Former Monty Python star Terry Gilliam slams #MeToo as a witch hunt, complains he’s ‘tired of white men being blamed for everything’ and calls Harvey Weinstein’s victims ‘adults who made choices’
- Director of 12 Monkeys once again causes storm over comments about #MeToo
- Gilliam says #MeToo movement has taken on a ‘mob mentality’
- He says Harvey Weinstein’s accusers are ‘ambitious people who make choices’
- Gilliam said he doesn’t understand why people take offense to him saying he was a ‘black lesbian in transition’
- He is currently promoting his latest film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, which opens in theaters in the United Kingdom later this month
Terry Gilliam once again lashed out at political correctness in Hollywood, saying he’s ‘tired, as a while male, of being blamed for everything’ and that Harvey Weinstein’s alleged victims were ‘adults who made choices.’
The Monty Python star and film director also repeated criticisms of the #MeToo movement, calling it a ‘witch hunt’ that has victimized ‘a lot of people, decent people.’
‘Yeah, I said #MeToo is a witch hunt,’ the 12 Monkeys director told The Independent.
‘I really feel there were a lot of people, decent people, or mildly irritating people, who were getting hammered. That’s wrong.
‘I don’t like mob mentality. These [women who came forward with claims] were ambitious adults.’
Terry Gilliam (seen above in Cairo on November 22) slammed the #MeToo movement as a ‘witch hunt’
The British-American filmmaker directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail and wrote the script for Monty Python’s Life of Brian
Weinstein is the powerful film mogul who in October 2017 was first accused of sexual misconduct by actress Ashley Judd.
Judd was quoted by The New York Times, which investigated numerous other claims against Weinstein stretching back decades.
The groundbreaking report opened the floodgates as dozens more women came forward with allegations of a litany of crimes committed by Weinstein, including harassment, assault, and rape.
Alyssa Milano, the actress from the hit show Charmed, invited other women who were either harassed or assaulted to share their stories on Twitter with the hashtag #MeToo – igniting the viral phenomenon.
The Weinstein revelations inspired other women to come forward with claims against powerful men in several industries, including Hollywood, the media, music, sports, politics, and academia.
Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges brought by New York prosecutors who say he sexually assaulted two women – one in 2006 and another in 2013. He has denied all allegations against him.
Gilliam, however, thinks Weinstein’s alleged victims share some responsibility for what happened to them.
‘There are many victims in Harvey’s life and I feel sympathy for them, but then, Hollywood is full of very ambitious people who are adults and they make choices,’ Gilliam said.
Gilliam is seen right with Harvey Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival in 2005. Gilliam said that Weinstein’s victims were ‘adults who made choices’
‘We all make choices, and I could tell you who did make the choice and who didn’t.’
Gilliam recalled that he had a negative experience working with Weinstein
‘I hate Harvey. I had to work with him and I know the abuse, but I don’t want people saying that all men [are abusive].’
Gilliam said that when he directed the 1991 hit film The Fisher King, ‘two producers were women.
‘One was a really good producer, and the other was a neurotic b***h.
‘It wasn’t about their sex. It was about the position of power and how people use it.’
Gilliam then says he spoke to a famous actor recently. The topic of conversation was #MeToo.
‘She has got her story of being in the room and talking her way out,’ he said.
‘She says, “I can tell you all the girls who didn’t, and I know who they are and I know the bumps in their careers.”
Gilliam is busy promoting his latest film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, starring Adam Driver (left) and Jonathan Pryce (right)
‘The point is, you make choices.’
Gilliam continued: ‘I can tell you about a very well-known actress coming up to me and saying, “What do I have to do to get in your film, Terry?”
‘I don’t understand why people behave as if this hasn’t been going on as long as there’ve been powerful people.
‘I understand that men have had more power longer, but I’m tired, as a white male, of being blamed for everything that is wrong with the world.’
