Sorry to come back to this, but the issue is not so much whether the individual writer's copy was sexist, but about the conduct of Variety, the publication who employ him. I really think fellow journalists should show solidarity and focus on that.
I don't think it's good enough to say that the writer's wording was ambiguous, and that whether he intended to be sexist or not, he gave the appearance of it. His editors assigned him to review the film, received his copy, and ran it as is. Then they made a show of disowning him.
What we need is to advance solutions, not use heavy language to snipe. I would expect journalists to put forward some ideas, rather than snipe at a colleague. Here's one: Variety could have assigned Amy Nicholson or Jessica Kiang to review the film instead.
Here's another: they could have caught his wording at editorial level. They could have stood by him, by putting out a statement. They should not have added that disclaimer to his review. They could have held constructive talks with the actor.
This will happen again, and again, and it will happen to journalists accusing DH of having been a misogynist. How will you feel then, when you are dragged for a mistake or a matter of interpretation, and your reputation is in tatters? You will want, and deserve, another chance.
Lastly, I do think writers should think twice before using incredibly loaded, specific terminology relating to abusive behaviour, when describing a matter of disagreement over wording.
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