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What 33 Hollywood stars have said about the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment and assault allegations

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Hollywood is condemning producer Harvey Weinstein after the New York Times and The New Yorker both published reports detailing sexual harassment and assault allegations against the producer.

Despite an initial lull in response, statements from actors, directors, and politicians have begun to spring forth to slam the producer, and offer support to his accusers.

Actors who once praised Weinstein, like Ben Affleck, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lawrence, have lambasted the producer since the allegations surfaced.

Statements are continuing to come forth, and it's becoming quite clear that Hollywood is done with Weinstein.

Here are some of the big statements from those who have spoken out about Weinstein:

SEE ALSO: 12 famous actors who have publicly praised and thanked Harvey Weinstein, and what they are saying now

Meryl Streep

In a statement to HuffPost Meryl Streep said:

The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported. The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes.

One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew. Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally. I didn’t know about these other offenses: I did not know about his financial settlements with actresses and colleagues; I did not know about his having meetings in his hotel room, his bathroom, or other inappropriate, coercive acts. And If everybody knew, I don’t believe that all the investigative reporters in the entertainment and the hard news media would have neglected for decades to write about it.

The behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar. Each brave voice that is raised, heard and credited by our watchdog media will ultimately change the game.

 



Kate Winslet

In a statement to Variety, Winslet said:

The fact that these women are starting to speak out about the gross misconduct of one of our most important and well regarded film producers, is incredibly brave and has been deeply shocking to hear. The way Harvey Weinstein has treated these vulnerable, talented young women is NOT the way women should ever EVER deem to be acceptable or commonplace in ANY workplace.

I have no doubt that for these women this time has been, and continues to be extremely traumatic. I fully embrace and salute their profound courage, and I unequivocally support this level of very necessary exposure of someone who has behaved in reprehensible and disgusting ways. His behaviour is without question disgraceful and appalling and very, very wrong. I had hoped that these kind of stories were just made up rumours, maybe we have all been naïve. And it makes me so angry. There must be ‘no tolerance’ of this degrading, vile treatment of women in ANY workplace anywhere in the world.

 



Jennifer Lawrence

“I was deeply disturbed to hear the news about Harvey Weinstein’s behavior,” Jennifer Lawrence said in a statement to Variety.

“I worked with Harvey five years ago and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting,” Lawrence said.

The actress added, “My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions. And I want to thank them for their bravery to come forward.”



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This New York startup thinks it's created the Rotten Tomatoes rival that movie studios have been asking for

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movie grade sarah jacobs

Love it or hate it, Rotten Tomatoes has completely shifted how movies are marketed.

Over the summer, the review aggregator website proved just how much of an influence it has on general audiences as Sony strategically lifted the review embargo on “The Emoji Movie” so close to when it opened in theaters that its eventual rotten score didn’t completely destroy the movie’s opening weekend box office figures.

And recently, Martin Scorsese wrote a scathing guest column in The Hollywood Reporter about the site, saying that Rotten Tomatoes "set a tone that is hostile to serious filmmakers."

Rotten Tomatoes has been a thorn in the side of studios and directors for years, as they feel a low score on the site unfairly gives the perception that it’s a bad movie. But Avi and Joshua Stern think they’ve come up with an app that’s both a personalized online movie recommendation service while also a modern tool studios can use to drill-down how to spend advertising dollars.

Joshua Avi Stern Avi Gill PLUS1MovieGrade is an app that gives its users a more personalized selection of movie titles to see compared to others like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. After answering a few questions about your likes of movies, genres, and actors, you are instantly given movies that the app believes you’d like to see. You can then begin grading and sharing grades with your friends.

It’s been out of Beta for a few months, and in that short time has gained a loyal following by cinephiles, but what the brothers are really focused on currently is grabbing the attention of studio marketing departments, believing their app can offer better personalized data.

“We just kind of got sick and tired of seeing all these rating platforms like Rotten Tomatoes that just gave us average percentages and we thought to ourselves, in this day and age, with technology being so advanced and so fast, how does something not exist that learns my actual tastes and take that into consideration when recommending movies for people to see,” Joshua Stern told Business Insider.

Joshua, who founded two apps before creating MovieGrade, and Avi, a movie producer, teamed with Boris Rabinovich as their CTO to build the algorithm in the app, which also lets you do a filtered search on all the titles available on major streaming services — a rare find on most apps and sites.

The startup has found in a short amount of time in the business that studios are starving for better data on what audiences want. As the general thinking for decades in Hollywood has been to spend millions to blanket the world with marketing on its blockbuster releases, the Sterns are trying to get the marketing heads to understand that, in today’s world, getting the loyal fans leads to a groundswell.

“We’re ready to disrupt the market,” Avi Stern said. “For advertising it's all personalization, so why should you market a movie to me that I have no inclination of seeing. Joshua loves Matt Damon, I'm going to market him Matt Damon movies, I'm not going to market him a scary clown movie knowing that he hates horror movies.”

mother movieThis is not to say that all movie studios and distributors don’t do targeting marketing. They do. But the Sterns believe with MovieGrade they can specialize while also expanding the marketing. In the case of “mother!,” which received an “F” grade through CinemaScore — a company that conducts exit polling of wide releases during opening weekends — MovieGrade can go into its database and instantly target not just people who love “Rosemary’s Baby”-like horrors or Darren Aronofsky movies, but also fans of Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer. 

“Right now studios are kind of just walking in the dark and it’s not a knock on them, it’s because the platforms don’t have any targeting data for users,” said Joshua.

MovieGrade will soon be able to prove itself to the Hollywood big wigs. The Sterns say numerous studios and independent distributors have asked if they can use their app at upcoming preview screenings. With the use of the app, marketers will instantly know the tastes of the people in the theaters, instead of combing through piles of written cards (which are usually passed out to audience members at the start of these kind of screenings).

The latest feature MovieGrade is pushing out is less business-to-business and more for the general consumer. It’s called “Blend.” The idea is that this will be a remedy to the indecision that often comes when friends or significant others try to agree on something to watch.

“It allows users to add different friends into their group on the app, they then just hit a button that says ‘Blend,’ and it automatically starts analyzing all the taste profiles in that group and shows you movies in theaters and on demand that you collectively would want to see,” said Joshua.

Here’s how Blend works:

Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations, says the movie business needs to take on more services that are attractive to the next generation. And something that can compete with Rotten Tomatoes isn’t bad, either.

