It’s difficult to try to talk about someone just hours after you canceled them. Jason Bateman is trash. So are Tony Hale and David Cross and Will Arnett. Jeffrey Tambor is trash too, but the other men of Arrested Development were the ones doing THE MOST to defend Tambor while Jessica Walter wept and tried to tell her story of being verbally harassed and screamed at by Tambor. They talked over her, they minimized her experience, they caped for Tambor. I was mostly disappointed in Tony Hale, because I absolutely love him, but sorry, he’s over now. But many were mostly disappointed in Jason Bateman, and I understand why: he’s the guy on top of the call sheet. He’s the star of the show. He sets the tone. And the tone he sets is that women who are harassed and screamed at aren’t important. All that’s important is that an abuser’s “process” is respected. So Bateman heard that he was canceled, and now he’s issued a statement where he mansplains why he mansplained.
Based on listening to the NYT interview and hearing people’s thoughts online, I realize that I was wrong here.
I sound like I’m condoning yelling at work. I do not.
It sounds like I’m excusing Jeffery. I do not.
It sounds like I’m insensitive to Jessica. I am not.
In fact, I’m horrified that I wasn’t more aware of how this incident affected her.
I was so eager to let Jeffrey know that he was supported in his attempt to learn, grow and apologize that I completely underestimated the feelings of the victim, another person I deeply love – and she was sitting right there!
I’m incredibly embarrassed and deeply sorry to have done that to Jessica. This is a big learning moment for me.
I shouldn’t have tried so hard to mansplain, or fix a fight, or make everything okay.
I should’ve focused more on what the most important part of it all is – there’s never any excuse for abuse, in any form, from any gender. And, the victim’s voice needs to be heard and respected.
Period.
I didn’t say that and instead said a bunch of other stuff and not very well.
I deeply, and sincerely, apologize.
[From Jason Bateman’s Twitter]
I like how he keeps making these declarative-statement denials, like the NYT transcript wasn’t a f–king brutal mess for his image. “It sounds like I’m insensitive to Jessica. I am not.” Except you were insensitive to her. We all read it. “I was so eager to let Jeffrey know that he was supported in his attempt to learn, grow and apologize that I completely underestimated the feelings of the victim…” Because you weren’t f–king listening to her, you were too busy mansplaining an abuser’s PROCESS and minimizing her experience. But I’m glad Bateman got his “big learning moment.” Bitch, you’re still cancelled. You’re the star of a show, a 49-year-old man who has been working in the industry for more than three decades. You’re not some ingenue on a f–king learning curve. TIME’S UP.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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