Honest question, was I supposed to come away from the documentary thinking that Dan Schneider was anything other than a useful scapegoat for a much larger, systematic problem? The idea of that guy fighting against everyone above and below him to fit in some pedophilic agenda is laughable and, if that’s what’s to believed, isn’t what’s communicated in the series. There were probably hundreds of adults involved in those productions with many of them having complete power to veto the showrunner.
If I recall correctly from the doc, I think Schneider also committed some pretty serious workplace conduct violations, including forcing one woman to mimic being anally penetrated while delivering her lines, to “make it funnier”. For what it’s worth, I completely agree that Schneider is being unfairly set up to take on the sins of an entire industry, but damn if he didn’t do a lot to put himself in that position.
I think Schneider is one of those people who never grew up, which is his ticket to fame and the reason he’s unfit for any leadership position. Even in the above example, I don’t think Schneider got off on it. I think he’s an idiot kid who thinks anal sex is funny. None of that removes any culpability for what he allowed to happen under his watch, because regardless of his inability to grow up, he took on responsibility that he failed to live up to. He failed these kids, these hurt employees, and especially the victims of sexual assault on his sets.
Honest question, was I supposed to come away from the documentary thinking that Dan Schneider was anything other than a useful scapegoat for a much larger, systematic problem? The idea of that guy fighting against everyone above and below him to fit in some pedophilic agenda is laughable and, if that’s what’s to believed, isn’t what’s communicated in the series. There were probably hundreds of adults involved in those productions with many of them having complete power to veto the showrunner.
If I recall correctly from the doc, I think Schneider also committed some pretty serious workplace conduct violations, including forcing one woman to mimic being anally penetrated while delivering her lines, to “make it funnier”. For what it’s worth, I completely agree that Schneider is being unfairly set up to take on the sins of an entire industry, but damn if he didn’t do a lot to put himself in that position.
I think Schneider is one of those people who never grew up, which is his ticket to fame and the reason he’s unfit for any leadership position. Even in the above example, I don’t think Schneider got off on it. I think he’s an idiot kid who thinks anal sex is funny. None of that removes any culpability for what he allowed to happen under his watch, because regardless of his inability to grow up, he took on responsibility that he failed to live up to. He failed these kids, these hurt employees, and especially the victims of sexual assault on his sets.
Does that excuse him from the part he played? Sounds kind of Nuremberg defense to me.