“Rotten Tomatoes oversimplifies reviews, and sometimes that does a disservice to the film and film community,” Bock told Business Insider. “That said, studios have no problem blasting their advertising campaigns with positive reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, but maybe MovieGrade can offer an alternative.”

“We’re here to reinvent the word-of-mouth screening,” Avi said. “When studios complain to us and vent how Rotten Tomatoes can literally ruin a movie before it even comes out based on reviews where those reviewers just hate the genre that movie is in, we want to help them find the people who do love that genre so they can get their movies in front of those people.”

SEE ALSO: The director of Kate Winslet and Idris Elba's new movie recounts the grueling shoot at 11,000 feet — and how the crew almost revolted in the snow

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Harvey Weinstein is reportedly going to rehab for sex addiction — here's what that means

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harvey weinstein

  • Harvey Weinstein is reportedly going to rehab for sex addiction.
  • At this point, it's not clear whether Weinstein is a diagnosed sex addict.
  • Business Insider spoke to an expert on intimacy and sexual disorders to find out what rehab for sex addiction might involve.
  • A person in a situation like Weinstein's would likely be in residential treatment for at least six months and might never be able to return to the entertainment industry.

Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein is reportedly going to a rehab center in Europe, to be treated for sex addiction, according to TMZ.

Last week, The New York Times uncovered years of sexual-harassment allegations against Weinstein; The New Yorker followed up with an article in which three women accused Weinstein of raping them.

As Business Insider's Erin Brodwin reported, right now it's unclear whether Weinstein is a diagnosed sex addict, and the term "sex addict" may not apply in this situation.

Robert Weiss, a clinical expert in intimacy and sexual disorders and the author of multiple books on the topic, told Business Insider he considers Weinstein's behavior a form of sexual offending because it allegedly happened without consent. The cause of his behavior might be sex addiction — but importantly, not all sex addiction results in sexual offending.

Weiss founded the Sexual Recovery Institute and is the senior vice president of clinical development at Elements Behavioral Health, a treatment center for sexual addiction and sexual compulsivity. He said the center would take someone like Weinstein for treatment.

Weiss emphasized that he's never met or evaluated Weinstein — legally, he wouldn't be able to say if he had — but surmised that there would be a few distinct components to treatment in for someone in Weinstein's situation.

First, Weiss said, the therapist would focus on stabilizing the patient, who's coming in during a moment of crisis. Weiss said that while everyone else is looking at Weinstein with disgust, Weiss is "looking at someone on TV who just got hit by a truck."

Since The New York Times report was published, Weinstein has lost his wife, the company he founded, and his global reputation. "I worry about people like that killing themselves," Weiss said.

The stabilization process might take a week, after which the therapist would "invite [the patient] into the process." This is the wake-up call — the part in which the patient starts to see his behavior for what it really is.

"They [the patient] don't see how obvious it is to us," Weiss said, because the patient is typically in some sort of denial. Certain exercises — like bringing in victim statements or role-playing — might help to open the patient's eyes to the harm they've caused.

At this point, Weiss said, "they fall apart, generally, and are a big mess because then they hate themselves." The therapist's role is to figure out how the patient ended up there, often by digging up past trauma — for example, if they themselves were abused or raped as a child.

The residential piece of the treatment process (in which the patient lives in a treatment center) might take around six months, Weiss said. After that, he added, "this is not somebody who should return to this industry for a very long time" — if ever.

Weiss is hopeful that people with sex addiction, and people who have committed sexual offenses, can be helped through treatment. It depends largely on the patient's level of psychopathy, he said — if the person is a sociopath and can feel neither empathy nor remorse, they might not be helped through treatment, and might eventually wind up in prison.

Not every therapist agrees that a sex addict is able to be helped. Joseph Burgo, a clinical psychologist and licensed marriage and family therapist, wrote in an email to Business Insider:

"In my experience, most rehab facilities (including those for drugs and other types of addictions) have a low success rate and there's a high incidence of relapse. For celebrity 'sex addicts' like Weinstein, going into a rehab is usually part of damage control and a public relations makeover after they have been exposed.

"It's a kind of public mea culpa with little true remorse or genuine acceptance of an ongoing problem, and the rehab facilities resemble country clubs or spa retreats. Success rates are low, especially when the celebrity only wants to control his image, rather than feeling shame about his psychological struggles."

Generally, Weiss said, a sign that a patient is progressing is when they realize they can't live the same lifestyle anymore.

The litmus test Weiss uses is asking the patient whether they think they'll ever commit the same transgressions. If they say "never," Weiss knows they're still in trouble. If they say something like, "I have to watch myself. I can't risk being in those situations," he knows they're in a better place.

Part of treatment, Weiss said, is "realizing they have lifelong intimacy, relationship, or sexual problems."

SEE ALSO: The big problem with Harvey Weinstein getting 'therapy,' according to a sex addiction therapist

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Seth MacFarlane says his 2013 Harvey Weinstein Oscars joke was made in 'loathing' after a friend's account of sexual harassment

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Seth MacFarlane Oscars host

A joke Seth MacFarlane made during the announcement of the Academy Award nominees in 2013 is going viral again after the wave of sexual harassment and assault accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

In a bit with Emma Stone at the time, MacFarlane, who was hosting the program, jokingly addressed the nominees for best supporting actress, and said, “Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein.”

On Wednesday, MacFarlane revealed that the joke was prompted by a friend's story of alleged sexual harassment at the hands of Weinstein.

"In 2011, my friend and colleague Jessica Barth, with whom I worked on the Ted films, confided in me regarding her encounter with Harvey Weinstein and his attempted advances," MacFarlane tweeted. "She has since courageously come forward to speak out. It was with this account in mind that, when I hosted the Oscars in 2013, I couldn't resist the opportunity to take a hard swing in his direction. Make no mistake, this came from a place of loathing and anger. There is nothing more abhorrent and indefensible than abuse of power such as this."

On Wednesday, Barth urged people not to judge MacFarlane for making a joke instead of more directly addressing Weinstein's behavior. "To the people slamming Seth for not 'doing' anything, please stop!" Barth tweeted. "He stood by me and respected my wishes that he not retaliate in any way."

Barth told The New Yorker that Weinstein invited her to a "business meeting" at the Peninsula hotel in 2011, where he "alternated between offering to cast her in a film and demanding a naked massage in bed."

"I respect and applaud my friend Jessica and those sharing their stories for their decision to come forward, and for being champions of the truth," MacFarlane tweeted.

