Oprah to Produce Documentary About Sexual Assault in the Music Industry for Apple TV+
To predators in the music industry who haven’t had their Times Up moment yet: It may be coming. On Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey announced that she will be bringing a documentary about sexual assault in the music industry to Apple TV+ in 2020. Variety reports that the documentary “follows a former music executive who grapples with whether to go public with her story of assault and abuse by a notable figure in the industry.” The as-yet-unnamed documentary from Oprah and Impact Partners is described as “a profound examination of race, gender, class and intersectionality, and the toll assaults take on their victims and society at large.” It will be directed and produced by filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering. The duo’s documentary The Invisible War, about sexual assault in the U.S. military, was nominated for an Academy Award in 2013. In 2015 they directed and produced The Hunting Ground, a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses.
In March of this year, Oprah hosted an HBO/OWN special in which she interviewed Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the subjects of the documentary Leaving Neverland, which explores sexual-abuse allegations about Michael Jackson. She also currently hosts the Oprah’s Book Club series on Apple TV+, which premiered on November 1 with an episode about Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer. Oprah’s Harpo Productions will executive produce the documentary, and social activist Abigail Disney (of being a Disney Disney fame) is also one of the co-executive producers.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 15 | January 13, 2020 6:30 PM
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The only thing worse than sexual assault is documentaries about sexual assault showing only on streaming services that I don't use.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 4, 2019 4:53 PM
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I really don't understand how sexual assault and sexual harassment became so prevalent in the music industry. The industry has been in financial downward spiral for decades now, having more and more trouble actually selling recorded music with each change in playback technology.
So logically, shouldn't the industry focus be on increasing profits as the only goal, which should logically mean zero tolerance for shutting out real talent because they won't play ball, or putting out crap from your hookup rather than good music? Yet, that's the way it's working in real life, sexual harassment of "artists" is tolerated everywhere. I don't understand.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | December 4, 2019 5:30 PM
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I lost 42 pounds reading this thread.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | December 4, 2019 6:53 PM
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R3 -- I agree in theory, and it would be nice if it were true, but it seems clear that talent is not what is required to be successful. Music has always been about selling sex for the most part; more so than any other arts. Sex sells. And when so many performers are vying for the very very few spots, the ones who do anything to secure fame will be the ones that get the record deal, get the opening slot on a good tour, get on the tv shows.
I'm a former professional Nashville songwriter, and, even from that perspective, I saw how the female songwriters used sex to get songwriting appointments with more successful writers. It is despicable, and it happens all the time.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 4, 2019 7:01 PM
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Those glasses are really ugly and unflattering.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | December 4, 2019 7:46 PM
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Music's true value can be seen on subway platforms, where people basically give it away for spare change.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | December 5, 2019 1:51 AM
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Pretty rich coming from Oprah considering she hangs out with David Geffen.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | December 5, 2019 1:59 AM
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I’m confused. Why isn’t she making content for OWN? Why Apple +.
What’s up with OWN?
by Anonymous | reply 10 | December 5, 2019 2:16 AM
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I hope it's juicey. I've heard the abuse is worse in the music industry than it is in acting.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | December 5, 2019 3:34 AM
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Yeah, Oprah. Exploit them again for some coin and producer cred.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | December 5, 2019 10:51 AM
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R9 he now goes by Made In China.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | December 5, 2019 12:37 PM
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