Its a simple rule to understand: power corrupts. Take the nicest person in the world, give them some power and they’ll be corrupted in some way, big or small. Its not their fault. Its just a fact of life. 

Im a school governor. Its a miniscule amount of power. I expect tea and biscuits at any meeting I go to. I don’t expect biscuits anywhere else I go. If I visit a friend Ill enjoy a cup of tea with them but its not an ‘expectation’. Ive been corrupted by the power. 

The ‘power corrupts’ rule can be seen everywhere. “Dont you know who I am?” Is such a well known phrase it even has its own Google search. 


Ive done a course (I love a course) on organisational culture. Its well researched and documented that when you join a new organisation or group, you very quickly adapt your own norms to what you see around you, even when you have absolutely no idea why you’re doing it. Its just ‘the way we do things around here’. Its just psychology, human beings want to fit in. 

Of course theres a sliding scale. It depends on the group, it depends on the ‘norms’   and to a certain extent it depends on the person. (For example: nowadays it might take a very long time, if at all, to consider human sacrifice acceptable but it happens; consider those who have been ‘radicalised’). 

In the olden days, women were considered objects and men’s property in every walk of life. Through women’s hard work, circumstances and legislation that is no longer the case for the majority. 

But it still is in some places. Some third world countries, some religions and some minorities in 1st world countries. Women are still second (or even third) class citizens. Its not really their fault its just ‘the way we do things around here’. And until theres a necessity to change (like legislation, technology advance, war, or public opinion) it just wont. 

So take a powerful, unregulated, elite  closed shop like Hollywood and youre bound to get some archaic and immoral practices. 

Someone in Hollywood decided it was time to change and Harvey Weinstein was offered up as a sacrifice. Its not really his fault. He was a powerful man. Women fell at his feet and he came to expect that as ‘the way we do things around here’ because it was. I doubt very much he’ll be the last before this publicity cycle ends. Just the same as happened with Jimmy Saville and the BBC. 

Yes its awful. Yes its sickening. Yes I feel dreadfully sorry for those poor women. But their sacrifice in telling their stories now its ‘safe’ will lead to a better way. Lead to progress.  Lead to Hollywood catching up with modern day. And for that I praise them. 

Emily Davison gave us (indirectly) the vote; actresses have changed the film industry.