Here's a video of the bit:

SEE ALSO: Ben Affleck asks a TV host to expose her breasts in a resurfaced video

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Gretchen Carlson says the way we handle sexual harassment 'gags' the women who confront it

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Gretchen Carlson Fortune Most Powerful Women 2017 Summit

Former Fox News Channel host Gretchen Carlson stunned the media world when she filed a sexual-harassment lawsuit against Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes in 2016.

In her lawsuit, Carlson said Ailes repeatedly sexually harassed her, and that she was fired from her job of 11 years for turning down his sexual advances.

The lawsuit ultimately led to Ailes' resignation from the network, which he had ran since its founding in 1996, and Carlson settled the suit for a reported $20 million in 2016.

But Carlson did not walk away from the accusation unscathed.

On Wednesday at Fortune's Most Powerful Women (MPW) Summit, the TV journalist said she faced concentrated backlash on social media when she came forward, and many people close to her distanced themselves. "You find out who your friends are in a big way," she said. "It can be a very alone experience."

Carlson also said that, for many people who confront sexual harassment head on, the fallout can often be steep:

"First of all, if you do come forward, you'll be labeled a 'troublemaker' or a 'bitch.' More importantly, you won't be believed. And, some people have even suggested that you do it for money or fame."

Carlson said it takes courage to put your career on the line and report sexual harassment in the workplace.

"When you know that that's the culture that we still live in ... it's the most important decision of your life to dig deep for that courage, to know that you might torpedo everything that you've worked so hard for."

Unsurprisingly, while one in three working women aged 18 to 34 surveyed by Cosmopolitan said they have been sexually harassed at work, 71% of these women said they did not report it. Of those that did, only 15% said they felt the report was handled fairly.

"Basically, the way we solve sexual harassment in society right now is either to settle with women, which gags them from speaking about the details, or we force them into mandatory arbitration instead of an open court system where it's completely secret, which also gags them," Carlson said.

More than 55% of workers are subject to mandatory arbitration in the US, according to the Economic Policy Institute's survey of nonunion private-sector employers. This means that more than half of private-sector employees in the US have signed an agreement with their employer stating that, should they have a legal claim against them, they are barred from taking their issue to court and must instead handle the claim through the arbitration procedure designated in the agreement.

For those who are considering reporting sexual harassment at work, Carlson offered a handful of concrete tips from her forthcoming book on the matter, "Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back:" document everything you can, seek advice from an attorney, and talk to trusted coworkers who could serve as witnesses.

While Carlson told the audience that "courage is not an overnight experience — it takes time," she also said that she is hopeful that more women will feel empowered to have a voice.

"Look what's happening. This time is now," she said.

SEE ALSO: What to do when you have a problem at work, and human resources won't help you

DON'T MISS: A man reported the sexual harassment he witnessed at his job — and got fired

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Hillary Clinton will donate campaign contributions from Harvey Weinstein to charity

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Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton said she would gift previous campaign contributions from disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein to charity. Clinton made the announcement in response to a question on the matter in a CNN interview on Tuesday.

"Of course I will do that. I give 10% of my income to charity every year. This will be part of that. There's no doubt about it," Clinton said.

Clinton, who was twice a Democratic presidential candidate — once in 2008 and again in 2016 — also served as a senator in New York in the early 2000s and as secretary of state during President Barack Obama's first term. Over the course of her political career, her campaigns have received about $26,000 in donations from Weinstein according to the Federal Election Commission.

Weinstein is one of a handful of Hollywood power players who regularly fundraise for and donate to Democratic candidates, several of whom have said they would also give Weinstein-linked contributions to charity in light of the sexual harassment scandal engulfing him and his media empire. Clinton on Tuesday said she was "shocked and appalled" by the allegations against Weinstein, and said such behavior "cannot be tolerated."

The former film executive has all but become a persona non grata in the days since the harassment accusations were revealed. He was fired from his own film company on Sunday and has been almost universally condemned inside and outside the entertainment world.

Watch Hillary Clinton's comments on Weinstein below:

SEE ALSO: Hillary Clinton weighs in on donor Harvey Weinstein's scandal

DON'T MISS: How Harvey Weinstein built the $150 million Hollywood empire that just fired him

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Joe Biden rebukes Harvey Weinstein and urges Hollywood to speak up about sexual assault

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joe biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden had terse words for Harvey Weinstein on Wednesday, as a growing sexual-harassment scandal continued to engulf the movie mogul.

Biden called Weinstein's recent firing a "justifiable end" to what has been described as a long history of abuse by the Hollywood executive.

Speaking at a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization, Biden railed against Weinstein, who is accused of engaging in sexual misconduct spanning decades, according to a New York Times report. Several women have since emerged with additional allegations against Weinstein.

"This disgusting behavior, at least on the part of Harvey Weinstein, has been brought to an abrupt and justifiable end," Biden said, according to BuzzFeed News. "A man who had power over scores of women and their careers — the ultimate abuse of power in a disgusting, immoral, and inexcusable way."

Biden has long been a proponent of women's rights, giving several speeches and establishing a foundation to end violence against women.

Biden also offered an anecdote, along with advice to people in the entertainment industry.

"My father taught me the greatest sin that could be committed was the abuse of power, whether it was mental, physical or economic," Biden said. "And the ultimate — the cardinal sin — was for a man to use his power, physical or economic, to abuse a woman or a child. It's disgusting."

"But it's long past time for the powerful men in Hollywood to speak up, to be strong enough to say something, because silence is complicity."

Following The Times' report, The New Yorker published the accounts of three women who accused Weinstein of rape. Weinstein's company fired him on Sunday and his wife, designer Georgina Chapman, said she was leaving him.

SEE ALSO: Seth MacFarlane says his 2013 Harvey Weinstein Oscars joke was made in 'loathing' after a friend's account of sexual harassment

Join the conversation about this story »

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The composer of 'Mr. Robot' describes how he created the show's dark, Emmy-winning sound

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Mr Robot

The Emmy-winning composer Mac Quayle has had a storied career in music and television.

Quayle won an Emmy in 2015 for his work on the pilot episode of the acclaimed USA series "Mr. Robot." He has scored each season of Ryan Murphy's FX show "American Horror Story," and he also worked with Murphy on "American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson," which won 10 Emmys in 2016.

Quayle returns to "Mr. Robot" for its third season, which premiered Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST on USA.

Business Insider talked to Quayle about his experience working on each show, his decision to score an "American Horror Story: Cult" scene about Trump's election as if it were a "dark action" movie, and the musicians he's most proud to have worked with.

John Lynch: What does your process look like generally? How do you go about building a TV score?

