BURN IT DOWN

An exposé of the entertainment industry and its patterns of abuse, hypocrisy, and staggering arrogance.

Hollywood likes to think of itself as a dream factory, but for many people who try to build a career in the industry, it can seem like the stuff of nightmares. Vanity Fair contributing editor Ryan has been writing about the film and TV industries for many years and has collected a huge number of stories about abuses. While the revelations about Harvey Weinstein shone a light into shadowy corners, the author argues that a propensity for abuse is effectively institutionalized, especially among producers and directors. One of the myths of Hollywood is that creativity and awful behavior are tied together, so the abuse of people with no power by those at the top is allowed, even expected. In fact, some of the worst abusers have shelves of awards and receive massive paychecks. Even post-Weinstein, anyone who dares to complain about abuse is risking their career or more. Women suffer much of the abuse, ranging from protracted harassment to rape. At the same time, minorities are cut out of opportunities or pushed into stereotypical roles. Ryan accepts that there has been improvement in the past few years, but the pace is glacial. For many abusers, there are still no consequences for their behavior, and therefore no reason to change it. Ryan devotes the final third of the book to possible options for reform. She notes that a portal for reporting abuse has been established, although it is too early to assess its effectiveness. The key to real improvement is a change of mindset. Industry companies must stop employing known abusers, take complaints seriously, and create an effective process to assist victims. Hopefully, the author’s suggestions will be implemented, but genuine change will be a long and painful haul.

Ryan has the experience and insight to explore Hollywood’s dark underbelly, and she finds plenty of monsters.