Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'
Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood by Maureen Ryan
3 reviews
ladythana's review against another edition
Very good book but too sad and distressing for me to finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence
geenawrites's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Maureen Ryan's expose on the Hollywood machine is something else.
I've heard of and watched a lot of the situations Ryan details, lived in the moment as some happened in real-time.
And I'll be honest, I really only got this book to hear the chapter on Sleepy Hollow and the horrors of what happened on that set. I know a lot of other readers who did the same.
Not out of some masochistic need to hear it read to me all over again, but to know and see the pain actors like Nicole Beharie and Orlando Jones are seen and acknowledged. Surrounding the SH debacle is a plethora of stories of people who entered creative industries like Hollywood to tell stories, only to be harmed and pushed out by self-important personalities who thrived on a culture of abuse.
"Burn it Down" is a hard read. I stopped more than once to cry and to take a breather. I started reading this at the start of June and only finished it today.
Feelings of despair and anger were a constant, but they didn't leave me hopeless. Instead, I'm hopeful for the work that people are doing to, as Ryan puts it, "burn the old temple down". It's happening everywhere, and I truly hope to see the fruit of this labor.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone invested in social change and community action and collaboration. Just pace yourself.
I've heard of and watched a lot of the situations Ryan details, lived in the moment as some happened in real-time.
And I'll be honest, I really only got this book to hear the chapter on Sleepy Hollow and the horrors of what happened on that set. I know a lot of other readers who did the same.
Not out of some masochistic need to hear it read to me all over again, but to know and see the pain actors like Nicole Beharie and Orlando Jones are seen and acknowledged. Surrounding the SH debacle is a plethora of stories of people who entered creative industries like Hollywood to tell stories, only to be harmed and pushed out by self-important personalities who thrived on a culture of abuse.
"Burn it Down" is a hard read. I stopped more than once to cry and to take a breather. I started reading this at the start of June and only finished it today.
Feelings of despair and anger were a constant, but they didn't leave me hopeless. Instead, I'm hopeful for the work that people are doing to, as Ryan puts it, "burn the old temple down". It's happening everywhere, and I truly hope to see the fruit of this labor.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone invested in social change and community action and collaboration. Just pace yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Homophobia, Rape, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual violence
moonytoast's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
4.75
We have to remember one big truth about the entertainment industry—not just as it is presently constructed but as it has always been constructed. Those who run it care about power and money. Profits that used to be measured in millions now are measured in billions. Every penny has to be squeezed from every possible corner of the industry. [...] If those with power think it saves money to ignore monstrous behavior—if it save money to not care about who gets damaged, broken, or otherwise abused during the creative process—well, that's what happens.
I think this is a must-read nonfiction book for anyone loves film and television, even those who may not be as tuned into the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. It breaks down so many issues that have plagued and continue to plague Hollywood, which often create a toxic and abusive work environment for writers, actors, assistants and various workers across the entertainment industry, particularly lower to middle-level workers.
There is so much that this book digs into regarding various workplaces and an abundance of harrowing personal experiences from those she interviewed, but it's not a book without hope or a vision for a better future; Maureen Ryan demonstrates that Hollywood does not have to be this way and there are demonstrable changes that can be made to create a better, healthier work environment for everyone.
I, for one, hope that future comes sooner than later. If the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes put enough pressure on the AMPTP to come to the table and cede to the demands of those unions, that won't nearly solve all of the issues Ryan brings up in this book. But it would be a good start.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Racism
More...