14 thoughts on “Familiar”

  1. “This investigation included interviews with witnesses as well as with Mr. Smiley. The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this information led to today’s decision.”

    Yep, this persecution of Mr. Smiley is based on nothing at all.

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          1. <

            blockquote>According to sources, MSK took reports from 10 witnesses, a mix of men and women of different races and employment levels in Smiley’s organization, most of them former staffers.</ blockquote>

            10 witnesses, men and women. Any reason to believe they’ve all simultaneously turned against their former boss?

            Call me cynical but I doubt the poor fish you mentioned had 10 witnesses against him, nor was there a law firm involved in investigating him.

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  2. Clarissa, I would be curious to hear your thoughts on the allegations against Garrison Keillor. His former employer has released no details, Keillor has given his own version of events, and no second accuser has come forward. The last part is what bothers me; it seems like these guys never do it just once. If I hear multiple, independent accusers with no obvious ulterior motive and no track record of dishonesty I am inclined to treat the allegations as plausible. If I hear of one accusation that is emphatically denied and never seconded, I wonder. Doesn’t mean it’s false, but does mean we should wait for more before assuming the worst.

    Mention it because Smiley and Keillor are both in public broadcasting.

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    1. I don’t know these people, I have never heard these names before. But I’ve witnessed the hot pink incident and I witnessed others. It’s not these Keillors or Lizzas I worry about. They are rich, they’ll be fine. It’s some poor bugger who adjuncts at a community college and who’s destroyed because a student happens not to like him. I know a guy like that. He was eviscerated and thrown out of the profession on the strength of a ridiculous, unsubstantiated accusation. It didn’t have any effect that he was gay and living with his boyfriend, nothing helped.

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    2. “Garrison Keillor”

      I think in some quarters this is being used instrumentally to finally kick out aging baby boomers to make room for younger people.

      It’s the most transparent in Keillor’s case but some other cases look sort of similar…

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  4. So he’s accused of having sex with some of his colleagues…and they were his subordinates….. I’m not saying that this isn’t a difficult thing if you’re a woman, but assuming that Smiley did not suggest to the women that their employment status was dependent on their having sex with him, don’t the women need to tell him they’re not interested instead of sleeping with him and then accusing him of sexual harassment or assault?

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    1. According to the criteria of what constitutes harassment these days, I’ve got to ask if there’s anybody who is completely sure they are not guilty under this definition. And isn’t that the whole point.

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      1. “what constitutes harassment these days”

        Just look at Salma Hayek’s hysterically trying to generate publicity by _not_having been molested by Harvey Weinstein… (AFAICT have too much self-respect to follow the whole story).

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  5. When you look at what is alleged, there is nothing non consensual mentioned. One of the complaints is that he brought along a sexual companion on a business trip. That is not illegal!

    Maybe these weirdos would have need okay with it, if they where married.

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