When the #MeToo movement first became nationally prominent several years ago, it wasn’t entirely clear how it would affect the professional landscape. Now, things have become more clear; some once-prominent men have all but vanished from public view after their actions have come to light. Others have readied comebacks; Louis C.K., for instance, won a Grammy even after news of his penchant for masturbating around female comedians came to light.
Other prominent and disgraced men in the broadcasting sphere have also explored the idea of comebacks — Matt Lauer, for instance. And a new report by William D. Cohan at Air Mail suggests that Charlie Rose is working on a comeback of his own.
You may recall that a 2019 lawsuit against Rose argued that he treated the studio in which his show was filmed as “a sexual hunting ground.” Nonetheless, Rose has recently begun conducting a series of interviews with high-profile figures — including, in April, one with Warren Buffett.
Cohan refers to this interview as “only the first step on Rose’s road to attempted redemption,” and notes that Rose has followed it up with several interviews with global leaders. The interviews have been made available via Rose’s website — and Cohan notes that Rose is also seeking a buyer for his archive of interviews, which spans decades.
An unnamed colleague of Rose’s explained their frustration with this comeback attempt to Cohan. “He truly does not deserve a comeback,” this person said. “Because he’s done nothing in five years but basically say, ‘I did nothing wrong.’” And that’s what makes this especially frustrating to watch unfold — the lack of self-awareness on Rose’s part in terms of neither apologizing for his actions nor seeking to change his own behavior.
More Like This
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
