Adland is dragging its feet on #MeToo, as perpetrators continue to win awards and hide in plain sight
Adland in Australia still hasn’t had its #MeToo moment yet, says Bec Brideson. But what if clients stopped separating the ‘art from the artist’ and drove the change survivors in this industry need?
Woody Allen and Roman Polanski are arguably two of the greatest film directors of the 21st century. Nevertheless, after #MeToo accusations against them, audiences and actors alike became less willing to engage with their art. In the era of personal-brand accountability, I don’t believe in separating art and artist.
I can’t help but wonder if or when the day will come when clients start applying this principle to agencies and their personnel. After all, how does any agency that harbours or hides predators credibly create work for brands that value respect, safety and the wellbeing of their customers?
It is not beyond the realm of possibility that strict policies and full disclosure around harassment settlements or non-disclosure agreements could become standard requirements for major pitches and contracts. Earlier this year, the National Workplace Sexual Harassment Inquiry forced this issue into the open, displaying which agencies were willing to cooperate.
Kudos for keeping this subject on the agenda Bec. You are right that this industry is dragging it’s feet on addressing these issues because frankly, the fox is in the hen house.
It’s crossing the rubicon of loyalty to out your old boss – decade old cases happening like timebombs.
http://www.theconversations.co.....oss-112273
What about some of the abhorrent male client behaviour around female agency staff?
Feel like this is too often overlooked.
I was never accused as part of the #metoo movement. Neither was my mate Woody.
Bec, how certain are you that action isn’t being taken? Your measure of accountability appears to be a lack of public hangings?
There are a number of widely known, but not public, settlements and departures in our industry. And yes, there’s still a few protected species out there too unfortunately.
Sure, we don’t have the questionable approach of the US #metoo movement (with many claims rightfully being contested in a court of law). But to presume justice isn’t being had because cases or perpetrators aren’t being outed in trade press is an ill-considered measure.
We also don’t have a one-sided legal system – the presumption of innocence is enshrined as international law and a basic human right. Sure, cancel culture is a thing, but so too is an era of post-truth with social media being a significant issue for fake news, bullying and subversion. The worst thing that could happen to #metoo is for successive and high profile cases to fail due to lack of due process.
Of course, if your definition of accountability is a public hanging or extrajudicial ‘investigations’ conducted through anonymous social media, thats a different discussion.
This comment is hilarious in his over-defensiveness.
What do they say about those who doth protest too much? This guy definitely has SOMETHING to hide.
This behaviour is rife at the larger, legacy businesses
Good for you keeping it topical Bec.
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It’s all around the independent owned agencies and even though they are epic level creeps they do win awards and win business. Speed dial Slater & Gordon
the author’s company ‘consults to business on gender intelligence’ and yet she so…no new news, manages to get through the entire article with no strategies, structures or solutions to move forward with
@fleshpeddler
How about this as a way of ‘fixing’ it:
A ‘Go Fund Me’ campaign with the aim of raising as much money as possible to support one #metoo victim to afford the cost of the legal battle involving the breaching of an NDA.
The victim would:
a) Be someone who is comfortable with speaking out
b) Most likely succeed in the legal battle, based on legal advice
Could this be a way of bringing down a serial abuser and be about much more than this one case?
Whilst I don’t dispute the accuracy of your accusations here, you pose the question “what if clients stopped separating the ‘art from the artist’ and drove the change survivors in this industry need?”
I don’t understand how clients (in general) can even know that an agency is harbouring or hiding predators. As a client I would need to witness or be convinced that such behaviour exists to take action take action. If I witnessed anything untoward I would like to think I would take action.
Another thing to be careful about is that this industry is rife with bitter personalities, ego’s, and professional rivalries between agencies, personnel, and former staff. Sometime ‘anything goes’ when taking down a bitter rival with misinformation and gossip.
Its complicated, but I think the onus is (primarily) on the agency-side of the industry to sort this mess out, as the clients generally have no exposure to this behaviour.
My boss ran his own agency and hired loads of females and he would tell girls they couldn’t leave Friday night drinks until they kissed him. You can’t make this shit up. Then he’d get gropey with them. Strange thing was he always had a girl he’d be obsessed with then a new one would start and he’d manage the old one out with a silence agreement claiming they had work performance issues. Too true amiright?
