Harvey Weinstein has a lot going on. He lost his company, his wife, and his reputation all in a matter of days. If the allegations against him are true–and there’s plenty of reason to believe they are–then he’s absolute scum who deserves all the misery he’s going through. In fact, he deserves much, much worse.

However, Weinstein is in the business of producing distractions, and that’s just what he did.

The rant started when Stern, a carry permit holder, asked Weinstein whether he owned a gun. Weinstein responded, “I don’t think we need guns in this country, and I hate it. And I think the NRA is a disaster area.” The producer went on to share his plans to make an anti-NRA feature film, titled, The Senator’s Wife. Weinstein noted, “I’m going to make a movie with Meryl Streep, and we’re going to take this head-on. And they’re going to wish they weren’t alive after I’m done with them.” The mogul also contended that the movie would damage the gun industry, stating, “Gun stocks, I don’t want to be involved in that stuff. It’s going to be like crash and burn.”

It’s nearly four years later and The Senator’s Wife is reportedly still in the development stage. However, Weinstein’s grudge against NRA is back in the national spotlight, thanks to the producer’s bizarre attempt to deflect attention from a spiraling sexual misconduct scandal.

On October 5, the New York Times published an article titled, “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades.” The piece detailed allegations that the mogul used his position of influence to make unwanted sexual advances towards young women in the movie industry, including movie star Ashley Judd. 

That same day, Weinstein issued a statement that addressed the Times’s story and attempted to excuse some of his behavior. Oddly, following a series of tepid apologies and justifications, the statement turned to NRA.

The beginning of the final paragraph of Weinstein’s statement read:

I am going to need a place to channel that anger, so I’ve decided that I’m going to give the NRA my full attention. I hope Wayne LaPierre will enjoy his retirement party. I’m going to do it at the same place I had my Bar Mitzvah.

First, I’m fairly sure Wayne LaPierre knows better than to go anywhere Harvey Weinstein invites you, especially when it’s to “party.”

Second, his early threat reveals the hypocrisy of Hollywood on the issue of guns. He said he’s going to make an “important” movie on guns, that his film will have a major impact on Americans. Yet he never acknowledges any impact his movies Pulp Fiction, Sin City, Rambo, Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained, or many others might also have impacted Americans.

If movies can impact society the way he seemed to think four years ago, then he needs to acknowledge his other movies may have also had an impact. (No, I don’t believe they did, but I don’t believe these “important” movies do either. They tend to just preach to the choir. See also: Miss Sloane.)

All his renewed vigor with attacking the NRA happens to be is a case of virtue signaling, hoping to remind Hollywood that he’s a good anti-gun ally in hopes they’ll forgive him over the numerous actresses he’s sexually harassed over the years. He wants them to overlook his sins because he holds the right politics, and he’s trying to remind them of that.

I’d love to say it wouldn’t work, but these are the same people who gave Roman Polanski a standing ovation despite his conviction for raping a 13-year-old girl.