OPINION — For many old white male culture warriors, such as myself, the daily streams of sexual harassment allegations are “I told you so” moments. For over 30 years, we have forecast the consequences of family breakdown and the sexual revolution. Today, we have every justification to ask, “What did you expect?”
Nearly every male accused of sexual harassment and assault is either a longtime defender of women’s rights or gay rights or both – champions of sexual liberation.
Of course, to be fair, some male Hollywood and media stars that champion liberal causes are also happily married and monogamous. But they are so comparatively few to be rightly celebrated as novelties. We admire the morality of Hollywood elder statesman Tom Hanks, on screen and off, but his marital fidelity is the exception to the rule in the star-studded entertainment industry.
And speaking of Hanks, he said he is not surprised by Hollywood’s sexual harassment scandal saying there are “predators absolutely everywhere.” Somehow, unbelievably, Hanks has yet to ask and answer the question why.
No doubt Hanks would argue, and not altogether incorrectly, that there is no cause and effect between political and social beliefs and these sexual allegations. Again, there are too many examples where this is not true. He might argue that any belief does not give one human being the right to sexually abuse another human being – unless, of course, what you believe does afford you that right.
To be clear, I am not saying there is ever a right to abuse another human being. I am saying I am not surprised by all of these Hollywood-related allegations. Nor am I saying that these victims are culpable in the abuses inflicted upon them. They are not culpable.
These abuses lay solely at the feet of the abusers. I do not question or indict the victims in any way. I do, however, question and indict the abusers and go on to ask if a culture in which women are regularly sexually objectified and regularly cast in cinematic situations of sexual objectification or roles defending progressive culture, somehow encourages the abusers?
Certainly, these alleged abuses are about power over another human being. These abuses are about power in the eyes of the victims and probably as much about power as it is sexual for the perpetrators. But enlightened people need to honest with themselves. Defenders of the sexual revolution, in all of its hues and colors, cannot honestly say with a straight face that important aspects of a free society, such as self-determination, individual rights and self-expression, alone are sufficient deterrents to withstand all of the relational nuances arising from an anything-goes culture.
Rational Americans believe in and sustain the rights of women and abhor physical and sexual abuse against them and anyone else. But if your worldview or social philosophy simply revolves around the utility of pain and pleasure, as do all belief systems that begin with the prefix lib, should you be surprised if one person’s pain is another person’s pleasure? Should you be surprised, under those specific conditions, that men process the quest for female beauty different than women? And, when men do see female “liberation” differently than women, should you be surprised that sexual abuses will occur? Call it the “Hugh Hefner Syndrome” if you will. Why be surprised when men who champion women’s rights as a category of the sexual revolution objectify women and treat their rights as justifications for bad behavior?
Every one of these alleged abusers has been a champion of women, especially their sexual liberation. Are we surprised at that?
Hanks is living proof that a Hollywood man can view women’s rights separate and apart from the sexual revolution or gay rights as human rights. But, again, Hanks is not your average Hollywood man. He does not fight for such rights in the context of the sexual revolution. He seemingly sees such rights as matters of human dignity. But what allegedly has happened in these cases of abuse is undignified and he and others like him would do well to add their voices to the choir asking why such undignified behavior has become some sort of norm in Hollywood. Are there really this many otherwise upstanding Hollywood men who just happen to choose to be perverts? Or have their perversions been encouraged? And, if encouraged, but not by the women abused, by what?
Sexual abuse is about power over another human being. But we would be negligent to ignore why this abuse is predominantly expressed sexually in Hollywood.
I’m Paul Mero. Thanks for listening.
Paul Mero is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Not just Hollywood. Lately it’s politicians, school teachers and coaches. Address the entire subject please.
*cough* Donald Trump, Bill O’Reilly *cough*
Sexual assault and sexual harassment are not partisan issues. It is profoundly stupid to suggest that these are recent developments tied to equal rights for women and homosexuals. This crap has been happening since David bedded Bathsheba.
It is also silly to say that this is happening primarily in Hollywood. This has been happening in corporate America, in churches, and in schools forever. We just hear the reports of politicians and actors because they are famous, not because they are the only ones abusing their power for sex.
