Glitz and glamour. These words are directly correlated with Hollywood and the film industry, but two new words will soon be associated with the entertainment system in the United States – child abuse.
Director Amy Berg has crafted a documentary called An Open Secret that shows the long history of sexual child abuse in Hollywood. Older men in the entertainment industry take advantage of the desperation and desire for fame that young children and their families have by exploiting the children sexually. Based on the accounts offered in An Open Secret, these atrocities have been occurring for many years and continue to occur, probably because of the lack of attention they receive from the outside world. Hollywood is a complicated environment that is classically depicted as drug- and sex-ridden, but these stereotypes absolutely cannot diminish the crimes that are being committed towards young children. Amy Berg has made sure of this.
Several of the victims that have spoken out against sexual abuse during their childhood stardom had drug and alcohol problems, and their accounts have been dismissed because of it. Their issues with addiction supposedly undermine their claims. While this could be true, the chronological order in which the events would occur implies the opposite – their traumatic sexual past likely contributes to issues with drugs and alcohol.
In the documentary, Berg echoes this sentiment using former childhood star Michael Egan as an example. Egan filed a very public lawsuit against director Bryan Singer and Hollywood executives Gary Goddard, Garth Ancier, and David Neuman for sexual assault. Egan suffered from drug and alcohol abuse, and was publicly discredited by his own lawyer, who apologized to the alleged assailants for believing Egan’s accounts of abuse.
This shaming of victims is exactly why sexual abuse in Hollywood has grown to become such a problem. Their stories are immediately discredited and their pain and suicides are blamed on drugs and alcohol. Could it be, however, that drugs and alcohol and other crimes are their way of coping with the unbearable pain and shame that the sexual violations created? Corey Feldman, who is featured briefly in the documentary, is a perfect example of this. After being sexually abused by one of Hollywood’s elite, Feldman resorted to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain associated with the incidents.
Berg did not want the entire focus of her documentary to be on high-profile cases such as those discussed above, however. She wanted to elaborate on the manner in which Hollywood profiles exploit the dreams of younger children in Hollywood, especially boys. These young men are trying to prove their talents to the world, and are often trusting of agents, directors, and managers who promise success and fortune. This is how they get the young stars to trust them. Once their trust has been obtained, the elite perverts abuse these vulnerable boys. This is not only sexual abuse, but emotional abuse as well. It is obvious that up-and-coming stars are excited, passionate and even desperate, and this is manipulated and used advantageously by the powerful men. In the documentary, an anonymous young man discusses the manner in which directors and managers would trivialize their crimes – they would assure their victims that such sexual abuse is an expected part of Hollywood life and even normal.
There is nothing normal or expected about being sexually abused, even in such an exclusive environment. Hollywood represents an almost negligible percentage of our population, but the abuses and manipulations that occur within the community should not be justified or ignored. This only contributes to the problem. Though these abuses are not common in the entire human population, they are common within a given group of people. That is an issue. Actors, musicians, and aspiring managers should not have to worry about encountering sexual abuse while pursuing their careers. They are entitled to the same protections and rights as any other American while being employed. Their career may be unconventional, but basic human rights are not.
A massive issue has been the lack of attention these crimes receive from the public. There is no excuse now. An Open Secret has blatantly confronted the entertainment industry on their questionable societal norms. The American population should support Amy Berg’s work, for it elaborates on an important truth and flaw that is present in our culture. Merely watching the documentary is a great start, for all of the proceeds from the film go to the Courage to Act Foundation, which aids victims of sexual abuse. After that, it is important that we educate ourselves on which directors, managers, and musicians we are supporting, and ensuring that they promote basic human rights in their work.