Mac QuayleMac Quayle: Well, it always starts with a conversation with the creators of the show about what they're looking to do, what kind of score they think they might want. Then from there, they start sending me completed scenes, or acts, or whole episodes, and we go through it together and talk about where the music should be. And then I start writing music based on all of our conversations. At that point, it's a collaboration. We kind of go back and forth until the music gets to be just the right thing they're looking for to help to tell their story.

Lynch: With "American Horror Story" and its variation in themes between seasons, what sort of challenge does that present for you, the constant shifting?

Quayle: Every season it's like we're starting over from scratch. Completely different story, possibly a different time period, different characters. So the music starts over from scratch each season. It's a challenge, and it's also pretty exciting: that first period of creating the music that's going to essentially be the blueprint for what the season will sound like. It's pretty intense for the first couple months, and then we find the recipe that will guide us through the rest of the season.

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Lynch: In this season, "Cult," Sarah Paulson's character's anxieties intensify after Trump is elected. How did you react to the election, and how did your reaction inform your work and the show?

Quayle: Well, the scene that's right at the beginning of the first episode of "Cult" — when they're watching the election on television, watching the returns come in, the moment when it's clear that Trump wins — I had a very similar reaction to Sarah Paulson's character. It was very much hard to believe. Didn't seem real. The first piece of music in this episode was this montage of actual footage from the campaign, and we scored it like it was a dark action scene, like something really bad is happening, and we should be scared. It definitely resonated with me that that was the appropriate way to underscore Trump giving speeches on the campaign trail. 

Lynch: You've been nominated for four Emmys, and you won once for the pilot of "Mr. Robot." What do you think it was it about your score on that particular episode that stood out?

Quayle: It was the first batch of music that was written for that show, and there was quite a lot of it. It was the beginning of defining the sound that would be "Mr. Robot," so for me it was a pretty special episode. It just seemed like the right one to submit for the Emmys that year. Fortunately, the music in the show had already gotten a lot of attention before the Emmys even came around, so it kind of got swept up in this groundswell of buzz about the show.

Lynch: How does working with Ryan Murphy on "American Horror Story" differ from working with Sam Esmail on "Mr. Robot?"

Quayle: Ryan tends to be more of a big picture guy. He'll get me started with these conversations about what the music needs to do for a particular show or season. And then as I start delivering things, it's mostly that he either likes it or he doesn't. He's not usually getting in there with me and giving me lots of notes. He may give me a few big notes, like this cue needs to be more sad, or needs to end in a much scarier place, things like that. Sam is a little more hands-on, and there's really a lot of back-and-forth with him about particular sounds and different things in the music. They definitely have a different style of working with their composers, both, I think, yielding a good result. 

Lynch: What, if anything, can you tell me about this third season of "Mr. Robot?" How did you approach it?

Quayle: I can't say too much. It hasn't started airing yet, and they're keeping most of it under wraps. All I can say is that the foundation of it is the core "Mr. Robot" sound. It's very electronic, quite dark. It's essentially scoring what's going on in Elliot's head, and we're pushing the score out a little bit more than we did in season two. That's what we did then. Season one had its sound, and season two started with that sound and expanded a little bit from there. And now we're expanding it a little bit more this time. I've only completed a couple of episodes so far, so it's still evolving, and we'll see what it ultimately turns into.

Lynch: Shifting gears a bit, in scoring "The People vs. OJ Simpson," how did the real-life subject matter of that show affect your approach to writing the music for it?

Quayle: I don't know that it really had an effect. I take that back. There were two things that had an effect on the score: One was the quality of the performances, and the script. It was phenomenal writing, phenomenal actors. And then that it was a true story. Those two things really dictated that the music take more of a back seat. It didn't have such a big role, as it does on "American Horror Story" or "Mr. Robot." It just kind of sits back and lets the amazing performances shine and do their thing. Occasionally it comes up front a little and pushes things one way or the other, but it was much more of a subtle approach on that show. 

Lynch: Is that less fulfilling, in a way, to have your involvement be more subtle?

Quayle: I suppose had the show itself not been as strong as it was, then it could have maybe been less fulfilling. But since it was such a strong show with this great cast, it was pretty exciting just to be a part of it, even if the music was a more subtle character than in the other shows.

Lynch: You've had a storied career as a producer in the music industry as well. Is there one artist who you're most proud to have worked with?

Quayle: That's a good question. I'm not sure that there's one. There's some favorites that stick out to me. I've worked with New Order, which is a favorite band of mine. That was a highlight. I got to record Whitney Houston, via digital link. We were actually in different countries, but I got to do a vocal session with her, which was pretty fantastic. And wow, there's been so many others. Really fortunate to work with such talented people. 

Lynch: These are two huge shows you have going right now in "AHS" and "Mr. Robot." Do you hope for an awards season push in the next round of Emmys for either one?

Quayle: You know, it's hard to say. I'd love to see "Mr. Robot" get attention again. Anything that would get attention, of course, I'm very grateful for. So, we'll have to see what things look like next spring.  

SEE ALSO: The 20 most-watched TV episodes of all time

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Pawhuska, Oklahoma, went from a 'ghost town' to a thriving tourist hub thanks to 'The Pioneer Woman' — here's what it's like to visit

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Pioneer Woman

A Food Network show is transforming a small town in Oklahoma. 

In 2011, the Food Network aired the first episode of "The Pioneer Woman," starring Ree Drummond. The show, which was based on Drummond's popular cooking blog, quickly turned Drummond into one of the most beloved personalities on the network.  

Now, a small town near Drummond's family's ranch is reaping the benefits of the star's success. 

Pawhuska, Oklahoma — a small town with just 3,600 residents — attracts up to 15,000 visitors a day thanks to the success of "The Pioneer Woman," Thrillist's Khushbu Shah reported. Tourists flood the town to eat at Drummond's restaurant, shop at her general store, and revel in the "Pioneer Woman" lifestyle. 

Shah's piece paints a fascinating picture of an evolving town. And, it got us wondering what it'd be like to visit Pawhuska ourselves. 

Here's a peek into how one television show transformed the Oklahoma town. 

SEE ALSO: 9 American companies with extremely religious roots

Pawhuska isn't easy to get to. The closest airport, Tulsa, is more than an hour away.



Prior to the rise of "The Pioneer Woman," the town's biggest claim to fame was being the site of the first Boy Scout troop.

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More than one person told Shah that Pawhuska was a "ghost town" until recently.

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James Van Der Beek shared his experience with Hollywood sexual harassment

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james van der beek

Actor James Van Der Beek took to Twitter on Wednesday night to share an account of his experiences with sexual harassment in Hollywood, and express support for the women who have spoken out against the alleged sexual misconduct of Harvey Weinstein.