This is just the latest of media “fads.” I’m not saying that the abuses did not occur, nor am I saying that any of them should be swept under the carpet.
What I am saying, is that this is another case of the media jumping on top of what is a truly bad situation, and hyping it up out of all reason. I’m not even saying that this should not have been brought up years ago. Of course it should have been.
But I’m very sceptical about alleged occurrences that happened years ago. Particularly when nothing has been said about it, until after all the media hype started.
What was an unqualified “yes” years ago, is now being denied as a yes, and pushed as having been a “NO.”
Soon, the media interest in this will wane. The next thing will come along and catch the media’s attention.
But just maybe, all this publicity over sexual misconduct, will actually bring about needed changes.
First things first, I would like to thank you for putting words into Tom Hanks mouth. Like the rest out here, I’m pretty sure you have no clue what he thinks or would say.
Second: sexual revolution? What sexual revolution, and why would women fight for rights via a sexual revolution? Have you stopped taking your meds because that article is delusional on so many levels?
Third: sexual abuse is not exclusive to Hollywood, take a drive through the bible belt and experience the highest stats for abuse especially on children.
And to put blame on liberals is dishonest. I have to wonder Mero, were you abused as a child? I mean did you get dropped one too many times?
This is a worldwide problem and is steeped in plain old bad human behaviour, not Hollywood behaviour.
The entire government and Hollywood and the school systems are all going to bust out in one giant Jerry Springer
Show ! Get your sodas and your popcorn and enjoy the show !! Hahahahaha! Nobody said draining the swamp would be pretty !!
I love that in your mind the SPOTUS (sexual predator of the United States) gets credit for this change. The irony is thick there. Trump is the principle example of it all: self-avowed sexual predator, he is “mainstream media” and Hollywood, he is a failed education brand (ie scam), etc. He is the talking head of a brand about excess and self-aggrandizement.
Good morning you little triggered blowhard democrat.. queen of cut and paste…Watch the swamp drain !! hahahahaha!
I get the sense you don’t actually understand the word “triggered”. The irony becomes painful after a while.
I do get the word “triggered” !! That’s you ll the time you long winded know nothing cut and paste liberal ! The left wing talking points of the day word for word. You are so predictable it would hurt if it weren’t so funny ! hahahaha!
Triggered has officially jumped the shark. Might want to find a new blog to parrot.
They say there’s no point in being the back end of a horse unless you can prove it, bikeandfish, and you prove it every time you post ! Don’t you ever get tired of losing?
Losing? I actually got you to write a semi-coherent sentence without unneeded exclamation points, no all caps screaming and few right wing talking points.
YES, you are losing everyday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA! Never have I seen anyone more wrong than you on every issue ! Totally misinformed and so biased to the liberal side you belong on the view.! and you do continiue to prove you are the back end of a horse ! what spews from your brain could knock a buzzard off of a wagon full of corpses..hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You need a fresh fish and your bike has 2 flats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After 6 months you have yet to ever back up any of your troll rhetoric about being wrong. It’s really not that difficult to support your claims, wanna give it a try?
But I’ll take an educated guess on your response. It will likely involve some random insult and/or an outdated phrase from a right-wing blog post from last year and/or “hahahaha” and/or too many exclamations points, and some 3rd grade attempt at a pun about my outline handle.
Its fun as either you’ll elevate your comments to something remotely cogent or dig in with another juvenile response.
“At this point what difference doe it make ?” hahahahahahaha! Everybody is born ignorant but you have to work really hard at remaining stupid.. and you work really hard at it cut and paste queen !
