An ignored facet of the whole Kristen Stewart debacle that is pissing me off.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

An ignored facet of the whole Kristen Stewart debacle that is pissing me off.

Yes, it’s a huge issue that she’s being shunned for cheating on a boyfriend (while the man involved was married with two kids). Especially when men like Charlie Sheen have people fawning over them. She’s a young woman who made a stupid mistake that should be confined to the people directly affected.

What no one seems to be talking about, however is that it goes beyond a 20-year age difference. This man - who did make a vow to another woman, signed a marriage license, had children with this woman, and should have been old enough to know better - engaged in some level of inappropriate relationship with a girl he had authority over.

A director (especially one that much older than you, honestly) has a level of power. Probably similar to that really cool college professor. It does happen that actresses fall in love with directors, but it’s often more seasoned actresses, and it often doesn’t last. Especially in the current climate, young hollywood has to tread lightly, and a director who doesn’t like you, especially one willing to say anything bad about you, could damage your career. It varies slightly between directing styles, but this person basically tells you what to do all day. When you’re on camera, your every movement has to please them. It occurs to me that some people might not even understand what a director does, and I think I’m hoping that’s why no one’s talking about it.

I am not suggesting she was coerced, and I sure hope she wasn’t (because yes, a director does have the power to make you feel you can’t say no to his advances), but even if she enthusiastically participated - the authority figure should always know better. People are largely going to feel how they want to feel about this, but I just cannot sit and watch the Kristen Stewart bashing without even a thought to the power dynamic.