Does anyone have any references for children's book antagonists who respond to (or predict) Harvey Weinstein? Lots of children's characters are there to softly caution about sex predators, but this would be specifically about them using power over the person's career. There might be a "marry me, and I'll make you a star" trope, or "marry me or you'll lose the family business."
childrens like.... childrens picture books? or middle grade? YA? Because there are a few for middle grade (Maybe he just likes you= recommended for 4-6th grade. Send Pics= recommended for 14+) Young childrens books stay positive. The ones on the topic of consent are about good touching and bad touching ("Yes! No!" by Megan Madison), being the boss of your body, not letting people invade your personal space. Its more so about what children can do to have autonomy over their personal space versus what people can do to take away their personal space. as far as i've seen, there are no childrens picture books on the topic you're looking for. Middle grade, there are a good amount. look under the topics: "Consent" and "Peer Pressure" There are tons for YA
however... this trope is a popular trope that was around before the MeToo movement. Count Olaf tried to marry Violet in A Series of Unfortunate Events Samas offer Calwyn power in exchange for being his in Chanters of Tramaris The Winter King offered Maerad the same thing in the Pellinor series there was another book i read when i was in elementary school that followed that trope, too but with a boy and the girl he liked was taken by a man... i cant remember what it was called
Thanks @J.T. Woody - I'd heard of Count Olaf but not the other two, even though we've accumulated quite a large children's fantasy section over the last several generations Count Olaf seems to have been "marry me or I'll kill your friend" - if that's the closest it gets probably I'll refer to him as he's famous Samis vs Calwyn I couldn't find about in wikipedia or the fan wiki, but "marry me and I'll give you power/wealth" is too broad. I guess the structural difference I see in Harvey Weinstein is that his victims approach him in good faith (maybe like Ursula vs Ariel, but different stakes) Winter King vs Maerad: the wiki says it's like Hades and Persephone, so it must also lack that initial presumption of good faith I suppose Hades used to be interpreted positively - we think the worst but he turns out to be a good husband (perhaps as good as husbands get). Whereas Weinstein reverses that.
Theres the whole vampire trope, too.... Caroline B Cooney had a trilogy called The Vampires Promise where the vampire would come to girls whose an outcast and promise to make all her dreams come true of they gave herself to him. I remember the first book, the first girl agreed, and he sucked the life slowly out of the popular girl who bullied her and the outcast girl became popular. But i stopped reading, so idk what the catch was.... Idk what the vampire did to her in return. Thats some creepy Weinstein stuff
Nope At that age, i wasnt into the vampire genre or the "real world" popular v unpopular stories. I was into fantasy.... And murder/horror mysteries.