As for supporting my claims? My only claim is that you are a blowhard liberal snowflake and you back me up on that claim every time you reply ! Your fish is getting old and everybody is growing tired of your inane liberal lectures.. you should actually try to get to the point sometime .. duh..so many words and never an actual point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Addressing the myriad roots of the sexual assaults in Hollywood is critical to change. I’ll admit that. Its a fair line of inquiry. The problem is you assume its a modern result of “lib” movements or the “sexual revolution”. Accounts of teenage Judy Garland being groped (ie without consent, ie pedophilia) during production of movies in the 30s are well known. The reality is men in Hollywood have always objectified women and their bodies and exerted control over them, often coercively. This was a well-established reality long before the sexual revolution of the 60s. Marilyn Monroe was honest in her memoir that she “saw Hollywood with their eyes—an overcrowded brothel, a merry-go-round with beds for horses.”. Hollywood has always been a problematic place that represented every aspect of humanity, especially the Id. Given sexual innuendo litters most older movies what do you think was happening behind the scenes in an era in which women were still subjugated by a repressive/oppressive culture?
What men have long ignored about the women’s liberation movement is the core principle that women have personal agency and their liberty should be respected and protected as much as men. Instead, pundits like yourself have always chosen to frame the issue still from a place of male perspective and power which perpetuates a role of dominance and objectification. That is antithetical to women’s liberation. Before folks react, its fundamentally different for a woman to personally choose certain roles instead of being coerced or forced into subservient ones (ie real personal agency and liberty).
Which leads to a reality that Mero and others have also ignored…ie that “that important aspects of a free society, such as self-determination, individual rights and self-expression, alone are sufficient deterrents to withstand all of the relational nuances” never truly involved an “anything goes culture” ( a right wing pejorative). Instead, we know and advocate respecting individual liberty because it inherently requires teaching others how to respect another citizens agency, freedom and choices. In this context, that means teaching men that women aren’t to be treated as objects of their sexual desire but humans with free will, complex desires and the ability to make decisions for themselves, including consensual sex. America has failed to fully accommodate the range of human liberty outside the white male christian paradigm and continues to fight it hence “identity politics”. Until men come to terms with the full range of true liberty we will always have “lib” movements of various stripes.
If you want to change the rampant issue of sexual assault and harrassment then its time to teach our men to decouple power and privilege from their concepts of sexuality, which is the keystone of consent. We need to teach our men to be better.
I think that it would be very interesting to take a look at the carrier paths of these women that have waited all these years to report these “abuses”. I wonder if they used them as a way to work their way up the ladder or as leverage against the abuser. Not that this would ever happen. Now it is more profitable to be part of the media feeding frenzy so no more secrets. I am not saying this happened for sure, just wondering. May be worth a look.
Ugh, sexual assault and harrassment is not consensual by definition which undermines your premise. Take a look at Weinstein. Rape isn’t a choice on the victims part and that is what Rose McGowan alleges happened. Rape isn’t sleeping your way to the top.
Take a look at Lauer. Giving sex toys as work gifts, locking women in your office or assaulting a colleague isn’t women sleeping their way to the top. Look at Franken. Being groped as you sleep or while in a photo isn’t sleeping your way to the top.
Geraldo Riveria drugging and assaulting Bette Midler, after she was already famous isn’t about her career but about his predatory behavior.
Get the theme yet? Men like O’Reilly, Weinstein, Spacey, and Lauer actively suppress victim accounts for years. I mean, Weinstein employed ex-Masad soldiers to antagonize victims and bury their stories.
Blaming the victim is an old, tired tactic that only benefits predators.
BikeandFish needs to spend more time…
You guessed it…biking and fishing.
Only takes a few minutes to read and respond. Actually about to head out for another multi-day camping trip within the next week. That will put me at almost a month of camping and recreating this autumn. Internet conversations and outdoor life aren’t mutually exclusive. But thanks for the concern.
IMHO (the “h” is silent), a lot of this current sexual abuse nonsense comes down to a question of language. Say what you will about Orwell, one thing he recognized is that language is the key to human behavior.
I.E., when I was younger, Harvey Weinstein would have been called a “dog.” Or maybe a “_____hound.” He would have been avoided by some women because of this, but that would be the extent of it. And life would go on.
Time proceeds, women become more legislatively empowered, and suddenly a guy like Weinstein is no longer a dog, he’s a “sexual harasser.” Okay, maybe a fair label, and no big deal. We can all live our lives comfortably around sexual harassers. Everyone ultimately gets to choose with whom they associate and with whom they do not.