"What Weinstein is being accused of is criminal. What he's admitted to is unacceptable — in any industry," Van Der Beek wrote. "I applaud everybody speaking out."

"I've had my a-- grabbed by older, powerful men," he continued. "I've had them corner me in inappropriate sexual conversations when I was much younger. I understand the unwarranted shame, powerlessness & inability to blow the whistle. There’s a power dynamic that feels impossible to overcome."

Van Der Beek became a prominent name in TV in the late 1990s when he starred in the series "Dawson's Creek," starting at the age of 21. He currently stars in the Viceland series "What Would Diplo Do?" 

Since reports by The New York Times and The New Yorker detailed numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault against the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein last week, a number of other actors have come forward to share their experiences of harassment in the industry.

While Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie came forward to accuse Weinstein of sexually harassing them early in their careers, actor Terry Crews also revealed he was sexually assaulted by an unnamed Hollywood executive.

SEE ALSO: Seth MacFarlane says his 2013 Harvey Weinstein Oscars joke was made in 'loathing' after a friend's account of sexual harassment

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Pink donated $500,000 to hurricane victims — here's how she makes and spends her $110 million fortune

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Pink singer

Pink is at the top of her game.

The 38-year-old pop star will release her seventh studio album, "Beautiful Trauma," on Friday, October 13. She is preparing for a 40-date North American arena tour kicking off in March 2018.

In August, she was presented with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award at the MTV Music awards, a title shared among entertainment greats like the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Beyoncé.

This week, Pink will make her third appearance on Saturday Night Live as the show's musical guest.

With nearly two decades of stardom under her belt, earning countless accolades and millions of dollars from hit albums and sold-out tours, Pink seems to have one thing many artists and bands can't quite master: Staying power.

Here's what we know about how Pink built a nine-figure net worth and spends her fortune:

SEE ALSO: How Lady Gaga spends her $275 million fortune

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It's been 17 years since Pink — whose birth name is Alecia Beth Moore — released her first studio album, "Can't Take Me Home." That year, she took home the award for female new artist of the year at the Billboard Music Awards. Since then, she's amassed an estimated fortune of $110 million.

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Source: The Richest

 



Pink has sold more than 16 million albums and minted four No. 1 Billboard hits. She's had 11 songs in the top 10 and released a single every year (except one) since 2000. "She doesn't disappear for five years," Tom Poleman, the chief programming officer for iHeartMedia, told the New York Times. "She always stays in the forefront, so people have been able to move and grow with her."

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Source:The New York Times



Her constant presence — and universal appeal — has paid off. In 2013, Pink was the highest earning touring female artist, netting more than $20 million from 114 concert dates, 111 of which were sold out.

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Sources:The Richest, Billboard



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Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg on Harvey Weinstein: 'People should lose their jobs' (FB)

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Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg has weighed in on the allegations of sexual assault and harassment against Harvey Weinstein. 

The Facebook COO was interviewed by Axios' Mike Allen on Thursday about how Russian ads on Facebook influenced the 2016 election.

When a conversation shifted to the subject of diversity and gender equality in Silicon Valley, it led to a question from Allen about Sandberg's thoughts on the recent sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. 

Allen asked Sandberg if women should feel discouraged about gender equality after hearing about these types of abuses.

Here is Sandberg's response in full:

"The Harvey Weinstein thing is abysmal. And it's not just his behavior, it's the behavior of everyone around them. This should never happen, and when it does happen, people should lose their jobs. What he is going through is what every person should be afraid of so that they don't do it. It just shouldn't happen, full stop.

Should we be discouraged? Discouraged happens, but it's not going to help us. I think we need to be determined. Determined because I think we can do better. More diverse teams on race and gender are going to perform better. So if we can convince people — women and men — that 1 in 10 [women in company leadership] isn't enough because it is a competitive advantage to have the voices around the table who are going to make better decisions. That's when we'll succeed."

Last week, The New York Times uncovered years of sexual-harassment allegations against Weinstein; The New Yorker followed up with an article in which three women accused Weinstein of raping them. Since the allegations came to light, several women in Hollywood have spoken up about abuse they say they suffered at the hands of Weinstein, and stars like Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet have issued statements condemning him. 

The news has reverberated beyond Hollywood, however: Barack Obama issued a statement that he and Michelle were "disgusted" by the reports, and Hillary Clinton has said she plans to gift previous campaign contributions from Weinstein to charity. 

Sandberg, who has campaigned for years for gender equality in the tech world, is the most notable tech exec to weigh in on the news so far, and one of the most high-profile women in Silicon Valley. 

You can watch Sandberg's full interview on the Axios site.

SEE ALSO: Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg on the Russian ads: 'We wish we had found it before it ever happened'

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All the women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault

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From left to right, David Parfitt, Donna Gigliotti, Harvey Weinstein, Gwyneth Paltrow, Edward Zwick and Marc Norman all celebrate after receiving the Oscar for best picture for Over the past week, a wave of sexual harassment and assault allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein have emerged through a series of investigations published by The New York Times and The New Yorker.

Following the reports, more and more women have spoken publicly about their experiences with Weinstein. 

Most of these alleged encounters follow a similar pattern, of "business meetings" turning into a proposed massage and hotel room sexual harassment or assault. These accusations start as early as the 1980s and include actresses, assistants, and other employees of Weinstein's companies. 

With the catalog of alleged abuse growing, women like Gwyneth Paltrow, who accused Weinstein of touching her inappropriately in 1995, want to support women in similar situations by coming forward. 

“We’re at a point in time when women need to send a clear message that this is over,” Paltrow told The New York Times. “This way of treating women ends now.”

These are all the women who have come forward with accusations of Harvey Weinstein committing sexual harassment or assault, spanning decades.

Note: A handful of women told their stories anonymously—including one who described an alleged rape to The New Yorker—but we did not include those stories in this list. 

SEE ALSO: What 33 Hollywood stars have said about the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment and assault allegations

Gwyneth Paltrow

When Paltrow was 22 years old, Weinstein hired her to star in the 1995 movie "Emma." Before filming began, the actress told The New York Times that Weinstein invited her up to his room at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel for what she thought would be a professional meeting.

Paltrow told the Times that the meeting ended with Weinstein touching her and suggesting they massage each other. "I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified," she said.

