Sexual Targets

Its pretty hard to discuss some issues honestly without being misunderstood.

One of these is the recent sexual harassment charges against some people in the movie industry and just in general.

We see cases where powerful men took advantage of their positions and imposed certain situations upon women who either worked for them or wanted to work for them.

Its certainly nothing that hasn't been going on for a long time but its become a hot button issue where you are either on the right side or you are condemned.

Take comments made by Mayim Bialik where she said she hadn't had that problem because of the way she dressed and acted and because she isn't your typical attractive starlet or star.

The reaction was instantaneous and vehement causing her to provide clarifications and deal with some public shaming.

Except of course most of us realize that what she said made perfect sense.

I never worked in Hollywood but it is pretty obvious in any particular environment that you have women and men for that matter who go out of their way to be attractive and appealing and others who dress and act more modestly.

Of course everyone has the right to dress how they see fit as long as it complies with any dress codes, but one group comes across as approachable and the other doesn't.

Does this impact sexual predators?  Common sense would tell you it does, although you hear talking heads argue that sexual abuse is about power, not sex.  Well I think it's more a combination.

I'm not talking about physical rape here, but it seems pretty obvious that appearance and behavior have an impact on what happens.  Attractive women generally are pretty good at dealing with powerless men who approach them.  They get enough practice.  Its men who are powerful that are hard to say no to.

In my job one of the women on a team I ran was young, attractive stylish and very outgoing.  It was pretty normal to see a small cluster of young men stopping by and chatting to the point where I had to talk to some of them about wasting time and talked to her about the same issue.  It helped but I suspect that when I wasn't there it still went on.

Now there was nothing inappropriate about her dress or behavior, and she was very pleasant and able to carry a conversation.  We had a fairly friendly relationship in a father-daughter sort of way and I did mention at one time that she needed to be a little careful.

Well eventually she took a job in another location and a few years later I heard she was involved in a sexual harassment case.  I have no doubt she was in fact harassed and I am not saying it was her fault in any way. 

I also wasn't very surprised.

Respect

In all honesty I had no idea who Harvey Weinstein was before the sex abuse scandal got so much play.  Of course because he was a movie producer in that self absorbed industry the media acts like his conduct exposes something new.

His behavior isn't new but it might have involved famous people.  That doesn't make it more important than the same or worse behavior that goes on almost everywhere.

This is a culture that in some ways encourages the objectification of women while at the same time demanding that such objectification should have no consequences.

Most men have heard other men talking about women as objects and I suppose women may also objectify hunks every now and then.

No one should ever abuse or harass another human being whether sexually or otherwise.

It happens al the time and we see it on many levels.

Bullying is a form of harassment that starts pretty early.

Racism is still way too prevalent in this society.

Sexual harassment is just another form and so is the fact that millions of women are payed less for equal work.

The answer of course is simply respect.  R E S P E C T!

Each person is entitled to it and should be treated with it.

It seem like it would solve a lot of problems and isn't all that hard to do.

We should try it.