Then women become even more empowered and all of a sudden a guy like Weinstein is a “sexual ABUSER.” Hmmm. There’s certainly a difference between “harassment” and “abuse,” but okay, we gave them the power and this is what they decided to call the dogs. What can ya do, it doesn’t seem correct, but they’re our equals now so we have to listen to them. Seems so make the Weinsteins seem a lot worse of a problem than they really are but I guess at some point we gave up the right to protect our own from this kind of unfair name-calling.
And most recently, when women have become empowered well beyond any level any human on Earth merits, they have decided men like Harvey Weinstein are “sexual PREDATORS!!” Oooh, a predator is bad. There’s a hockey team called that. Brings to mind a tiger on the prowl, muscles tensed, ready to pounce and kill anything edible that crosses its path. You start calling a guy a predator, and there’s no mitigation, he’s an evil guy, evil to the core.
And somehow, they’ve made it stick. I’d assume it’s because the mainstream media is always ready to jump on any abuse of the English language that looks good in a headline.
But the behavior never changed. The Harvey Weinsteins of today are no different, in any respect, than the David O. Selznicks of yesteryear. They’re just called something entirely different. Only the language has changed, people are exactly the same. Yet the change in language has propelled us into a cultural paradigm shift of monstrous proportion – in favor, of course, of the women who successfully changed the language to suit their purpose.
Now every woman is a victim. All reasonably attractive women have been “victims” of sexual predators at some point. Have you been hit on? Did it make you “uncomfortable?” Congratulations, you’re a victim.
It’s enough to make me believe in aliens. I figure I must be one, because I can no longer understand the behavior of you Earthlings at all.
I only have one last thing to say: If you’re a man, for God’s sake, stand up for yourself! You are NOT a “sexual predator.” You are a male of a species which requires sex to happen in order to continue the species. Before it’s genuinely too late to reconcile the sexes to a common purpose, let this planet’s women know where they stand. Same place they have always stood – slightly back and to the left.
Gasping for air when you desperately recommend others remind women they belong behind you.
Rape is definitely the behavior of a sexual predator which Weinstein, Ratner and others are accused of by multiple women. And your lack of knowledge shines through again as the phrase was first documented and then popularized by men.
Its at least honest to stand on the wrong side of history and morality when you openly try to write off the actions of rapists and other predators. You have been consistent in volunteering such abhorrent and socially deviant ideology.
If there ever was a phrase that symbolized ignorance, complacency and privilege it is “we can all lives our lives comfortably around sexual harassers.”. Wow, you really put it all on the table, I’ll give you that.
I think it was you that said there was no such thing as rape culture. Making sense now. It hard to see it when it the primary lense through which you view the world. You are the epitome of rape culture (see also Geraldo Rivera and “criminalizing courtship” the day Middler’s old interview aired about his drugging and assaulting her.)
What’s interesting, Bike, is that if I had said what I just said 20 years ago, I’d have been called a “male chauvanist” or some such but there would have been no excuse to be “outraged” by it. Now, my attitude outrages some folks. Give someone permission to be outraged and suddenly, they’re outraged.
But again, I haven’t said anything that isn’t true.
How many RAPE allegations are involved here, Bike? Because rape is a pretty serious matter. Rape is forcing a woman to engage in sex by physical intimidation or coercion. I do not condone rape, rapists need to be locked up and pay for their crimes.
But like so many liberals, you never hesitate to throw an extreme into the middle of a conversation about something minor.
Rose McGowan says Harvey Weinstein raped her. She didn’t say that when it happened. She’s been in at least one of his movies of which I am aware – Death Proof I think. So if it’s true – which it may or may not be, we still have the presumption of innocence in this country unless I’m mistaken – then rape must be no big deal to Ms. McGowan. She just let it slide when it happened, and went on to do business with Mr. Weinstein.
Now, though, that she’s pretty sure she’s never going to be in one of Weinstein’s movies – or anyone’s movies for that matter – again, she’s crying “RAPE!” Suspicious. To say the least.
As usual you have the perspective of the first turnip into the truck, Bike. I’m not talking about rape. And the media isn’t talking about rape. What we’re talking about are men who use positions of power to coerce women into bed – VOLUNTARILY. They can say No. But there’s a prize dangling in front of them if they say Yes. So they do so. That’s not rape. That’s not abuse. That’s a transaction.
