Harvey Weinstein and the Power of Celebrity Exceptionalism
“When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
That was Donald Trump, in 2005, explaining the world and its workings to his fellow TV star, Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush. Both men were celebrities, but one was a bigger celebrity than the other; both were powerful, but one was more powerful than the other; both were connected to the American presidency, but one—through having toyed with seeking the office himself—was more connected than the other. And yet the older man couldn’t help but boast to the younger about the happy affordances of fame: When you’re a star, you can do whatever you want. When you’re a star, you can have your way in so many ways. I moved on her. I moved on her very heavily. I moved on her like a bitch. I just start kissing them—it’s like a magnet. I don’t even wait. Grab ‘em by the pussy. They let you do it. You can do anything.
In 2016, after a recording of the men’s exchange , Billy Bush, the minor star, . Donald Trump, the major one, was elected
