Sexual harrassment - is it only for ugly people?

Question

Most sane people agree that sexual harrassment is a bad thing... We all know the types, the office letch with his bad odours and crap jokes, the wannabe stud in the nightclub with too much aftershave and his jeans half way down his legs girating away like he's some sort of popstar, the dirty old man in the bushes...

But what if you were standing on a crowded train an you were goosed by Brad Pitt, fondled inapropriately by Angelina Jloie, or had Kylie and Jonny Depp approach you, cup your naughty bits and invite you for a threesome?

Would you still be offended? Would you consider yourself to have been violated by such unsolicited approaches, or would you be thanking God/ Allah/ Thor (insert appropriate diety here) for your good fortune?

Is sexual harrassment actually a form of discrimination against ugly, smelly types, or are you honestly able to say you would take the moral high ground and reject lewd approaches from somebody you consider to be insanely hot?

Answer 1

If you are ugly and look like the back of a bus and stink to high heaven and your teeth are polished black and you suffer badly from BO and you are NOT harassed, I believe that you should take your case to the European Court of Justice.

That to me is total sexual discrimination on the basis that only pretty, sexually attractive and sweet individuals , SHOULD be harassed.

If you ARE ugly and DO smell awful and with your rotten teeth's, no one is harassing you, then please report it at once.

The government should also set up a compensation fund for people who are so disgusting that no one wants to harass them, so that they may get over the trauma of non harassment.

Answer 2

If Johnny Depp approached me in this way, I'd lose some respect for him. Every time I have met or seen a celebrity in real life who does something that I would consider base in a regular person, it drags even the most attractive celebrity down. I understand everyone is human, but bad behavior is bad behavior, no matter who engages in it.

Anyone who engaged in rude behavior towards me, even if he or she was the hottest thing on two legs, would automatically lose face in my eyes for doing something so blatant (unless, of course, it was a prank and I was being filmed for Candid Camera, in which case I would be shocked, perhaps amused, and irritated a bit. Intent is important. ) I'd be physically put off by a smelly old guy hitting on me in addition to this, but even a hot guy would give me the creeps and lose his "cool factor" if he tried it. Now if Mr. Depp chose to compliment me on my appearance in a less blatant physical way, I would definitely NOT take it amiss. But I wouldn't read more into it than was there.

I'd also say that a person's instinct to be put off by a blatant or threatening sexual advance is part of a survival system. Remember Ted Bundy was a good-looking guy, but....he was Ted Bundy--Serial Killer! (I'm not saying anything about Bundy's approach in his crimes, only that looks can be deceiving and should not govern whether we take inappropriate sexual advances amiss.)

So, in short, I wouldn't be thanking God/Allah/Thor et. al. for good fortune if such an advance came from Adonis or from Vulcan. There are better approaches if the guy wants some, but unfortunately the attractive physical specimens often fall back on that and use it as an excuse for truly bad behavior. I'm not going to help them get away with it!

Answer 3

Lickintonight: an excellent question and if I could give you 'best question' I certainly would. Your points are valid but why stop there. All Political correctness is the same. If Kylie said to some black man 'I love black men, but not white ones, come with me' would she get a complaint for racism. I doubt it. If a gay man was approached by Brad Pitt and chatted up, whilst a straight man stood aside and was refused an autograph, would that be anti heterosexual...... and so the proposition goes on. I would respectfully suggest that all Political Correctness is crap unless it suits your purpose and the sooner the better it is seen as what it truly is, the better. Final example: Police Officer gets his face slashed with a razor, requiring 240 stitches and leaves a scar for life from ear to chin. Almost dies. Awarded £2,000 criminal injury compensation. Female alleges she was constantly joked about at work and not treated equally with her male colleagues. Awarded £200,000 damages. Question: Which hurt the most...

Answer 4

Good question, and I see your point. But from what I know of Johnny Depp and Kylie they would never make an unwelcome sexual advance. Not because they are attractive, but because they appear to be more respectful.

As another answerer pointed out, Christian Slater was accused of sexual harrassment, and I've heard many apocryphal stories of stars who consider themselves irresitible, making crude sexual advances.

So I think it is more complex than that. And apart from horrible smells, which most people seem to agree on, my idea of attractive won't be the same as yours. I have never seen the point of Rod Stewart, Will Young, Barry Manilow or Cliff Richard for example, yet there are women and men who would happily succumb.

And yet weirdly enough, I've always hankered after Ben Elton...

Answer 5

Sure is
Folk dress to pull Brad Pitt and get pissed when Barney off the Simpsons (or I ) shows an interest.
Most times its only harassment when the promised promotion dont come through, or you dont leave the wife as promised.
Bloke round our way alledgedly raped a woman twice behind the Chippy, walked her home and raped her twice more, she only reported it days later at her husbands insistance, luckily the magistrates were like you and did not believe a word of it.

Answer 6

I like James Hetfield out of The Band Metallica , I have always thought him HOT , but I would have him done for sexual harassment if he touched me inappropriately , If I have not given permission for the lewd comments or touches , he has no right to touch me or assume because I think he's HOT , that this gives him the green light!!!

Answer 7

Sexual Harrassment isn't just being groped, and it isn't just men harrassing women either, there are loads of different forms of it.

E.G. if Kelly Brook grabbed my nuts and asked me to make babies, I'd leap on her bones quicker than you could click your fingers. However, if she kept making lewd comments in the workplace, with other people around as a way to belittle, insult or intimidate me, then I'd be pretty p1ssed off......

Answer 8

Well, it only becomes sexual harassment if you ask them to stop, or make it clear their attentions are unwelcome... and they don't stop.

So yeah, I see your point about how people would be more likely to welcome attentions from an attractive person, but the *first* approach, even from someone you don't like, is just a come-on until you say "no", or (if they're in a position of power) until they make it clear no is not an option.

Answer 9

Not necessarily. A woman pressed charges on Christian Slater not too long ago; he goosed her in public. Look at all the famous men who have been charged with sexual crimes (Kobe Bryant etc.). But, correct, if Johnny Depp gave me a little goose, I might giggle. If it was my boss I would probably sue.

Answer 10

No, it's not discrimination against ugly, smelly, dirty people. It's about an unwanted sexual advance. And yeah: even by a dreamboat movie star!