Are All Men Pigs?
This morning, I turned on the Today Show, and instead of seeing Matt Lauer in his usual seat, I saw a tearful Savannah Guthrie and a mournful Hoda Kotbe announce that Lauer had been fired for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. Lauer seems like a real nice guy on the air, but a few years ago the stories circulated that he was a real SOB to Ann Curry during her brief tenure as co-anchor. Yet "sexually inapprpriate conduct"?
And yet ...
Lauer joins the ranks of Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Al Franken, Richard Branson, John Conyers, Kevin Spacey...not to mention guys like Elliot Spitzer, Anthony Weiner, Bill Cosby...
It's like the floodgates have burst.
As if electing a sexual predator to the highest office in the land, and seeing a pedophile who was banned from a shopping mall because he was preying on teenage girls make a run for US Senate has created this enormous backlash....
Sex scandals have always been with us. Sexual harassment has always been with us. Our culture seems to be accepting of this misconduct.
There's actually a song in a Broadway show that addresses the issue. If you've ever seen How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, orignially produced in the 1960's, you may recall the production number "A Secretary Is Not A Toy", which cautions the newly-minted executive to keep his hands to himself. It's a lighthearted dance number, it's full of innuendo, not a serious discussion of the problem.
And yet...
When I saw the revival on Broadway a few years ago -- with Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette -- that song made me a little uncomfortable.
But our culture is changing. victims are coming forward, employers are taking swift action.
And yet...
I fear that this may become a witchhunt of sorts. The guy who makes crude comments and suggestions cannot be treated the same way as the guy who drugs and rapes young women any more than the kid who steals a candy bar from a grocery store should be treated the same as the armed robber who holds up a bank. And false allegations can ruin lives.
And yet...
Enough is enough.
And yet ...
Lauer joins the ranks of Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Al Franken, Richard Branson, John Conyers, Kevin Spacey...not to mention guys like Elliot Spitzer, Anthony Weiner, Bill Cosby...
It's like the floodgates have burst.
As if electing a sexual predator to the highest office in the land, and seeing a pedophile who was banned from a shopping mall because he was preying on teenage girls make a run for US Senate has created this enormous backlash....
Sex scandals have always been with us. Sexual harassment has always been with us. Our culture seems to be accepting of this misconduct.
There's actually a song in a Broadway show that addresses the issue. If you've ever seen How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, orignially produced in the 1960's, you may recall the production number "A Secretary Is Not A Toy", which cautions the newly-minted executive to keep his hands to himself. It's a lighthearted dance number, it's full of innuendo, not a serious discussion of the problem.
And yet...
When I saw the revival on Broadway a few years ago -- with Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette -- that song made me a little uncomfortable.
But our culture is changing. victims are coming forward, employers are taking swift action.
And yet...
I fear that this may become a witchhunt of sorts. The guy who makes crude comments and suggestions cannot be treated the same way as the guy who drugs and rapes young women any more than the kid who steals a candy bar from a grocery store should be treated the same as the armed robber who holds up a bank. And false allegations can ruin lives.
And yet...
Enough is enough.
Well said. It is truly appalling to contemplate the fact that our society has for so long just given a wink and a nod to sexual offenders, while making it virtually impossible for a victim to receive justice in our court system. Perhaps the tide is turning at last. Enough has long since been enough.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Dorothy.
ReplyDeleteThe cleansing spotlight of public scrutiny has finally fallen on this problem. And like with anything, the glaring bright light is illuminating some cracks that we did not expect. And probably taking out some who don't deserve it along with those that do.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, this is good. This has been a problem for a long time. I just wonder if it's too late for other things...