Protocol: DURING A RECENT City Arts and Lectures program, Tom Hanks was asked by interviewer Dave Eggers to comment on the sexual harassment and abuse cases coming to light in Hollywood. He launched into a well thought out and poignant observation about the current rash of accusations in Hollywood and elsewhere.
He pointed out that, in the workplace, those in charge assume (incorrectly) a certain privilege because of their status that they believe allows them to make the rules and to demand and expect that their requests, demands, and desires be obeyed. He admitted that this was not a new phenomena, but, while it may actually stem from some primordial male trait, it is inexcusable, not only in the workplace, but in civilization.
I have yet to meet a woman who can tell me that she has not experienced at least harassment, if not worse, at work. They get it not only from their bosses and others in positions of power, but from men they work with and strangers on the street. It is pervasive.
1 comment:
I have noticed the large onslaught of articles and news stories regarding the sudden birth of sexual harrasment stories in the film and theater industries. Something else I have noticed is that yes there are alot of stories to be told t the public but there are few articles explaining what is to be done and what precautions and repurcussions will be taken to stop this major horrifying problem. When I first started reading this article I ws excited to see what plan would be formed to let me know and reassure me that something effective will be done, but that isn’t the case I realized. Yes we need to listen to the victims, and yes we need to reprimand the predators, but we need to do more than that because nothing is changing. We need to educate. We need to educate the young boys and girls in generations below us to respect and cherish others. We need to educate that everyone is equal and worthy. We need to educate that people can be different but that is okay and not a reason to punish. I hope that our society learns to soon move forward by teaching what is right and what is wrong.
Post a Comment