Paltrow said she refused Weinstein's advances. She told her boyfriend at the time, Brad Pitt, about what happened. After Pitt confronted Weinstein, Weinstein told Paltrow not to tell anyone else about the incident, she recounted to the Times. "I thought he was going to fire me," Paltrow said. Pitt confirmed this story to the Times in an email.

Paltrow, however, continued to appear in Weinstein movies. In 1998, Paltrow won the Oscar for best actress for her work in "Shakespeare in Love," which Weinstein produced, and she thanked Weinstein in her speech. 

Paltrow told the Times that she felt like she had to keep up appearances to save her career. “He was alternately generous and supportive and championing, and punitive and bullying,” she said.



Angelina Jolie

The actress, director, and humanitarian didn't go into detail of her encounter with Weinstein, but she told The New York Times that she had a "bad experience" while shooting the 1998 movie "Playing by Heart."

“I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did," she said. "This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable.”



Ashley Judd

Judd went on the record in The New York Times that 20 years ago, Weinstein invited her to the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel for what Judd thought would be a professional breakfast meeting.

Judd said she was shocked when Weinstein sent her up to his room instead. Judd said Weinstein appeared in a bathrobe, offered her a massage, and asked her if she wanted to watch him take a shower. 

She said she felt "panicky, trapped," and said if Weinstein wanted to touch her, she would have to win an Oscar for one of his movies first.

“There’s a lot on the line, the cachet that came with Miramax," Judd told the Times. Years later, Judd appeared in two more Weinstein films, but said Weinstein didn't harass her again.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The NYPD has launched a criminal investigation into Harvey Weinstein, as sexual assault allegations surface

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harvey weinstein serious

Recent allegations of sexual harassment and assault committed by Harvey Weinstein have prompted the NYPD to open a criminal investigation into the film mogul, police told Variety and The New York Post

An NYPD spokesperson confirmed the investigation to Variety with the following statement: 

"Based on information referenced in published news reports the NYPD is conducting a review to determine if there are any additional complaints relating to the Harvey Weinstein matter. No filed complaints have been identified as of this time and as always, the NYPD encourages anyone who may have information pertaining to this matter to call the CrimeStoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.”

The investigation comes in the wake of bombshell reports by The New York Times and The New Yorker, which detailed numerous allegations against Weinstein.

Weinstein avoided prosecution from the Manhattan district attorney in 2015, when actress Ambra Batillana Gutierrez, then 22, said he groped her. In a subsequent sting operation, the NYPD secretly recorded Weinstein admitting to groping Gutierrez in a hotel room.

In the audio, Gutierrez asked Weinstein, "Why yesterday you touch my breast?" 

Weinstein responded, "Oh, please. I'm sorry. Just come on in. I'm used to that." He then admitted to groping her by saying, "I won't do it again."

The Manhattan district attorney ultimately decided not to file charges against Weinstein, following a two-week investigation.

The Manhattan district attorney's office released the following statement on Tuesday, in response to outrage that Weinstein was not prosecuted over the recorded evidence: "While the recording is horrifying to listen to, what emerged from the audio was insufficient to prove a crime under New York law, which requires prosecutors to establish criminal intent." 

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Harvey Weinstein is reportedly heading to $37,000-per-month sex addiction rehab — here's what it entails

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Harvey

Harvey Weinstein is reportedly getting out of Hollywood and going to a swanky sex addiction treatment center, according to TMZ.

Several recent reports from The New York Times and The New Yorker told the stories of women who have accused Weinstein of harassing, groping, and raping them — a pattern of behavior that seems to have spanned decades. The powerful film executive's decision to seek treatment came days after those allegations led the Weinstein Company to fire him, and just as his wife, Marchesa co-founder Georgina Chapman, announced she was leaving him.

Although Weinstein seems headed for in-patient rehab, it's not clear whether he has ever received an official diagnosis or sought help in the past.

It's also unknown exactly what kind of treatment he will receive, or where — TMZ initially reported that Weinstein was bound for an elite Swiss facility, but some reports now suggest he might be checking in at The Meadows treatment center in Wickenburg, Arizona.

Sex addiction treatment at the Meadows costs more than $37,000 a month, according to some online reviews. (The facility looks a bit like a desert spa, horses included.) It's billed as 'the nation's premier inpatient treatment for sex addiction' and offers a 45-day "gentle path" sex treatment program that can host up to 28 men in 24-hour monitored care.

Most inpatient sex addiction programs follow 12-step recovery models similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, with a mix of group sessions and one-on-one therapy. Some programs also prescribe patients antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or anti-androgen drugs, which reduce sexual urges. 

The Meadows' website says: "Men are guided on their journey of recovery by examining the underlying causes of addiction and co-occurring disorders. The goal is for these individuals to gain the courage to face difficult issues, including grief and loss; heal from emotional trauma; and become accountable for their own feelings, behaviors, and recovery."

However, experts are still debating whether ‘sex addiction’ has a place among other chronic dependencies like gambling or drinking. According to the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, there's not “sufficient empirical evidence to support the classification of sex addiction or porn addiction as a mental health disorder.” And ‘sexual addiction’ is not in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the go-to guide for American psychiatrists.

Psychologist Michael Bader has called sex addiction an excuse — he wrote in Psychology Today that the diagnosis is just a “gloss for bad behavior”. And many sex addiction therapists caution that not everyone who seeks treatment for sex addiction really needs help, since there are plenty who are merely looking for a way to justify past actions. Research by French psychiatrist Laurent Karila, on the other hand, has suggested that between 3 and 6% of the population suffers from sex addictions.

Celebrity Russell Brand described his sex addiction treatment in his memoir, saying he attended meetings every morning and afternoon in which the group would “go round the room” introducing themselves, then talk about how their everyday existence had become sexualized.

These aren't really wrongdoings as we would normally understand them,” Brand wrote in an excerpt of his memoir that ran in The Guardian, “more everyday actions that have developed a sexual component: ‘I had an erotic thought’; ‘I experienced eroticized rage’; or ‘I did some eroticized humor.’”

Professionals who work at treatment centers say month-long regimens are simply a starting point, and there's no cure-all. Bob Pozanovich, executive director of community outreach at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Addiction Treatment Centers, does not treat sex addicts, but estimates that around 45% of all patients in any addiction treatment program suffer setbacks after the inpatient portion ends. Rehab for drug addiction is successful roughly half the time, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“People do relapse and that’s part of the disease,” he told Business Insider, adding that time, support, and a patient's own belief that they can succeed all help in their recovery process.

As Weinstein wrote in a statement to the New York Times, "my journey now will be to learn about myself and conquer my demons."

