A new survey from The Hollywood Commission confirms that abusive conduct is a pervasive problem in Hollywood made worse by the entertainment industry’s power imbalances – and the targets of the bullying are often young workers and assistants.
The report released Wednesday – the third part of a survey of almost 10,000 people working or who have sought work in the entertainment industry found that women are twice as likely as men to report experiencing abusive workplace conduct. In addition, employees under the age of 40 were far more likely to report instances of bullying, with reported rates decreasing steadily with age.
In Hollywood, bullying has been “condoned as part of ‘paying your dues’ on the way up” and “openly displayed” in films such as “Swimming With Sharks” (1995) and this year’s “The Assistant,” said Anita Hill, chairman of The Hollywood Commission and a professor of social policy and gender studies at Brandeis University.
“Bullying may once have been an accepted norm, but in 2020, workers understand the harm that an environment rife with humiliating insults, sarcasm, swearing and throwing objects in anger causes. And belittling, vulgar and demeaning language and behavior is a gateway to sexual harassment and other abusive conduct,” Hill said. “It’s time for Hollywood to commit to treating all workers with basic humanity and dignity.”
