In the wake of the Weinstein scandal...

[johnny9fingers]

...There has been a domino effect.
Other people in Hollywood are being outed for the awful predators they are. And outside Hollywood too.
Obviously, despite President Trump having boasted of grabbing women by the pussy in his case it was mere locker-room male braggadocio; 45 is much too classy to ever actually do that sort of thing, instead, like a fisherman telling tall stories about the fish he's caught, he exaggerates and boasts of imaginary conquests. Better Walter Mitty than Harvey Weinstein, I suppose. And he does have very small hands.

But over here in Blighty, there has been a meltdown in Westminster where a number of MPs have been listed as behaving pretty badly. Now this list has been leaked to the press and other interested parties.



This is the one that I found. I don't know whether the accusations are true or not, but Michael Fallon has apologised for putting a hand on a lady journalist's knee. So at least one of those on the list appears to corroborate some part of it.

Now, I don't want to get anyone into trouble, and it seems a lot of the folk on here are being pilloried for affairs and other indiscriminate though consensual shagging, but at the core of this is that though some of these folk may not be aware of the power of their positions, others are and use it to exploit other less powerful and therefore more vulnerable people sexually. And it's been thus for millennia, but every now and then a tipping point tips; and I think it is becoming obvious that this is where we are. What is interesting is there are only three women on the list; I think, given the representation of women in the Houses of Parliament, and especially in the cabinet, this is probably about right.

But it did make me wonder why has Boris got some poor lass on a Non-Disclosure Agreement? We all know what he's like. I mean really know what he's like.

BTW. I've a few more things for the bucket list after reading this. Lots to try, so little time...

Comments

[asthfghl]

You've made me curious. So where can I see the list? And do I know anyone from it?

[johnny9fingers]

Click on the picture.

[asthfghl]

I'm sorry, if there's a picture, it won't load.

[johnny9fingers]

Damn, it seems to load on all my devices. Any Ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? Can anyone else see it?

[mahnmut]

Nope, won't load. Even after I go to the html code and directly copy the URL from there, it won't open.

Got a link?

[johnny9fingers]

The one below any better?

[mahnmut]

Same problem.

[johnny9fingers]

I'm guessing I've done something wrong or it broaches DW's ToS then. I'll try to reformat stuff. Never had this problem before.

[airiefairie]

It's working now.

[johnny9fingers]

[johnny9fingers]

Did that one load?

[asthfghl]

Much better.

[airiefairie]

First, Trump's women-groping. Then, Weinstein. Then, the Euro parliament sex scandals. And now this. What the hell is going on!?

[johnny9fingers]

Maybe the end of this part of the cycle in the culture of sexual oppression; which seems to be a long-term development of equal rights, and which is a good thing.

The lovely '90's cliche "Paradigm shift" springs to mind.

In the UK's case it really hit the fan with Saville. Weinstein and now Spacey have amplified the unease brought about by Cosby et al in America, and the blowback is magnifying a real desire to put an end to this sort of exploitative behaviour. We all know this sort of stuff is rife through all strata of our society.

So I wonder is suborned consent really consent? More folk are coming out of the woodwork, and to be candid, as a guy, I really have had to examine my conscience quite seriously. Did I ever pressure a GF to have sex with me? And what constitutes pressure? I have always tried to be open and honest about sex and have lived by the motto that no means no, even if halfway through and incomplete, if you see what I mean. It was considered the mark of a gentleman not to sulk at such moments. But even so...

This could be dangerous ground for so many men; but also it could force us to re-evaluate our casual assumptions of male privilege; gender, sexual, and racial intertextuality aside.

[mikeyxw]

It could be dangerous ground, and in many cases, it's way past due. There are plenty of stories that deserve some following up. There are some cases on the list that look a bit more innocuous. Having a relationship with a coworker is way different from what Mr. Weinstein did but seems to be enough to land someone on this list. I'd even say that making a pass at a coworker, if there isn't any intimidation involved and their answer is respected, shouldn't really land someone in hot water. Maybe this is just middle aged man thinking, but I'm not sure why someone made the list for "Likes to have intercourse with men who are wearing women's perfume", "Affair", or "Workplace relationship with..."