SEE ALSO: Harvey Weinstein is reportedly going to rehab for sex addiction — but that’s not the full story

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Kate Beckinsale says Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed her when she was 17

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Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale accused Harvey Weinstein of sexually harassing her when she was 17, in an emotional Instagram post Thursday.

She is the latest in a chorus of voices speaking out against the movie mogul for alleged sexual harassment and assault.

Beckinsale recalled being asked to meet Weinstein at the Savoy Hotel, under the assumption she would be meeting him in a conference room. She was instead directed to his hotel room, she wrote.

The actress said Weinstein "opened the door in his bathrobe." 

"I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him," Beckinsale wrote.

Beckinsale said Weinstein offered her alcohol, but she declined saying that she "had school in the morning." She was able to leave "unscathed."

Beckinsale wrote that a number of years later, Weinstein asked her if he had "tried anything" with her during their first meeting. "I realized he couldn't remember if he had assaulted me or not," Beckinsale said.

According to the actress, Weinstein continually tried to get her to work with him over the years, but she never agreed to —  a decision Beckinsale feels ultimately harmed her career.

Beckinsale also shared an experience that a "male friend" had with Weinstein. According to the actress, her friend tried to warn a young actress going to dinner with the producer "to be careful," and that soon after Weinstein called to tell him he would never work in another Miramax film. 

Beckinsale then said that many people who have had experiences with "outrageous unprofessional behavior" have felt they had "no recourse, due to an atmosphere of fear that it seems almost everyone has been living in."

"Let's stop allowing our young women to be sexual cannon fodder, and let's remember that Harvey is an emblem of a system that is sick, and that we have work to do," Beckinsale said.

You can read Beckinsale's full statement on her Instagram post:

I was called to meet Harvey Weinstein at the Savoy Hotel when I was 17. I assumed it would be in a conference room which was very common.When I arrived ,reception told me to go to his room . He opened the door in his bathrobe . I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older ,unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him .After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left ,uneasy but unscathed.A few years later he asked me if he had tried anything with me in that first meeting .I realized he couldn't remember if he had assaulted me or not .I had what I thought were boundaries - I said no to him professionally many times over the years-some of which ended up with him screaming at me calling me a cunt and making threats, some of which made him laughingly tell people oh "Kate lives to say no to me ." It speaks to the status quo in this business that I was aware that standing up for myself and saying no to things,while it did allow me to feel uncompromised in myself,undoubtedly harmed my career and was never something I felt supported by anyone other than my family.I would like to applaud the women who have come forward , and to pledge that we can from this create a new paradigm where producers,managers,executives and assistants and everyone who has in the past shrugged and said " well, that's just Harvey /Mr X/insert name here " will realize that we in numbers can affect real change.For every moment like this there have been thousands where a vulnerable person has confided outrageous unprofessional behavior and found they have no recourse, due to an atmosphere of fear that it seems almost everyone has been living in .I had a male friend who, based on my experience,warned a young actress who said she was going to dinner with Harvey to be careful. He received a phone call the next day saying he would never work in another Miramax film ;the girl was already sleeping with Harvey and had told him that my friend had warned her off.Let's stop allowing our young women to be sexual cannon fodder,and let's remember that Harvey is an emblem of a system that is sick,and that we have work to do.

A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale) on Oct 12, 2017 at 6:02am PDT on

SEE ALSO: All the women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault

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Changing office culture isn't going to stop the Harvey Weinsteins of the world

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Harvey Weinstein Jamie McCarthy Getty finalMy colleague Josh Barro floated an idea this week, in response to the news that Harvey Weinstein is being accused of sexually harassing and assaulting women for decades.

In 
a column, he argued that one way to stifle this kind of behavior is to create "more formal, less ‘fun’ office cultures."

He's not the only one who has suggested this. More than one writer has used the Weinstein scandal to suggest Hollywood's "casting couch" culture — meetings in hotels or producers' homes — needs a change. 

This is missing the point, and falling into a trap that we all should avoid. 

The problem here isn't that social drinking after work, or informal cultures, create the conditions for sexual harassment or even confusion about what's appropriate. The problem is that men think they can take advantage of women and that they will be protected by the institutions - and people - around them. 

Rampant sexual harassment isn't unique to the entertainment or technology industries (both places you could argue that are built on informal workplace culture). It's a charge that's leveled at law firms and prominent universities — and the allegations are often just as lurid as those against Weinstein. They're just not being leveled by A-list celebrities so we don't go berserk.  

Formalizing our work environments has nothing to do with the greater issue of sexual harassment.  Even when there are formal norms in place — sexual harassment policies, or laws on the books — harassers continue to harass. Women are harassed by friends, family, people on the street, bosses, co-workers, and complete strangers.

In broad daylight.

With no alcohol involved. 

The clearer separation should be between what is the right way to treat a fellow human being and what is acceptable. Men, from the time they are young, have more power in society than women do, and the second they realize this  — and that there are structures in place that will support them in this belief — the ones who are prone to harass will do so. And they'll only stop if, eventually, 30 years later, something finally breaks. 

We need — as a society — to enforce 
norms about how people need to act regardless of whether they've had vodka shots or not.

And, maybe most important, we need to listen to victims, not shrug our shoulders, not make excuses. We need people in power to stand up to other people in power, even when it is inconvenient or difficult.

We need to punish men when they have done something wrong — not after 30 years of letting them have money or prestige save them. We need to teach children to respect one another and their personal space and boundaries.

No, this change will not take place overnight. It is clearly not as simple as saying "don’t harass women" since women have been saying that for a very long time. 

But let’s not make the mistake of arguing that we should change workplace culture to address something that happens whether we're in the office or not. 

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This is the top free app using the technology Apple says is the future (AAPL)

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The early winner taking advantage of Apple's next big thing is a free app that uses your iPhone's camera to place a cuddly pet dragon in the real world around you.

Say hi: AR Dragon

"AR Dragon" from PlaySide is the most-downloaded free app that requires Apple's ARkit, according a new analysis of the top apps using Apple's new augmented reality software from Sensor Tower.

Augmented reality is a technology that lets you see virtual elements in the real world. ARKit makes it easier for app developers to put things like virtual dragons on top of tables, or allow your iPhone's camera to work as a ruler. 

Sensor Tower's analysis is one of the first looks at what ARKit apps are doing well and which ones people seem to be willing to pay for. Apps that focus on an augmented-reality experiences and use ARKit have been downloaded 3 million times since September 19, according to Sensor Tower

53% of those downloads have been for games, according to Sensor Tower's analysis, including "AR Dragon," which lets users train and grow a pet dragon, choosing when to give him food or play with him, for example. 

