I have been very disturbed with the sexual assault movement that has been growing for these past few months. I thought that by the time I sat down to write at least one column about it, it would be old news.
Sorry to say, it is more relevant and growing more than ever before. And it's long overdue.
What started out as an isolated charge against a twisted Hollywood mogul has exploded into many charges against the same individual, now multiplied against many others in Tinseltown. And from there it has spilled over to the media and politics. Some church systems and schools, of course, have been at the forefront of sexual impropriety for years.
I can hardly think of anything more reprehensible than taking advantage of vulnerable young women to satisfy one's sexual fantasies. And on the other hand, it takes a lot of courage and moxie to stand up and speak against such evil. And I believe that when the charges are proven, the perps should have the book thrown at them.
Whether justice will be served is another question.
I am isolating Hollywood for most of this column, though the media, politics, and other contexts could easily apply. Hollywood seems to be having its disproportionate share of these accusations, so a thousand thoughts flood my mind. Okay, maybe just a few, but enough to fill a column.
For starters, when I think of Hollywood, I think automatically of sex and sleaze. In other words, I would be more shocked if I read of these things happening, say, with the RCMP and schools. Why? Well, because the Hollywood environment is ripe for that behaviour to take place, though I see now that the RCMP and schools are not too far behind.
When it comes to what Hollywood represents, it's not surprising, then, that that abuse occurs. The environment for such sordid behaviour is there and it's surprising there aren't other charges of inappropriate behaviour. Maybe there are and we'll hear about them in the months to come.
I am aware of the cinematic filth that Hollywood produces these days and it angers yet saddens me that the studios—from actors and actresses to directors and producers—have to stoop to that level. And what we're hearing about now is actually going on behind closed doors. Very grievous, indeed.
Movies can be such a vital tool for education and entertainment that there is no need to sell themselves at the sex level. However, Hollywood has sold itself that way for decades, and is getting worse by the year—that is one reason why it's in the trouble it is.
Then just out of the blue, when I think of the MSU situation (Dr. Larry Nassar), I see a completely different set of circumstances. For years Nassar preyed on innocent young women, in varying degrees, creating moral, sexual, and emotional havoc in the lives of those who came to trust him.
These were not women who were compromising their morals to climb a career ladder. These were not women who, in turn, were involved in the moral cesspool that Hollywood is known for. These were not women who have displayed some loose living.
Rather, these were women were young, promising athletes who suffered the humiliation of sexual abuse at the hands (literally) of a sexual predator whom they trusted as a doctor and mentor. Over the course of time, they lost their innocence, trust and hope—all virtually irreplaceable qualities.
I wonder when and where it will end. For the myriads of us men who do keep our hands and thoughts to ourselves, who are not guilty of committing sexual crimes against women, and who do not feed an insatiable appetite of flesh, are we ourselves safe? That is, safe from trumped-up allegations and innuendos, or worse, baseless charges.
An over-reaction to this would be the end of kind warm genuine hugs, looks, or even words that could be misconstrued for something inappropriate. That's a very unfortunate fallout which will result from this whole crisis, but what can we do?
Better to be safe than sorry. It's just too bad we have to learn this lesson from Hollywood.
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