Who is allowed to tell what stories in Hollywood?

That was a question posed Tuesday at the HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon to creators and executive producers of hit series that routinely tackle difficult and taboo subjects—such as sexual harassment.

Panel moderator and The Hollywood Reporter television editor Lacey Rose was quick to address “the elephant in the room,” driving a discussion around how the decades-long Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal and resulting fallout of allegations against other stars—including Kevin Spacey—can translate to tales on the small screen.

“I’m just shocked it’s happening at the levels it has been,” said Kenya Barris, creator, executive producer and showrunner of ABC’s Black-ish. “The idea that it’s been going on as long as it’s been going on makes me sad.”

Dan Fogelman, creator and executive producer of NBC’s This is Us, painted himself as naive, saying he was struck by the amount of sexual harassment stories that have emerged, and said it’s made him more tuned into that type of behavior.

Yet it’s a culture that “has been the accepted norm” for years, Barris said, and the behavior extends across all industries and levels of leadership.

“It doesn’t help that we have a president who, before he was elected, came out as being in this group,” Barris said.

Issa Rae, co-creator, executive producer, writer and lead actress in HBO’s Insecure, recalled how the room full of women writers went from cracking jokes about the issue—her show is a comedy after all—to turning serious.

“The writers in the room, we started sharing our own stories, and you realize how prevalent it is,” she said, noting an undercurrent of some women being so used to that type of behavior that they don’t speak up because it feels like an overreaction.

“I hope more people are out there telling their stories because I want to hear them,” said Bruce Miller, creator, showrunner, and executive producer of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, which was named best drama at this year’s Emmy Awards.

Panelists agreed it’s happening too often to not authentically incorporate the issue into their series.

But again, who gets to tell what stories?

“As a black writer and producer, I’m often able to tell my own stories, but not someone else’s,” Barris said. “I don’t know if they would let me go tell a story about a white family.”

“You never get offered a story with white characters?” Fogelman asked.

“Come on, dude,” Barris responded.

“At the same time, would I ever be able to write a holocaust series?” he mused later on in the discussion.

Yet Black-ish does tackle topics like slavery, while This is Us explores legal questions around a white family adopting a black baby, and Master of None delves into issues such as Islam and addresses everyday sexism with, for instance, a scene where a guy follows a woman home from a bar.

Writing like that addresses “just the very basic level of empathy, and what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes,” said Master of None co-creator, executive producer and director Alan Yang.

Personal experience is always a strong prerequisite for the “write what you know” adage, but executive producers said surrounding themselves with those in the know is also an effective method to make sure the story and voice are original and authentic.

“I personally believe any writer can write for any person,” Fogelman said.

While that may be true, when it comes to shaping stories about sexual harassment and abuse on television, there’s also a surefire way to make sure the right message gets across.

“We need more women in a position of power,” Yang said to a round of applause. “Basically, that’s going to help solve the issue.”

[Image courtesy of Chyna Photography for HRTS]

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