hollywood skyline
It should come as no secret that Hollywood is corrupt. Much like the "swamp" that is our government (shout out to Obama and Clinton re: Uranium One), Hollywood is controlled by millionaires used to getting their way and evading the law.

But it's time the country actually does something about this. Instead of virtue signaling on Twitter (#MeToo) or diverting from the subject to protect victims' feelings, we need to condemn the industry that perpetrated this.

And call me a heartless wretch, but I feel no sympathy for victims of sexual assault and rape who say nothing until 20 years later. For victims who do not report their abuse. For men and women who remain silent and allow the culture of Hollywood to intimidate them. No sympathy whatsoever.

I do, however, feel sympathy for victims who legitimately do not know any better. Like innocent children.

Amid the allegations leveled against Harvey Weinstein in October, producers Gabe Hoffman and Matthew Valentinas decided to release the official version of their 2014 documentary, An Open Secret, online. The film follows the stories of five former child actors who speak out about being sexually abused by multiple predators in the industry. As of now, as I write this, it is still free to view on Vimeo. If you haven't watched it, I highly encourage you to do so.

Courtesy of Remso Martinez, the link surfaced in my Twitter inbox on Saturday morning.

So I watched it. And there are no words to describe how it made me feel.

I feel sick, knowing children are being preyed upon every day, that these men get away with it because they have money and influence. Enraged that this country has known for so long...and has done absolutely nothing about it. Annoyed with myself, for not doing more.

I am glad, knowing all the noise re: Weinstein has brought this issue back to the forefront of discussion. And I am grateful to men like Corey Feldman and the other former child actors in the documentary, who have actively spoken out about the abuse they endured, regardless of what it meant for their careers.

Feldman didn't allow Hollywood's "culture of silence" to protect his abusers from exposure. He spoke out anyway. Unlike Harvey Weinstein's victims, who valued money and fame above exposing the truth, Feldman refused to be silent. That is true bravery. Not virtue signaling twenty years later, or failing to report anything altogether because you want to keep your precious career.

This...this is a cause to get behind. Exposing the pedophile ring that has been in place in Hollywood for decades.

Pay attention. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. And it's up to us, American consumers, to do something about it.