Kevin Spacey Charged With Sexual Assault in Massachusetts
The two-time Oscar winner will face the court in January
The first time I saw Frank Underwood onscreen, literal chills ran through my body.
If you've seen House of Cards you know the scene I'm talking about. Literally the very opening of the series, Underwood comes out into the street and kills his neighbor's dog after it has been struck by a car. It is such a fascinatingly twisted and complex bit of television (enhanced I think by the fact that we never actually see the dog in the shot) and it propels the TV series to a story that its equal parts haunting, terrifying, and in many ways revealing.
Frank Underwood is a despicable, rotten character. I found many parts of House of Cards to be so overly, gut-wrenching sad that, while I enjoyed the plotting, pacing, and character development, I often was left feeling hollow after watching. The character of Frank Underwood had a knack for finding the lowest, most depraved level of humanity and sinking to a slimy layer just beneath that.
Never, though, did I attach the very real persona of the actor who played Frank Underwood, Kevin Spacey, to such an abysmal standing.
At the time of his starring in House of Cards in 2013, Spacey was already among Hollywood's best and brightest, having won two Oscars: in 1995 for The Usual Suspects and in 1999 for American Beauty. His appearance in House of Cards alongside Robin Wright most certainly leant the series credibility, as it was Netflix's first foray into original programming.
Yet, what's most important in the here and now is not Spacey's titanic credentials in film, but rather the actions that he has taken to precipitate his downfall.
In 2017 Anthony Rapp, a fellow actor, accused Spacey of attempting to molest him at a party thrown by the latter. At the time the alleged incident took place in 1986 Rapp was 14 years old and Spacey was 26. While Spacey apologized for this incident, he has resisted anything resembling a confession. Subsequently, 14 other individuals have followed up Rapp's accusations with ones of their own, including some from Spacey's time on House of Cards.
All of this lends itself to a bizarre lead up to a Christmas Eve social media post by Spacey, who had maintained almost complete publicity silence since Rapp's accusations surfaced more than a year ago. In the posted video, titled "Let Me Be Frank," Spacey poses as Frank Underwood, speaking with the same accent and with the same mannerisms as the character from the show. He wears a Christmas-themed apron and speaks cryptically about "paying the price for things" that he supposedly "didn't do."
The issue is, however, that 14 allegations is something that becomes difficult to write off. As with any instance of alleged sexual assault, while physical evidence or even corroboration may be lacking, the appearance of expanded accusation makes it difficult to justify ignoring testimony from any one person. After all, 14 separate people wouldn't risk their careers and reputations just so they could drown themselves in legal fees against a popular and well-known actor in court, would they?
In the era of #MeToo, for all the complex nuances that phrase purports, Spacey's case might be among the most unique and, like Frank Underwood's, most chilling.
Spacey's sexuality had long been something of a mystery, with multiple rumors advancing the theory that he was in fact gay. All of these rumors were denied by him in person. However, the onset of Rapp's allegations and then the same by the other alleged victims, all of whom are men, made it evident. Spacey is in fact gay. He admitted such on Twitter in the aftermath of Rapp's commentary.
Recently charged with felony sexual assault in Massachusetts over a 2016 incident in which Spacey invited an 18-year-old to a bar and subsequently groped him, Spacey's Christmas Eve video was seen by many to be a controlled attempt to try and influence the soon-to-come legal proceedings that will decide his most immediate future.
When I first encountered the character of Frank Underwood, I was terrified, but in a delighted way. It was of the same kind of thrill that you get when you ride a rollercoaster or visit a haunted house, though I won't deny that the entertainment gleaned from House of Cards is of a darker variety than that of a theme park.
And yet, with all of that said, I had never dreamed that the man behind the character could be darker still.
5 Respectful And Empowering Ways To Handle Rejection
Not everyone will like you, but not everyone has to.
You work hard, you do the right thing, and the inevitable happens. Someone comes along and begins to give you a backhanded compliment, or if you have the misfortune, a backhanded comment. You are left with a bad taste in your mouth and your day starts to turn sour. When people belittle you and your efforts, here are five respectful and empowering ways to sweeten those moments of rejection.
1. Never give someone a reason to not like you.
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People will say what they want and think what they want, no matter the subject or person of choice. It will not matter who you are or what you do, someone or another manages to pay you their two cents. You have to remember, you did not give them reasons to justify their words or actions towards you. These people who exhibit unwarranted thoughts about you are just another drop in the ocean. They do not define your good intentions or self-worth. They are not for you and you need not place any investigation or worry into the mystery of why they do not like you. You do not have to reason with them any further. Simply look forward to the people who care to be curious and open-minded about you.
2. Kill them with kindness.
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The dead push up daisies, but you plant the seed. Some people will smile proudly knowing they have said something cruel or disheartening to get a rise out of you but look at this as an opportunity. Every moment is a chance for you to choose how you react. Ten percent of life is what happens to you, it is out of your control. Ninety percent of life is what you do about it. Use your words to encourage, not discourage, civil discourse. Say what matters and say it with an honest purpose. State your case and let them respond how they will; you cannot control others, but you can control yourself. Be a good example others have yet to show themselves.
3. Turn the "No's" into a "Yes."
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The poet Sylvia Plath had this to say about rejection: "I love my rejection slips. They show me I try." She was talking about the process of writing literary submissions for publication, but her attitude still stands. This is the mindset it takes to find the success you want out of life. Despite all the people that deny you and your work, there are people that see potential and promise in you. It does not matter how many people say "No" to you. What does matter is the number of times you can get back to work and look forward to that one "Yes." You are working for the "Yes's" in your life. Forget the dream-killers and eye-rollers, they lack the hope and drive you have in what you do. They do not do what you do and do not do it like you do. For every "No" there is a "Yes."
4. Let your work speak for you.
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Sometimes no matter how endearing your elevator pitch sounds or how carefully crafted your resume is, people still find fault where there might not even be any. Your accomplishments are your own and that is something to take pride in. Of course, the right amount of pride separates you from the rest and for the better. Pride and confidence must not become virtues or vices that exceed who you are. The work you put out is an extension of who you are and no one can take that away from you. Work speaks for itself and yourself best, so focus on your goals and let your results stand in for your words people did not value. Your best is rarely seen at the moment of inspiration, usually after the final stroke of the brush has wet the canvas. It is your goal to show that stalwart work ethic in good times and in bad.
5. Your process will protect you.
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Keep working. Rule out the distractions and the doubts, the fears, and the flippant fools. Know that your process will save you in trying times. Work against all odds. At some point, things turn even and add up, but you have to be dedicated and diligent. Your sights are seen only through your eyes and your need is to show others what you see. Until then, your skill, your talent, will be honed with consistency. Show up to your work even when you have not been hit with inspiration. The Kodak moment will present itself through your process. Due diligence is the price of success. Eyes on the prize and nose to the grindstone. No one knows your work better than you.
Be the trampoline that bends the will of gravity-like rejection long enough until you can fly.