Post filtering is in full effect here it seems
yes. my post never made it and it was totally inoffensive and uncontroversial…I just posted disappointment that this article had exactly zero suggestions for addressing/improving this issue
Moderation takes time.
Vivienne – Mumbrella
Look at your name, mate. You’re all about the controversy.
Wouldn’t you be better in YT comments, the dark web or 8chan???? Seems more your style.
Go on. I dare you
Umbrella would not publish even if we told you. This post will be deleted or heavily edited as Mumbrella takes agency side. I worked at an indie who CSO called females cunts and fucking females. We lodged complaints which were dismissed as we are ‘overly emotional females’. Bullying was rife, encouraged and rewarded
Hi ICTY,
You are absolutely incorrect. Mumbrella (and indeed umbrellas) are not on the side of perpetrators. At all. Ever.
As a publisher, however, we are under threat from some of the most restrictive defamation laws in the world, and we often simply can’t afford to take the risk of publishing anonymous allegations which would almost certainly land us in court.
As Bec says in her piece: “And our plaintiff-friendly defamation laws prevent journalists from fulfilling their role of fourth estate justice. In what survivors know as a ‘def-threat’ (defamation lawsuit), silence has been forced upon those seeking justice.”
Feel free to contact me at vivienne@mumbrella.com.au if there’s something you’d like me to investigate, but it can’t play out here in the comment thread.
Thanks,
Vivienne – Mumbrella
I’m pretty sure we’re about to find out mate.
This is a cute promo for your consulting business. Exactly what ‘principle’ do you mean that we should start applying to agencies when using Woody Allen as an example? AFAIK he has never been convicted of harassment or abuse. encouraging young people to put them selves at risk of a dafamation case is not good advice
There is an independent shop where a senior male assulted and harrassed (let’s put in allegedly to keep legal team happy) junior males. Male executive team turned their heads to it.
Unless there are two indies where this went down – I worked here and I’m disgusted nothing was done.
Unforgivable.
It is 2019 and we should be all on the same page that there is no room for inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, this goes for both genders. Already this piece is seeing comments from people wanting to point the finger at workplaces and individuals, but the question should be asked if this is the right platform for it? Anyone who is guilty of this behaviour should be punished accordingly but on the flip side allegations based on second or third-hand knowledge should not be taken as gospel. This is a very serious issue for our industry and as members of this industry, it is our responsibility to take it seriously.
Bec I admire you for keeping this issue on the radar. You are a strong and lone voice.
The industry virtue signalling on this is just that, and Times Up and Agency Circle have proven it through their lack of action or voice – though I’m sure their members proudly state their efforts on their CVs.
It is widely acknowledged who the serial harassers are, and often it is fodder for gossip when industry folk convene. But they are widely protected due to their role as employers of many and their power and influence.
It would take someone willing to go bankrupt to name them publicly, as their funds to sue for defamation and/or simply keep someone in court for years is dis-incentive enough.
Additionally it seems widely acknowledged that a whistle-blower would end their employability, which is especially pronounced as our industry is in recession.
I was tempted to write anonymised versions of the harassers I know of here, but have chickened out – I encourage any who are more bold than I.
A starting example would be… that leads women to believe they are kissing him on the cheek at his request, but moves his face to kiss them on the mouth…this person has also paid out multiple women for his actions and made them sign NDAs’
Anyone else want to add to this?
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The Weinsteins of ad land are still lurking out there, deluded by their amoral, utilitarian view of people, especially females. Face it (truth) and stop preening yourselves, time is running out – nervous?
Seen too much of it including a case where a male was sexually harassing young men in the agency. He was never held responsible for the damage he caused. Appalling. The agency leaders who think they’re “good guys” should be ashamed – as should the perpetrator.
Name and shame.
I can think of at least one who fits this bill. It’s Sydney’s worst kept secret, and still nothing happens. But what can you do, who’s policing this stuff- where can the victims report?
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If only we had an established legal system to handle all of this….
The entire point is we don’t. Sexual harassment is not a police matter (try calling them and see what happens). HR departments are there to protect the company, not the worker. And defamation laws stop people from going public. So your suggestion is?
