Male violence and harassment of women

[jimbob]

It also pisses my off that there's umbrage that it was a private reception and the Mirror "broke convention" by reporting it. As if that makes it OK.

WTAFM

BROKE CONVENTION?

I guess racist jokes are also fine if said to people who are unlikely to repeat them, or maybe proposals for engagingnin criminal activity?

[bagpuss]

Yes, spokesperson for Home Sec says it was supposed to be a private conversation, as if that somehow makes it OK. It wouldn't be OK if he'd just said it to one old mate in their home after a few drinks. There's nothing about it that is OK, ironic or even faintly amusing. Fecking hell.

[discovolante]

Slightly weird one on Saturday - I was in a bar that was fairly busy and narrow. I was walking along the length of it behind the queue, and at one point someone in the queue stepped back a bit into my path, so I moved to the side to get past them. Behind me because I'd moved, the hand of a guy who was walking behind me I'm pretty sure completely accidentally slightly brushed my bum*. I turned round pretty reflexively and the guy immediately put both of his hands up, stared straight ahead of him and charged past me 'IT WAS AN ACCIDENT I DID NOT DO IT ON PURPOSE, I WAS NOT TRYING TO TOUCH YOU, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT'. I tried to reassure him and tell him I knew it was an accident and not to worry, but he wouldn't look me in the eye and just carried on shouting and staring straight ahead until he was completely past me. I dunno if he was a bit under the influence of something or if the fact that he wasn't looking at me meant he didn't realise I was trying to reassure him rather than shout at him for groping me, but it was a bit well, frustrating I guess, and he came across kind of aggressive. Maybe he'd had a terrible experience with an unwarranted accusation before or something. Anyway that was the last I saw of him. Anyway, strange guy, and top tip, if you ever accidentally touch someone in a way that could potentially be interpreted as gropey don't yell at them!


*yes my bum, I can't take myself seriously enough on this to call it my buttock.

[discovolante]

Old news now (I mean it was like a week ago?) but the Saoirse Ronan / Graham Norton thing. I'm probably a bit biased but I think the general media response laid into Paul Mescal et al a bit too harshly. Obviously I don't know the guy but I've listened to a couple of more serious interviews with Paul Mescal and he seems (or seemed, who knows what Hollywood will do to him now!) to be an intelligent person with a decent head on his shoulders. His joke was thoughtless but he looked quite embarrassed when it was called out and didn't seem to get defensive, and neither did any of the others as far as I could tell. Give people space to learn and grow, come on!