And what I mean when I say we can all live with sexual harassers is simple: We all DO live with sexual harassers, by the current definition. Because apparently, what sexual harassment is, is as follows: Making a hard case to a woman about why she should have sex with you. Or vice versa I suppose, though I don’t imagine that happens from the opposite side nearly as often. But yeah, that’s sexual harassment. And at the end of THAT transaction, the woman still has the option to say No.
And what exactly is wrong with a man presenting his case to a woman? It may be poorly presented, awkwardly presented, harshly presented, even obscenely presented, but in the end, it is just a guy doing what he feels is his best bet for obtaining a woman’s favors. Which, again, is what propagates the human species and allows us to sit here in the St. George News comments section and have these stimulating conversations. At some point, your dad and my dad convinced our moms to have sex with them or we wouldn’t be here, Bike. Not pleasant to think about but that’s how it works.
So no, we’re not talking about rape, much as I’m sure you would like to lump all men’s sexual behavior into the most incriminating and ugly category possible. We’re talking about courtship. It’s different for everyone, men and women alike. I’m not sure how much experience you have with women, but I can tell you that many women will say No a half-dozen times while they’re thinking Yes all along. it’s a game. We play it. They play it. There are winners and losers. And it never goes like this:
Man: “Want to have sex?”
Woman: “Yes.”
Well, maybe in Vegas or Hollywood, but not in the real world.
So you know, Bike, twist it around however you want, but in the end, ask yourself one question – do you see any women accusing Hugh Jackman or Leonardo DiCaprio of sexual abuse? Nope. Do you really believe they’ve never said or done any of the same things some of these other guys are accused of? Of course they have. Only the ugly guys get accused, because it’s only believable about an ugly guy. No one’s going to believe a girl didn’t want to sleep with Wolverine. But ugly guys need love too. And whatever they offer for it, women can take it or leave it. That’s modern romance.
Please educate yourself before commenting. Rose McGowan very much complained and fought Weinstein out of the gate. He paid her off and required a NDA. Given it took 10+ years for the allegations to catch up with him it fair to assume that was the only likely justice in that era.
Your construct of who gets accused is wrong and reflection of your ignorance not reality. Ben Affleck, Ed Wistick, Ryan Seacrest, etc are all men women have idolized that have been accused. It’s not about looks or sexual prowess; its about power and dominance, two things you yourself condone (hence you = rape culture).
Rape is at the extreme end of the spectrum but its not isolated from other forms of assault. What Weinstein did was consistently non consensual and used force and coercion. Same goes for Luis CK, Spacey, Ratner, Russel Simmons, Lauer etc. The law and contracts agree. At some point your ignorance of the details are not an excuse as you passionately call assault courtship.
It sounds like your parents met differently than mine which might explain your justifications for abhorrent behavior. Mine didn’t meet by whipping their penis out and self pleasuring themselves; they didn’t meet by my dad using his physical weight to assault her; drugging her; locking her in a room; etc. That is assault and coercion and you are unequivocally supporting it. Actually read the detail or admit you support criminal sexuality. I think your place in history is clear given your own admission that you don’t see clarity in the word “no”. Consent and the importance of “no” has been clear and established for 20+ years.
Presumed innocence is for the courts. If justice was common for sexual assault then more women would have faith in that system and file charges. But after centuries of being constantly told they aren’t worth society’s time (just look at rape kit back logs) they have found a social platform to hold their predators accountable. Weinstein, Cosby, et al have enough evidence against them for me and most respectable individuals to condemn them.
Its telling that you double down on your ideas of sexual harrassment. Society disagrees and has criminalized such action because of how it actively harms people.
The era of groping, coercion and assault is coming to an end. Our species, and consensual courtship, will do just fine even as a few cultural dinosaurs die a slow, painful death. Good riddance.