Definitely not disputing that I have witnessed this behaviour from (mostly) older people who are on their way out.
But I dispute the ‘perpetrators continue to win awards and hide in plain sight.’ It implies that every white male who has won an award is some kind of sexual predator, and that simply is not true.
This article strings together some loose ends and untruths (Roman in #metoo?) in order to paint men in a certain light.
The amount of female sexual predators and bias in management I have witnessed in the industry is equal if not greater than the amount of male sexual harassment over the past 30 years. And that is always unchecked, always unreported, implied that it is always welcomed and you’re shouted down if you point out it exists.
Let’s have a fair and unbiased conversation about harassment in general, then get gender specific.
“But I dispute the ‘perpetrators continue to win awards and hide in plain sight.’ It implies that every white male who has won an award is some kind of sexual predator, and that simply is not true.”
This is a bizarre interpretation of what was written above. I suggest you get some reading glasses. And if you have details of women harassing men in the workplace, feel free to report it. You may find exactly nothing happens, which is the issue being articulated above, but if you say nothing, can you expect anything to change?
I didn’t decide to write this piece for fun or to cause mischief.
I did it because there are too many people whose careers and lives have suffered.
The facts about sexual harassment and perpetrators are the facts. Not my alt. facts – but widely researched and published facts.
And whilst looking the other way or denying there’s a problem is easier, all it does is maintain the status quo.
No one is calling for town square hangings.
But we are looking for fair solutions to help those that lost their career and dreams to ‘Weinsteins’, and we want to prevent the perpetrators from continuing to do it now and in the future.
but Bec…you’re not suggesting any. And your byline suggests that this is your business.
what gives?
In my first job I accidentally walked into a back room at an agency party to see 3 senior female leaders GM and 2 GADs snorting coke off the bare chest of a junior male suit. He seems to be having a great time, but might not have been. Should I name and Shame them and run their names through the mud? They still work in advertising today but he doesn’t.
The moment you give this behaviour the name Weinsteins you are implying that this behaviour is the sole domain of men, that is not correct and frankly I’ve had a gutful of what is blatantly sexist crap. As a man who has worked in this industry for 20 years and witnessed this behaviour from young and old, men and women, it’s total BS to frame this as men in advertising. The shitty behaviour is not isolated to men, there’s plenty of terrible female leaders as well. But more importantly there’s plenty of good female leaders and good male leaders. Talk about them instead of fixating on framing all men as the bad guys, it’s just shit to work your arse off everyday and be constantly reading about how you and your kind (as men) are so very terrible. Imagine if as women there was an endless article about how shit white women are, how you’re all sex pests and the problem with our industry. How would you get out of bed in the morning.
Bec,you speak of fear of retribution by complainants.Interested to know if you think an unsuccessful, anonymous accuser should retain their anonymity if the accused person is found not guilty.
It seems unfair that a person can be besmirched,or worse,have their career ruined,yet the identity of a vexatious or malevolent accuser remains unknown.
Yes it is complicated,
but surely can no longer be written off as collateral damage to further the Me too cause.
It is also the reason so many people are in court in America following the anonymous and often ruinous revelations by Diet Madison (?) last year.
Perhaps there is no answer.
Well done Bec in continuing to tackle and discuss this….reminding the boys club that we need to be held accountable. A task that no doubt would be daugnting at times.
Big PR hungry agency boss who’s now big PR hungry agency ‘global’ boss is well known for plying the prettiest and usually straight boys in the agency with cocaine (taking them on a boat perhaps) and then making his clumsy moves. He’s fired women so he can hire pretty but very under qualified boys on a longer term play. When will this one come out. It has to soon. Surely.
… was it really ever?
@nothing is about the work
Yes you are 100%
It’s about the serial harassment of women and staff by predatory and powerful people.
How can the survivors work when they’ve been MeTooed and made the industry outsiders?
Your privilege is out on show.
Hang on fella’s,
I am ashamed to admit it but I have heard with my own ears guys in power minimise women and their abilities both in private and publicly. They know how to keep women under scrutiny and the heat off their Weinstein behaviour. This is a fact and we all know it.