his body of work. The argument was that time had passed, the Cold War was over and that his body of work spoke for itself. However, I would contend as did others, that you cannot separate the artist and his work. One informs the other. Kazan's betrayal destroyed countless careers and lives. Yes, he made some good movies, but he should not have been celebrated in light of his personal acts. Similarly, Allen, whose receipt of a Lifetime Achievement Golden Globe prompted Dylan Farrow to rearticulate her allegations against him, should not be celebrated. Would we excuse any of history's most heinous criminals of their crimes had they been virtuosos in some field? I think not.
Another compartmentalizing approach toward Woody Allen focused with his affair and subsequent marriage to Soon Yi Previn. The ick factor of a 56 year old man cavorting with a 19 year old woman (barely that) was obvious. That Woody Allen was not a handsome man heightened the ick factor. However, disturbing though it was, it was not as morally reprehensible as the alleged sexual abuse was. It was more comfortable to chide him for craddle robbing than making the obvious linkages to child sexual abuse. Over time, they became just another celebrity couple. In Hollywood and elsewhere, memories are short.
The other upsetting aspect of the public response to Farrow's allegations against Allen has been decidedly gendered. The lens of scrutiny applied to girls and women who make sexual abuse claims is noticeably sharper than those applied to boys and men. Girls and women are more often accused of False Memory Syndrome than boys and men. Remember the chances of being hit by an asteroid are higher than someone lying about being sexually abused. The presupposition is that no male would make up such a claim because it was too humiliating. Guess what? It's equally humiliating for females to admit to having been sexually abused.
The microscopic scrutiny that women are subjected to only exacerbates the humiliation. When male hockey players or football players go public with claims of sexual abuse, public outrage is swift and demanding of punitive measures. However, invariably when women come forth, the reaction tends to be more guarded. Her motives and her role in the alleged abuse are questioned. Further still, the spectre of false memory is suggested, particularly if the victim is a child. The prevalence of sexual abuse of girls is significantly higher than boys and yet, time and time again, their veracity of their allegations is questioned.
Such a public case is unique with respect to sexual abuse. Few cases are ever reported upon so widely. The celebrity attached to this case adds a level of sensationalism that the public and media feed upon. Having said that, Dylan Farrow already had access to fame via her very famous mother, Mia Farrow. She is an adult with a family of her own and has changed her name to distance herself from the world of fame. She has made no financial claims against Woody Allen, so that cannot be the motivation behind her reassertion of these claims. Her reason for coming forth again is so painfully obvious that many seemed to have missed. She wants the truth to be know. A wise friend once said that if it feels wrong and it feels like abuse, it's abuse. Simple as that. Clearly, Dylan Farrow felt what Allen did was wrong and it felt like abuse. Enough said. Believe her.
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