Gilliam then reported held up his hands and exclaimed: ‘I didn’t do it!’
The Independent writer pushed back and said that while not all white men are to blame, they are automatically given privileges that others aren’t.
Gilliam responded: ‘It’s been so simplified is what I don’t like.
‘When I announce that I’m a black lesbian in transition, people take offense at that. Why?’
Gilliam then says: ‘I don’t like the term black or white. I’m now referring to myself as a melanin-light male.
‘I can’t stand the simplistic, tribalistic behavior that we’re going through at the moment.’
Alexandra Pollard, the Independent reporter who wrote the story, tweeted: ‘I can’t say it was a pleasure to interview Terry Gilliam.’
Another Twitter user, Scott Weinberg, mocked Gilliam’s suggestion that he was in favor of diversity in films
Jess McIntosh tweeted: ‘Literally no one is yelling at you Terry just enjoy yourself.’
Sonny Bunch tweeted: ‘Could’ve headlined this story “Terry Gilliam generates a ton of PR for his movie that would otherwise have trouble generating attention outside of Film Twitter by pushing all the right buttons”.’
Actor-comedian Paul F. Tompkins tweeted: ‘If you’re so tired go lie down old man.’
Jeff Yang tweeted: ‘White men: want the privileges of being white men. ‘White men: tired of the responsibility of being white men.’
‘What are we thinking here – The Ministry of Silly Takes?’ The Office and Parks and Recretation writer Michael Schur tweeted. Schur used a play on words describing the title of a famous Monty Python sketch – The Ministry of Silly Walks
Caspar Salmon tweeted: ‘Really enjoyable press campaign from Terry Gilliam, whose latest film is an adaptation of Cervantes’s book about an absurd and deluded old fool who gets it into his head that he’s a knight and bravely goes off to fight some windmills.’
Gilliam then tries to clarify, saying: ‘I’m talking about being a man accused of all the wrong in the world because I’m white-skinned. So I better not be a man.
‘I better not be white. OK, since I don’t find men sexually attractive, I’ve got to be a lesbian.
‘What else can I be? I like girls. These are just logical steps.’
Gilliam is on a promotional tour touting his new film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, which opens in theaters in the United Kingdom at the end of January.
His comments sparked backlash on social media, where Twitter users took turns slamming the film director.
‘What are we thinking here – The Ministry of Silly Takes?’ The Office and Parks and Recretation writer Michael Schur tweeted.
Schur used a play on words describing the title of a famous Monty Python sketch – The Ministry of Silly Walks.
Schur continued: ‘Tempted to just go with “Upperclass Twit of the Year,” but it’s kind of on the nose.
‘How about: “Ugh shut the f*** up you’re retroactively ruining my childhood?’
Actor-comedian Paul F. Tompkins tweeted: ‘If you’re so tired go lie down old man.’
Caspar Salmon tweeted: ‘Really enjoyable press campaign from Terry Gilliam, whose latest film is an adaptation of Cervantes’s book about an absurd and deluded old fool who gets it into his head that he’s a knight and bravely goes off to fight some windmills.’
Jess McIntosh tweeted: ‘Literally no one is yelling at you Terry just enjoy yourself.’
Jeff Yang tweeted: ‘White men: want the privileges of being white men.
‘White men: tired of the responsibility of being white men.’
Alexandra Pollard, the Independent reporter who wrote the story, tweeted: ‘I can’t say it was a pleasure to interview Terry Gilliam.’
Sonny Bunch tweeted: ‘Could’ve headlined this story “Terry Gilliam generates a ton of PR for his movie that would otherwise have trouble generating attention outside of Film Twitter by pushing all the right buttons”.’
Another Twitter user, Scott Weinberg, mocked Gilliam’s suggestion that he was in favor of diversity in films.
‘”I’m into diversity more than anybody,” says Terry Gilliam, a man who has never hired a person of color for a substantial film role,’ Weinberg tweeted.
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