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How David Lynch Made A Golden Rule To Address Hollywood Harassment
The award-winning filmmaker, David Lynch once opened up about his stance on tackling sexual harassment by evoking the golden rule.
Trigger Warning: This article includes references to sexual abuse.
David Lynch has a simple solution for the concerning yet prevalent issue of sexual harassment in Hollywood. The award-winning filmmaker, best known for 1990s Twin Peaks, once opened up about his stance on tackling sexual harassment by evoking the golden rule.
Hollywood has gained notoriety with the rising cases of sexual harassment over the years and with little resolution as most victims are often silenced by the perpetrators who usually take up power positions in the film industry.
The news of these harassment cases has transcended the nation’s borders and traveled far and wide globally. Therefore, when David Lynch visited Ukraine for a good deed, he was once faced with questions about the issue in Hollywood.
In 2017, the Blue Velvet director launched his charity organization, the David Lynch Foundation in Eastern Europe, in the capital city of Ukraine, Kyiv. The media was eager to discuss the subjects of abuse and harassment in the American film industry which seemingly baffled David Lynch, 78.
Lynch conveyed the simple outlook of the golden rule that states treat others the way you want to be treated. He indicated that it could possibly end the persistent issue in the film industry.
“We are supposedly judged by how we treat our fellow man. In a perfect world, if you’re about to do something to someone, you should think, ‘Would I like this same thing to be done to me?” the Palme d’Or winner explained, per a report by IndieWire.
The Golden Rule is an ethical principle that guides people to uphold an empathetic approach toward others, allowing them to choose for others what they would like for themselves.
Echoing the same, Lynch continued, “If the answer is no, then that’s not a good thing to do, If the answer is ‘yes I’d like that very much,’ then that’s a good thing to do. That works for all avenues of life.”
Moreover, the director didn’t hold back from referencing former Hollywood mogul and convicted s*x offender, Harvey Weinstein and highlighted how the issue has sparked conversations around the world. He said sexual harassment is “the new topic of the day” and it was started by the infamous Weinstein.
“it’s like an avalanche. Now everybody and his little brother are talking about s*xual harassment,” Lynch noted. At the time, the filmmaker had just wrapped the limited spinoff series, Twin Peaks: The Return on Showtime. Recently, Lynch unveiled his emphysema diagnosis from smoking which in turn, sparked rumors about his retirement from the industry.
Meanwhile, Hollywood has inched towards progress with the introduction of intimacy coordinators who oversee sex scenes while filming, and documentaries like 2024’s Quiet on Set that expose the perpetrators to the world, thus, warning any other potential cases.
A-listers like Kate Winslet and Katherin Heigl had once disclosed the impact of such intimacy professionals as a relief to women in film, per the New York Times magazine. Although, Winslet claimed she would have “benefitted” from such professionals early in her career.
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same
ALSO READ: ‘Talk It Through': Michael Douglas Says He Feels Intimacy Coordinators Are Altering Creative Process
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