Seth MacFarlane‘s 2013 Oscar festivities jab at (now) disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein wasn’t intended as a silly throwaway. According to the Family Guy mastermind, his dig at Weinstein came from a place of truth and frustration.
MacFarlane explained the background behind his Academy Awards quip in a message posted on Twitter. The joke in question came when MacFarlane and Emma Stone were unveiling the nominees for Best Supporting Actress in January for the ceremony that the Orville star would later host. After reading the noms, MacFarlane added: “Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein.”
https://twitter.com/SethMacFarlane/status/918193451006431232
“In 2011, my friend and colleague Jessica Barth, with whom I worked on the Ted films, confided in me regarding her encounter with Harvey Weinstein and his attempted advances. She has since courageously come forward to speak out,” said MacFarlane. “It was with this account in mind that, when I hosted the Oscars in 2013, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take a hard swing in his direction. Make no mistake, this came from a place of loathing and anger.”
The avalanche of damning allegations about Harvey Weinstein’s behavior continue to come in with other film industry heavyweights now also in the spotlight for how they’ve conducted themselves and they culture they’ve permitted.