The second largest category is utility apps, like Ikea Place, which lets you see how furniture would look in your home, and TapMeasure, Occipital's app for measuring the size of objects

Here are the top ARKit-only apps so far, according to Sensor Tower: 

top arkit apps

The new fart app

Tim Cook HaloHowever, ARKit apps haven't become a sensation. For example, "AR Dragon" is only the no. 587 free game by downloads, according to Sensor Tower. 

In comments earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook compared the launch of ARKit to the launch of Apple's App Store. He compared the early apps using ARKit to the early third-party apps for the iPhone, which were criticized for being gimmicks

"Think back to 2008, when the App Store went live. There was the initial round of apps and people looked at them and said, ‘this is not anything, mobile apps are not going to take off," Cook told the Independent

"And then step by step things start to move. And it is sort of a curve, it was just exponential – and now you couldn’t imagine your life without apps. Your health is on one app, your financials, your shopping, your news, your entertainment – it’s everything," he continued. "AR is like that. It will be that dramatic."

ARkit gives Apple a way to see the possibilities of the technology using its giant developer base. Apple doesn't often tinker in public, so instead, it's letting software makers for the iPhone and iPad experiment.  

At the same time, though, Apple has teams dedicated to building augmented-reality hardware, including smartglasses. Many technologists, including people inside Apple, believe that sufficiently advanced smartglasses may be able to replace all the screens in our lives — even the iPhone.

The Apple glasses are years away at the earliest. "Today I can tell you the technology itself doesn’t exist to do that in a quality way. The display technology required, as well as putting enough stuff around your face – there’s huge challenges with that," Cook told the Independent

But in the meantime, enthusiasts can now download apps that place cute and cuddly pet dragons in the real world. 

Seen a particularly clever ARkit app? Email the author at kleswing@businessinsider.com.

SEE ALSO: Apple is preparing for the death of the iPhone

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Sheryl Sandberg got everything wrong about Facebook's role as a media company (FB)

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sheryl sandberg

How would you classify a company that:

Most would call that a media company. And most would expect that company to adhere to the standards, safeguards, and rules that all media companies do.

But Facebook, which does all of the above, will not concede it's in the media business. Indeed that's a classification the company has avoided for years. 

On Thursday, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, issued the latest such denial of the obvious, telling Axios editor Mike Allen that the social networking giant is not a media company. To make her case, Sandberg pointed to the fact that Facebook is run by technical workers and engineers. In her view, because the company itself doesn't produce news content, it can't be a media company.

"At our heart we're a tech company," Sandberg said. "We hire engineers. We don’t hire reporters. No one is a journalist. We don’t cover the news. But when we say that, we’re not saying we don’t have a responsibility. In fact we’re a new kind of platform ... as our size grows, we think we have more responsibility."

But that's an incredibly narrow view of what a media company is. Sandberg's definition of a media business seems to be a organization that hires journalists and producers to make news content. But media companies are broader than that. They curate content. They distribute it. The generate ad revenue from it.

A company such as Facebook, which distributes media and makes money off it by selling ads is, by definition, in the media business. Sandberg is right to point out that Facebook's size means it has a massive responsibility to distribute accurate information. But she's wrong to deny it serves many of the same functions of a media company.

It doesn't matter that computers or algorithms or engineering geeks are making editorial decisions. They're still serving the editorial functions of a media company. In fact, Sandberg said earlier in the interview that Facebook was serving an editorial role by showing users related articles to news stories they see their News Feed and hiring fact-checking organizations to vet some content.

The renewed questions about the company's role in the intersection of tech and media come as the debate around fake news and fake Russian ads on the platform are heating up. The United Kingdom is already considering regulations that would treat Facebook more like a media company, for example.

Sandberg's also wrong to say Facebook doesn't hire journalists. The company hired former NBC anchor Campbell Brown in January to head up the company's news division and work with other journalists to maximize their use of Facebook's platform.

There are numerous reasons why Facebook would be reticent to admit it's a media company. It could harm its sky-high valuation, which is currently at about $500 billion. That's a tech company valuation, not a media company valuation. It would also open Facebook up to regulatory rules in the US and other countries that it would rather avoid.

But the abuse on Facebook's platform, from fake Russian ads to fake news spreading as recently as last week's Las Vegas shooting, show a greater need for Facebook to start acting like the media organization that it is. The sooner Facebook admits that, the better.

SEE ALSO: Tech companies are embarrassing themselves with how they handle fake news

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Twitter explains why it suspended Rose McGowan's account following her Harvey Weinstein comments

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rose mcgowan

Rose McGowan's Twitter account was temporarily locked Wednesday after she accused Ben Affleck of lying about his knowledge of Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual harassment.

But McGowan's account was reinstated on Thursday morning, and her tweets about Affleck were not the cause of the initial suspension, according to Twitter. 

Twitter's "Safety" account has since tweeted out a thread explaining the company's decision to lock the account, citing her inclusion of "a private phone number" in a tweet as a violation of its terms of service.

Twitter CEO and cofound Jack Dorsey also tweeted a link to the thread, saying, "We need to be a lot more transparent in our actions in order to build trust."

Here's Twitter's statement: 

"We have been in touch with Ms. McGowan's team. We want to explain that her account was temporarily locked because one of her Tweets included a private phone number, which violates our Terms of Service. The Tweet was removed and her account has been unlocked. We will be clearer about these policies and decisions in the future. Twitter is proud to empower and support the voices on our platform, especially those that speak truth to power. We stand with the brave women and men who use Twitter to share their stories, and will work hard every day to improve our processes to protect those voices."

McGowan responded to Twitter's statement Thursday afternoon by quote-tweeting the thread with a caption that read, "when will nuclear war violate your terms of service?"

In an Instagram post on Thursday morning, McGowan posted a screenshot of Twitter's notice that her account would be locked until she deleted the tweets that violated its rules. Her caption read, "Twitter has suspended me. There are powerful forces at work. Be my voice."

A post shared by Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) on

The actress tweeted on Tuesday that Affleck had been dishonest in his Facebook post regarding Harvey Weinstein's behavior, in which Affleck stated that he was "saddened and angry" by the news.

"Goddamnit! I told him to stop doing that," McGowan tweeted regarding what Affleck said "to [her] face" about Weinstein's conduct. "You lie," she added about Affleck.

However, McGowan's notable tweets about Affleck were not the cause of her account's temporary suspension, according to the company.

SEE ALSO: All the women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault

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