Inspired by the recent downfalls of Harvey Weinstein and Roy Price who used their position as Hollywood executives to abuse women, animation artists are making specific demands of animation studios as well as male artists working in the business and the union that represents Los Angeles animation artists, The Animation Guild Local 839 IATSE.
The letter calls for three actions: that each studio put in place clear and enforceable sexual harassment policies and take every report seriously; that The Animation Guild add language in its constitution that will allow it to censure, fine, suspend or expel any members of the guild found guilty of acts, omissions, or conduct prejudicial to the welfare of the guild; and that male colleagues begin standing up for their female and non-gender conforming coworkers and speak out against harassing behaviors when they are aware of them.
The letter is signed by 217 people comprising a who’s who of the animation industry, among them prominent show creators Rikke Asbjoern (co-creator, Pinky Malinky), Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe), Lauren Faust (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic), Shadi Petosky (co-creator, Danger & Eggs), and Julia Pott (Summer Camp Island); industry execs Audrey Diehl (vp of series, Warner Bros. Animation), Jenna Boyd (director, kids & family creative, Netflix), and Jill Sanford (kids and family creative development, Netflix); and numerous other high-profile creative talents including Adventure Time director Elizabeth Ito, Pearl production designer Tuna Bora, Dreamworks TV Animation supervising producer Aliki Theofilopoulos, Bob’s Burgers writer/supervising producer Wendy Molyneux, Frozen and Kung Fu Panda 3 story artist Clio Chiang, and Wreck-It Ralph 2 assistant production designer Mingjue Chen.
The full text of the open letter is shown below:
"An Open Letter to the Animation Community
We, the women and gender non-conforming people of the animation community, would like to address and highlight the pervasive problem of sexism and sexual harassment in our business. We write this letter with the hope that change is possible, and ask that you listen to our stories and then make every effort to bring a real and lasting change to the culture of animation studios.
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, many of the women who work in animation have begun discussing more openly issues that we have dealt with quietly throughout our careers. As we came together to share our stories of sexism, sexual harassment and, in some cases, sexual assault, we were struck by the pervasiveness of the problem. Every one of us has a story to share, from tossed-off comments about our body parts that were framed as “jokes” to women being cornered in dark rooms by male colleagues to criminal assault.
Our business has always been male-dominated. Women make up only 23% of union employees, so it’s no surprise that problems with sexism and sexual harassment exist. Sexual harassment and assault are widespread issues that primarily affect women, with women of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups affected at an even greater rate.
As more women have entered the animation workforce, it seems that some men have not embraced this change. They still frequently make crass sexual remarks that make it clear women are not welcome on their crews. Some have pressed colleagues for romantic or sexual relationships, despite our clear disinterest. And some have seen the entrance of more women into the industry as an opportunity to exploit and victimize younger workers on their crews who are looking for mentorship. In addition, when sexual predators are caught at one workplace, they seem to easily find a job at another studio, sometimes even following their victims from job to job. We are tired of relying on whisper networks to know who isn’t safe to meet with alone. We want our supervisors to protect us from harassment and assault.
This abuse has got to stop.
The signatories of this letter demand that you take sexual harassment seriously. We ask that:
1. Every studio puts in place clear and enforceable sexual harassment policies and takes every report seriously. It must be clear to studio leadership, including producers, that, no matter who the abuser is, they must investigate every report or face consequences themselves.
2. The Animation Guild add language in our constitution that states that it can “censure, fine, suspend or expel any member of the guild who shall, in the opinion of the Executive Board, be found guilty of any act, omission, or conduct which is prejudicial to the welfare of the guild.” To craft and support the new language, we ask that an Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Committee be created to help educate and prevent future occurrences.
3. Our male colleagues start speaking up and standing up for us. When their co-workers make sexist remarks, or when they see sexual harassment happening, we expect them to say something. Stop making excuses for bad behavior in your friends and co-workers, and tell them what they are doing is wrong.
It has not been easy for us to share our stories with each other. Many of us were afraid because our victimizers are powerful or well-liked. Others were worried that if they came forward it would affect their careers. Some of us have come forward in the past, only to have our concerns brushed aside, or for our supervisors to tell us “he’s just from a different era.” All of us are saddened and disheartened to hear how widespread the problem of sexual harassment still is in the animation industry, and how many of our friends had been suffering in secret.
It is with this in mind that we resolve to do everything we can to prevent anyone else from being victimized. We are united in our mission to wipe out sexual harassment in the animation industry, and we will no longer be silent.
Signed,
This latest move comes in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by The Weinstein Company co-founder Harvey Weinstein, and a widespread social media campaign with the hashtag #MeToo to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual harassment in all industries.
Earlier this week, it was also reported that Nickelodeon has suspended The Loud House creator Chris Savino following allegations of sexual harassment. Cartoon Brew first reported the creator’s leave of absence. The above letter has reportedly been in the works since at least last week, meaning that it is not specifically related to Chris Savino's suspension.
The website learned that as many as 12 women have accused Savino of harassment, which includes the creator reportedly making unwanted sexual advances on employees. He would also reportedly threaten co-workers with industry blacklisting after their consensual relationship ended. The harassment claims go back at least a decade.
Websites IndieWire and Deadline have reached out to Nickelodeon for comment. A network spokesperson said: “Viacom is committed to the safety and well-being of our employees, and to fostering a workplace free from harassment. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on specific employee matters, but we take all allegations of this nature very seriously, investigate them thoroughly and take any necessary actions as a result.”
The Loud House premiered in May 2016 and has aired over 80 episodes to date. The series, which centers on the only son in a large family of eleven daughters, wraps up its second season this month. A third season has been greenlit and a theatrical movie is in the pipeline. It's currently unclear how Savino's absence will effect the show and film.
The Loud House has been a ratings powerhouse for Nickelodeon, often beating SpongeBob SquarePants to become the network’s highest rated series.
Savino been working at Nickelodeon 26 years ago. He worked as an animator on the network’s early hits The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rocko’s Modern Life, and Hey Arnold!, before heading to Cartoon Network to become a director on series like The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack, among others.
Head over to Buzzfeed to read the full report.
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Sources: Animation World Network (II), Cartoon Brew; Additional source: Refinery29; H/T: ToonZone Forums /@NeoplanDan, /@SuperFan2024.
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