Scan barcode
A review by caroline77
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
5.0
***NO SPOILERS***
“Catch and kill” is a term from the tabloid world that refers to tabloids’ purchase of scandalous stories with the express intent of burying them. Ronan Farrow used the term more generally here as he detailed the accusations of abuse surrounding Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Donald Trump.* Countless people “caught and killed” to protect these men.
This book does three things well, pulling them together to paint a complete picture of what happened behind the scenes: It details the stories of abuse; it illustrates how power is abused and how common that is; and it highlights the extensive protections afforded those who are powerful, beloved, influential, or a combination of these. Had these men been regular joes, they would have been caught earlier (although not necessarily punished accordingly, or at all). They are just three of many famous figures accused of hideous crimes, but what happened with them can be applied to so many of the others. With great power comes the benefit of the doubt, denial, and protection.
Throughout my reading, what stood out to me was Harvey Weinstein’s bizarrely wide reach; the man had friends and supporters everywhere. He was involved in politics, charities, and a large percentage of movies made. He had many contacts in the legal world and even the fashion world. Farrow was double-crossed more than once because he confided in someone he assumed didn’t know Weinstein, or knew him but didn’t support him. Weinstein’s contacts everywhere most definitely helped protect him—directly and indirectly.
On the greater level, I was struck by how much those close to Weinstein, Lauer, and Trump bent over backward to protect them. This is where the subtitle of Catch and Kill comes in. Spies scared victims into silence (and attempted to with Farrow); endless lies from lawyers and coworkers protected the perpetrators; and a huge network of people conspired to suppress the stories. The litigation teams were stunningly ruthless, terrorizing victims and doing everything in their power to thwart Farrow’s investigation.
Ironclad non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) figured prominently in these stories as they were used liberally to shut up victims forever. I’ve been frustrated over the years to note that many people think that when victims are “paid off,” it’s proof that victims were blackmailing the perpetrator. This book explains how this reasoning is wrong. The NDA preserves the perpetrator’s reputation while allowing for continued abuse.
Readers who think they already know all about the abuses need to think again. Behind the scenes, so much happened that news outlets wouldn’t have the space to report on, if they even wanted to. It took this meticulous 448-page book to do that. Additionally, as a (now former) employee of NBC, Farrow was in the unusual position to be able to speak from an insider’s point of view. He interacted with Matt Lauer, who was a kind of mentor, and was close to the bigwigs protecting him. His characterization went a long way toward making Catch and Kill page-turning.
I do have one criticism that concerns crucial word choice. At least two times, Farrow used the word “consent” or “consensual,” saying something along the lines of, “The interactions eventually became consensual…” Given the power differential in the encounters, the perpetrator’s harassing persistence, and the victim’s fear of extensive retribution, she never consented. He means she relented. She resigned herself to the situation. She surrendered.
Nevertheless, Catch and Kill is superb, thorough, dedicated to the truth. I admire Farrow’s courage and greatly respect his personal ethics. He worked to exhaustion every day for months to expose these scandals, eventually getting the story published in The New Yorker. And although The New York Times broke the story before The New Yorker, Farrow was the one who began investigating first and refused to back down despite significant obstacles. Really, given the numerous roadblocks, it’s astonishing these accusations ever came to light.
Anyone with the slightest interest in these cases will want to read Catch and Kill. This may be the definitive work on what happened.
*Focused on in that order. Farrow devoted most attention to Weinstein, then Lauer, then Trump.
Read-alike: [b:She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement|44767249|She Said Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement|Jodi Kantor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573830483l/44767249._SY75_.jpg|69397793]
Complementary viewing: The documentary "Untouchable"
Update, March 4, 2020: Shame on Hachette. Ronan Farrow Cuts Ties With Publisher Hachette Over Woody Allen Memoir
“Catch and kill” is a term from the tabloid world that refers to tabloids’ purchase of scandalous stories with the express intent of burying them. Ronan Farrow used the term more generally here as he detailed the accusations of abuse surrounding Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Donald Trump.* Countless people “caught and killed” to protect these men.
This book does three things well, pulling them together to paint a complete picture of what happened behind the scenes: It details the stories of abuse; it illustrates how power is abused and how common that is; and it highlights the extensive protections afforded those who are powerful, beloved, influential, or a combination of these. Had these men been regular joes, they would have been caught earlier (although not necessarily punished accordingly, or at all). They are just three of many famous figures accused of hideous crimes, but what happened with them can be applied to so many of the others. With great power comes the benefit of the doubt, denial, and protection.
Throughout my reading, what stood out to me was Harvey Weinstein’s bizarrely wide reach; the man had friends and supporters everywhere. He was involved in politics, charities, and a large percentage of movies made. He had many contacts in the legal world and even the fashion world. Farrow was double-crossed more than once because he confided in someone he assumed didn’t know Weinstein, or knew him but didn’t support him. Weinstein’s contacts everywhere most definitely helped protect him—directly and indirectly.
On the greater level, I was struck by how much those close to Weinstein, Lauer, and Trump bent over backward to protect them. This is where the subtitle of Catch and Kill comes in. Spies scared victims into silence (and attempted to with Farrow); endless lies from lawyers and coworkers protected the perpetrators; and a huge network of people conspired to suppress the stories. The litigation teams were stunningly ruthless, terrorizing victims and doing everything in their power to thwart Farrow’s investigation.
Ironclad non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) figured prominently in these stories as they were used liberally to shut up victims forever. I’ve been frustrated over the years to note that many people think that when victims are “paid off,” it’s proof that victims were blackmailing the perpetrator. This book explains how this reasoning is wrong. The NDA preserves the perpetrator’s reputation while allowing for continued abuse.
Readers who think they already know all about the abuses need to think again. Behind the scenes, so much happened that news outlets wouldn’t have the space to report on, if they even wanted to. It took this meticulous 448-page book to do that. Additionally, as a (now former) employee of NBC, Farrow was in the unusual position to be able to speak from an insider’s point of view. He interacted with Matt Lauer, who was a kind of mentor, and was close to the bigwigs protecting him. His characterization went a long way toward making Catch and Kill page-turning.
I do have one criticism that concerns crucial word choice. At least two times, Farrow used the word “consent” or “consensual,” saying something along the lines of, “The interactions eventually became consensual…” Given the power differential in the encounters, the perpetrator’s harassing persistence, and the victim’s fear of extensive retribution, she never consented. He means she relented. She resigned herself to the situation. She surrendered.
Nevertheless, Catch and Kill is superb, thorough, dedicated to the truth. I admire Farrow’s courage and greatly respect his personal ethics. He worked to exhaustion every day for months to expose these scandals, eventually getting the story published in The New Yorker. And although The New York Times broke the story before The New Yorker, Farrow was the one who began investigating first and refused to back down despite significant obstacles. Really, given the numerous roadblocks, it’s astonishing these accusations ever came to light.
Anyone with the slightest interest in these cases will want to read Catch and Kill. This may be the definitive work on what happened.
*Focused on in that order. Farrow devoted most attention to Weinstein, then Lauer, then Trump.
Read-alike: [b:She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement|44767249|She Said Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement|Jodi Kantor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573830483l/44767249._SY75_.jpg|69397793]
Complementary viewing: The documentary "Untouchable"
Update, March 4, 2020: Shame on Hachette. Ronan Farrow Cuts Ties With Publisher Hachette Over Woody Allen Memoir