Woody Allen, a few weeks ago, muttered, "I hope it doesn't turn into a witch hunt."
And it has. What defines a witch hunt? It's a kind of hysteria for scapegoating. It's generally a lot of ignorant, sanctimonious, frustrated and vengeful people trying to enjoy power.
It also involves gossip more than law.
It also dispenses with the notion in America that one is "innocent until proven guilty."
A witch hunt also blows things out of proportion, and the bony finger pointed at the accused can request just about anything. In the old days, it included DEATH. Today, it's the death of a career and reputation.
According to Keillor, the anonymous woman didn't have much to bitch about:
Evidence that doesn't exist, and cases that could not even be brought to court, have meant nothing in the "witch hunts" that have taken down some celebrities recently. Acts that could, at best, be described as "creepy" have been treated like the work of De Sade or Manson.
Famous people who only thought that their fame entitled them to get a little "forward" with women (or men), or who, in the egotism of celebrity, thought they could bypass traditional courtship for a shortcut of grabass, are now jobless pariahs.
There's a nefarious reason for the success of taking down famous men. If it's a politician, it can be the other side seeking power. As in, "Can we replace Democrat Al Franken in Minnesota." The motive of some woman suddenly deciding she was traumatized MIGHT be that her fame as an ex-Playboy model is nothing to being able to command $5,000 or $10,000 speaking fees in front of women's rights groups.
In the case of celebrities, witch hunts are empowered by frightened corporations. It's easier to cut loose Matt Lauer or Garrison Keillor than become part of a lawsuit. The rush to instantly fire someone always has pious declarations that "our company respects women, and we want a positive workplace." What they're really saying is "hey bitch, don't blame US. We've chucked that guy out the door and under the bus! We were just a venue and we didn't know. And now you can't sue!"
I have not met any of the men disgraced over the past month or two. Going back a little further, there's President Pussygrabber. I've been in his presence. I took pictures of him years ago when I was working for a photo agency and he was attending a lot of celebrity parties and events. I've never met Garrison Keillor, nor listened to "Prairie Home Companion" for more than a few minutes.
BUT....Keillor's company DID produce the radio series "Comedy College." On that syndicated show, a featured comedian was profiled, with samples from the comedy albums. I wrote the scripts, which were read by Steve Martin, Bob Newhart and Lily Tomlin.
For that, I remain grateful. I don't know how involved Keillor was with the project, beyond giving it the green light. Thanks to that show, I was able to put words in the mouth of Steve Martin, so excuuuuuuse me for being proud. PS, excuuuuuuuse me for pointing out that the witch hunt has extended to Steve. The politically correct lunatics have been screaming that his old novelty song and video, "King Tut" should be banned as racist. One college in Oregon or some other snotty candle-sniffing granola-chewing part of the world protested the song so much it made headlines, and not on the "fake news" sites.
Keillor, 75, stated he was fired over “a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard.” (MPR is Minneapolis Public Radio, which syndicated his famous show to PBS stations, and I think did likewise with "Comedy College.") Naturally, being fired also means that his stuff is now banned. Whether bookstores will be allowed to keep "Home Prairie" books and CDs on shelves is up to individual levels of paranoia and hypocrite morality. We still don't even know what he did, but if it was REALLY BAD, the man would be in jail. Or under arrest. Wouldn't he? Not in 2017?
Bottom line: peoples careers and reputations are now being destroyed on the basis of hearsay and on actions that are hardly even misdemeanors. The media is paying more attention to every shrill and anguished cry about a pat on the ass than they are about world hunger, climate change or the fact that Kim Jong-Un is pushing his rogue nation toward attacks on Japan, South Korea, Guam and the United States.
Some guy wanders around his apartment with his bathrobe open. Some guy thinks he's a charmer and leans up against a woman on the set of the TV show he stars in. That's the end of the world? Witches, you may not know the real end of the world till it blows up in your face.
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