Mark Halperin, News producer, author and political commentator...
Kevin Spacey, actor in screen and stage productions...
Roy Moore, former Alabama Supreme Court Judge and politician...
Louis C. K., comedian, actor, writer, director, producer...
Al Franken, current Senator from Minnesota, former writer and actor on Saturday Night Live
Glen Thrush, political reporter for the New York Times...
Charlie Rose, television journalist and talk show host...
John Conyers, Congressman from Michigan
Donald J. Trump, Real Estate, businessman, reality TV show host and 45th President of the United States.
These are just a few of the well known names of men who have been accused of improper and sexually oriented conduct toward others that have hit the headlines in the last few weeks. You'll note the list doesn't include others who have been previously accused of similar inappropriate behavior like Bill Cosby, Roger Ailes or Bill O'Reilly.
If you Google this subject, there's no shortage of things that will come up.
It's a strange thing, this "sexual misconduct" thing. When you have grown men like Louis CK, for example, guys who can make or break a career, they certainly hold the power over younger female wannabees. By now we've all heard the "MO's" of guys like him.
Aspiring actress somehow meets famous/powerful male in some setting. It may be a professional one or it may be a social one or it may fall somewhere in both camps. One way or the other, the young lady is invited to come up to his room, or his house, office, etc. to discuss the business further. Once in that environment, it doesn't seem to take long before someone is making advances, speaking lewdly, pleasuring one's self or worse. The woman is in a helluva situation, with no easy way out sometimes and a genuine fear of "...shit, what will this mean for my career? I don't want to be a waitress all my life.
It's easy for any of us who haven't been in that situation to cast judgement. Or, if we have found ourselves in a similar circumstance, to ask why didn't she just "do what I did?" Which may mean anything from comply fully with the creeps advances and hope that somehow down the road it'll be somehow "worth it," to find a way to walk/run away as fast as you can. We're all wired differently and I suspect that while most women would choose to just get out of there intact, there are those who will - in an almost transactional way - go along.
It's a unthinkable choice to have to make, on the spot and one that 99% of men have no concept of whatsoever. I'm in no position to judge the choice any woman decides is the right one if she finds herself in such a terrible situation. (And neither are you.)
I'm 57, I've worked for over 40 years and I've never - not once - ever been pressured or harassed while working or at school by an employer or professor. I don't think I'm the exception to the rule.
Men have had an asinine outlook toward women for centuries. Religion hasn't exactly been an advocate for women right's either. The odds have been stacked against women for, well, for ever...
Obtaining a college degree, succeeding at a job or ascending through the ranks is already difficult enough for legitimate reasons. The work is usually difficult to some degree, there's competition for a particular position or promotion. Real life, family, kids, health issues, relationships, etc. also can present necessary distractions that make everything harder and stressful.
It's probably safe to safe to say that if you take a man and a woman, send them through the same college and career experience and they both attain the same basic position of leadership, that the female has had to put up with more bullshit along the way than the male did.
Everything from her figure to her clothes, her hair, her makeup, her perfume, etc... Men don't typically have to deal with that nonsense. And then on top of that, some fat, sweaty "fill in the blank with guy's name" wants to fool around a bit or he'll impede her career?
Seriously?
Men are pigs and we always will be, I suspect. Some of us behave better than others. I'd even say most of us know how to act around a woman and be professional. The ones who don't deserve everything that comes their way.
While not enough, most guys have been informed of basic rules of a workplace. It's not rocket science. Here are the basics:
Don't touch anybody except to shake hands.
Don't talk about anyone's physical appearance with others.
Meet with clients, associates, etc. in a mostly public place.
Keep the conversation and your language as professional as possible.
Find companionship, sex, etc. somewhere else than work.
It's not that hard...
No comments:
Post a Comment