science

Weinstein effect

Weinstein effect is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Weinstein effect rather than just read about it. In short: The Weinstein effect is the phenomenon in which famous or powerful figures previously thought to be immune from most consequences due to their fame are later accused or convicted of sexual abuse, harassment, or misconduct. The term "Weinstein effect" came into use in October 2017, when media outlets began reporting on alleged sexual abuse perpetrated by film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Key takeaways

Weinstein effect belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Weinstein effect to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Weinstein effect from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Weinstein effect is the phenomenon in which famous or powerful figures previously thought to be immune from most consequences due to their fame are later accused or convicted of sexual abuse, harassment, or misconduct. The term "Weinstein effect" came into use in October 2017, when media outlets began reporting on alleged sexual abuse perpetrated by film producer Harvey Weinstein. The effect is closely related to the #MeToo movement and contributed to the movement’s growth. The two events are categorized by a cascade of allegations of abuse, harassment, and misconduct against many notable figures such as Richard Dreyfuss, Sean Combs, R. Kelly, Kevin Spacey, Charlie Rose, Louis C.K., Dustin Hoffman, Matt Lauer, John Lasseter, Danny Masterson, John Kricfalusi, Dan Schneider, T.J. Miller, Bill Cosby, Charlie Sheen, Justin Roiland, Neil Gaiman, Les Moonves, Garrison Keillor, Vic Mignogna, Asia Argento, U.S. Representative John Conyers, U.S. Senator Al Franken, former Senate candidate and Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore, U.S. Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Welsh politician Carl Sargeant.

History

Background In July 2016, Fox News television host Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit against the station's chairman Roger Ailes, which led to his removal and encouraged journalists to pursue rumors about Weinstein's conduct and political commentator Bill O'Reilly. Similar revelations and a lawsuit led to O'Reilly being fired in April 2017. Both Ailes (who died in May 2017) and O'Reilly denied any wrongdoing. On October 5, 2017, The New York Times broke the first reports of decades of sexual misconduct claims against film producer Harvey Weinstein. On October 10, 2017, journalist Ronan Farrow reported further allegations that Weinstein had sexually assaulted or harassed thirteen, and raped three women. Weinstein was immediately dismissed from The Weinstein Company, expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and other professional associations. Weinstein had suppressed these cases through confidential financial settlements and nondisclosure agreements, as was common for celebrity sexual harassment cases, before journalists aired the story. Over eighty accusers came forward against him, including many well-known actresses.

Impact Jim Rutenberg of The New York Times said that the Weinstein scandal precipitated a "national reckoning" against sexual harassment and assault in the United States, which became known as the Weinstein effect. USA Today wrote that 2017 was the year in which "sexual misconduct became a fireable offense". Women and men aired claims of sexual misconduct in workplaces across multiple industries, leading to the swift international condemnation or removal of many men in positions of power. On Twitter, the #MeToo campaign also encouraged hundreds of thousands of people to share their stories. Examples of the Weinstein effect are numerous. Many notable people in entertainment and music have been implicated:

Television producers Mark Schwahn, Dan Schneider, Brian Peck, Peter Aalbæk Jensen, Andrew Kreisberg, and Alfonso Signorini. Animators John Lasseter, John Kricfalusi, Chris Savino, Kyle A. Carrozza (actions caught by police), Bolhem Bouchiba (convicted of rape), Skyler Page, Julia Vickerman, and Justin Roiland. Actors such as Russell Brand, Bill Cosby, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Kevin Spacey, Jeffrey Tambor, James Franco, Richard Dreyfuss, Cuba Gooding Jr., Louis C.K., Danny Masterson (convicted of rape), Chris Noth, Gérard Depardieu, Ron Jeremy, T.J. Miller, Timothy Busfield, Woody Allen, Warren Beatty, Bill Murray, and Dustin Hoffman. R&B singer R. Kelly (convicted of sex trafficking). Writer Neil Gaiman. Professional wrestling promoter Vince McMahon. YouTubers Toby Turner, Andrew Callaghan, and Andy Signore. Voice actors Vic Mignogna and Chris Niosi. Manga creator Shōichi Yamamoto (convicted of rape). Countertenor David Daniels. Conductor/pianist James Levine. Composer Jeremy Soule. Filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Bryan Singer, Brett Ratner, Morgan Spurlock, Max Landis, Paul Schrader, James Toback, and Rob Cohen. American rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs has been called "the Harvey Weinstein of the music industry".

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Weinstein effect

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Weinstein effect claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Weinstein effect before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Weinstein effect ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Weinstein effect

In research: Weinstein effect appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Weinstein effect in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Weinstein effect is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2017 beginnings, 2017 controversies in the United States, 2017 in Los Angeles, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Weinstein effect outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Weinstein effect in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Weinstein effect means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Weinstein effect out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Weinstein effect in simple terms?

Why does Weinstein effect matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Weinstein effect?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Weinstein effect.