As usual, I appreciate the comments. I understand that sexual harrassment and abuses are everywhere and not limited historically to the post-Sexual Revolution era. In these crimes there are enablers and hypocrites to write about. I have written tons about the hypocrites like Trump and Moore and other “family value” Republicans. This piece is about the enablers specifically from the Hollywood crowd.
I actually appreciate your willingness to often shine a light inward to your own party. Its a rare political quality and often done with great hesitancy by other pundits. And individuals from both parties tend to then lob insults like RINO or DINO against those brave enough to speak out.
Folks like you, on both sides of the aisle, give me hope that we can eventually stabalize our national politics. There will always be spirited disagreement but there was an era in which bipartisan work could be done. I think we can get there again though I am hesitant to predict how soon.
Per Hollywood….our country could benefit from weaning off its influence. And the enablers of its worst behavior should always be called out. I have seen more evidence that the sexual revolution benefited society but it definitely misinformed certain segments of the US population and their sexual predation. That is an issue worth pondering.
The real irony in all of this is, the party of women’s rights who nominated a women to be president is the party of most of the abusers of women in politics, entertainment and the media. I’m convinced that the Dems really just want power and they pander to women, gays, ethnics, blacks, the poor and whoever else will vote for them. The power has then been used to abuse the very individuals who supported them and Dem culture has been used to protect each other from consequences.
Y’all can keep arguing over why it’s “popular” now for women to start talking about what has happened to them. The truth is that it happens every day to thousands of people, has been happening forever and no one really has ever given a …* about it.
The truth is, that there is power in numbers, and victims are continuously shamed for speaking up about what happened to them over and over and over, frequently seeing that nothing is done, so why report it? They’ve already had to suffer through the event itself, then they’re disregarded and told, you’ll be ok, go get some counseling or they’ll offer whatever the “quick fix” is, to cover the asses of the people whose job it is to help them. Power in numbers of seeing another person that has experienced the same thing (sometimes by the same person) that worked up the courage to come forward and say something about a very real horrible experience they both shared is very powerful and difficult.
If you think for one moment that they are all lying, then you are a delusional moron. To welcome the kind of scrutiny and accusations that victims share by coming forward is about as comfortable as inviting cancer into yourself.
These experiences eat at you, over and over and over, and continue to effect you and your relationships and trust (with anyone, parents, children, Husband, Wife, Girl/Boyfriend, Coworkers, friends etc) you have NO IDEA what it does to you moment by moment, day by day for the rest of your life. Sure, you can seek help and work yourself past some of it, but it will always remain as part of your psyche. Your trust in others is forever changed and you lose some of the light that used to be inside of you. If more women and men are coming forward because there is strength in numbers and more support now, then good for them. They all deserve to heal and seek to regain a little of the light that was dimmed by a person that took that away from them. The accused deserve to defend themselves, of course, there are a few out there that jump on a bandwagon to seek fame and fortune I understand that happens. Please don’t assume that if the accusations are towards a famous person, that they’re all lying to gain $$. It kind of comes down to “who would you believe”? If someone is powerful, or in a position of power or authority over another, then who has the power to brush it off or make it go away? the famous/powerful person does. So a victim feels, why put myself through more terror and turmoil if no one will believe me or I’ll lose no matter what they did to me? Please, please, please think before you lump all victims into this “out for fame and fortune” category you keep rolling your eyes at, and assume you have any idea what is happening inside of their minds or think you know what their motivations for stepping forward are.
I hope you nor your loved ones ever have to experience any kind of assault. It can literally kill someone’s spirit and cause irreparable damage. If you don’t want to see people “playing a victim card” then go bury your head in the sand, because this is happening every minute of every day to all kinds of people (adults and children) in your community and state and country. There should never be any shame placed on anyone that is telling the truth. It’s for the authorities to decide if the accused is guilty, but we should stop trying to shame a victim that finds the courage to step forward, even if it is years after the event. Judging someone in the court of public opinion is rarely accurate nor just. So show a little compassion and be supportive of someone who finds the courage to finally say something.
*Ed. ellipsis.
Thank you for this!
Being a survivor isn’t easy and the justice system fails and society place immense shame on sexual assault survivors.
I for one am proud of every survivor coming forward and society for finally taking them seriously. Its about time!