A former female graphic designer at Pixar Animation says the workplace was rife with sexual harassment and prohibitive to the advancement of women during her time at the studio from 2009 to 2014.
Cassandra Smolcic, who wrote the account published Wednesday for Variety, specifically accused ousted chief creative officer John Lasseter of unwanted staring and sexual comments over a period of several years. She said another unnamed male department head physically cornered her in a company kitchen and made inappropriate comments in 2009.
Beyond the specific and harrowing accusations — like a Pixar director comparing the difficulty of one of his films to a “big-titted blond who was difficult to nail down” and Lasseter’s alleged “sleazy” ritual of parading female employees onstage at office Halloween parties and objectifying them — Smolcic said the corporate culture discouraged outspoken woman and sabotaged them as they tried to move up.
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Cassandra Smolcic, who wrote the account published Wednesday for Variety, specifically accused ousted chief creative officer John Lasseter of unwanted staring and sexual comments over a period of several years. She said another unnamed male department head physically cornered her in a company kitchen and made inappropriate comments in 2009.
Beyond the specific and harrowing accusations — like a Pixar director comparing the difficulty of one of his films to a “big-titted blond who was difficult to nail down” and Lasseter’s alleged “sleazy” ritual of parading female employees onstage at office Halloween parties and objectifying them — Smolcic said the corporate culture discouraged outspoken woman and sabotaged them as they tried to move up.
Also Read: Animation Execs Jennifer Lee and...
- 6/27/2018
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Pixar Accused of Sexism and Harassment: Graphic Designer Reveals ‘Vulgar’ Behavior Inside the Studio
John Lasseter is set to leave Pixar at the end of the year following sexual-harassment allegations made in November 2017, but he’s not the studio’s only problem. Cassandra Smolcic, a graphic designer who worked at the animation studio from 2009 to 2014, has written a personal essay for Variety, titled “How Pixar’s Open Sexism Ruined My Dream Job,” in which she accuses Pixar of allowing rampant sexism and sexual harassment.
“I know people are saying that the climate there wasn’t ‘that bad.’ I’m here to tell you that it was, and more than likely still is,” Smolcic writes at the start of the essay. “At Pixar, my female-ness was an undeniable impediment to my value, professional mobility, and sense of security within the company. The stress of working amidst such a blatantly sexist atmosphere took its toll, and was a major factor in forcing me out of the industry.
“I know people are saying that the climate there wasn’t ‘that bad.’ I’m here to tell you that it was, and more than likely still is,” Smolcic writes at the start of the essay. “At Pixar, my female-ness was an undeniable impediment to my value, professional mobility, and sense of security within the company. The stress of working amidst such a blatantly sexist atmosphere took its toll, and was a major factor in forcing me out of the industry.
- 6/27/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
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