[johnny9fingers]

Well the "likes to have intercourse with men who are wearing women's perfume" def should go on my list, along with the hitherto unknown contemplation of sex with an MP.

There are obviously folk on that list who aren't abusers of their power and are merely shagging in imaginative ways. I have never yet been peed on by three men, or maybe theee women, in a Moscow hotel room, but it will go on the list with the other things. I do wonder though if it is actually erotic or merely paraphilia of some kind that needs cultivation. Maybe I'll give it a miss for now.

[mikeyxw]

There are several of my representatives who I wouldn't mind urinating on and it's in a completely non-sexual way. This makes me think the answer could be complicated.

[johnny9fingers]

Well, at least it makes sense symbolically I suppose. Not sure if I want to actually go to the coalface so to speak. But there appear no moral problems here merely ones of personal taste.

But the point behind this spreadsheet was to warn folk and collate these things together, because in some way or another these MPs were inappropriate in front of, or to, support staff, volunteers, and folk subordinate to them, nevertheless some of these examples appear to be miscategorised, and egregiously so.

However, we need to stop this sort of sexual exploitation.

This one will run and run.

[halialkers]

The twisted irony where electing another groper in chief to the US Presidency leads to the kind of backlash a more just world would have seen under Bubba Clinton? I mean sometimes irony's a vicious bitch and in this case I expect with this kind of climate Mr. 'Grab 'em by the pussy' may well be haunted by his words in the end.

[johnny9fingers]

The thing about Bubba is he tended to talk his women into bed. JFK may have been a bit nastier. (It's all got to come out sooner or later. Pity the folk who worked around J Edgar H, I fear. The historical abuse stuff will rewrite history. Here's your chance.)

[Tips hat.]

[oportet]

That's a long redacted block after impregnated... you think it was someone with a long name, or he's really fertile?

[johnny9fingers]

I don't know, maybe twins?
:)

[johnny9fingers]

That's really sad. He's a brilliant actor.

I worked in the music biz for a number of years. I found out stuff about some of my heroes I just didn't want to know. :(

Not my stories to tell as they didn't happen to me, but....

[halialkers]

I say all to the good and that it's past time that something like this did enforce what should have been the case all along. Consent is not rocket science, nor is the degree to which the rich and powerful try to Casanova their way along with exploiting both at the expense of the vulnerable.

[johnny9fingers]

The vileness and sleaziness of massively suborned consent is what this seems to come down to.

With an honest transaction with a working girl I suppose limited consent is purchased upon agreement. In these former cases the culturally cultivated notion of the allure of power has masked abuse since the dawn of civilisation. But we are different now. The rampage over defeated victims is now a war-crime. Pogroms are crimes against humanity. There is no place for sexual exploitation in our culture any more; which may be another major step to a better culture of gender and sexuality in the West.

The thing is I think that this is so blinking widespread that guys are going to need a truth and reconciliation board and subsequently a clean slate to ever put it behind us. And I don't think we're all quite big enough for that yet. I'm pretty sure that when I lived with a lass in the '80's I sulked if she wasn't interested and made life hell around the house. And that counts too. I was a neotenous child in my twenties at the time, but... Where do you draw the line? We all know when we've behaved badly unless we are morally blind: so how can you tell a whole gender to go now and not sin again?

It does rather appear that the "patriarchy" for want of a better word to express a cultural inclination to go with needs of the more powerful, fucks men up just as much as it fucks women up. If a culture can be considered to be a parent Philip Larkin got it right.

[garote]

It's an interesting snowball effect we've been seeing recently. I think one of the big positives of this is, it's a big loud counterexample for cultures where toxic masculinity is revered. E.g., if you think that sexual conquest proves a person is powerful, here's a litany of examples where sexual conquest is the corruption that strips power away. Also inspiring for cultures where women are kept sequestered and isolated and deprived of collective power that way: If your voice can't be heard, maybe you can combine it with others...

[johnny9fingers]

Here's hoping...

But this is one of the salient points about social media. The Arab Spring went off half-cocked, but both Brexit and 45's election were social media driven, and this particular narrative is on the way to becoming pretty revolutionary too, but in a different way.