*This post doesn't contain explicit content, as such, but it is probably not suitable for younger readers (let's rate it 12A)
. It covers some sensitive topics, so if you're easily offended then you may prefer not to read.
I have said nothing offensive, but just in case...*
One man on the show (a comedian whose name I've forgotten) claimed that if one group in society is closed off from comedy, they are closed off from society. That is, in my opinion, entirely true, however, I have never heard anybody make jokes about raping or sexually abusing men in the same way that many comedians have started to do with regards to women. There has to be one standard for both parties; for me, it has to stop before rape jokes are even considered. I don't have a problem with light-hearted sexism (obviously I would appreciate it much more if it wasn't apparent at all, but for now I will tolerate it), but there has to be a line.
Talking of which, I return to my favourite subject: Robin Thicke and his hideously degrading song "Blurred Lines", which I wrote a little about on this blog six months ago. I think that level of abuse aimed at anybody, male, female, black, white, ginger, old, young, big, small, kitten, polar bear etc., is entirely unacceptable. If a woman, for example Jessie J, had written and performed a song about physically and sexually abusing men and date raping attractive guys on nights out, set to a background of almost entirely naked men dancing suggestively and succumbing to her every will, whilst she walks domineeringly between them wearing a "power suit" (that's a power suit, not a Power Ranger suit), then the entire music industry would be in uproar, closely followed by the internet. However, because Robin Thicke is a man singing about abusing and committing crimes against women it's acceptable, and anyone who makes a fuss on the internet or elsewhere is immediately a "feminazi" (I hate that word.)
It's not only the treatment of women that annoys me, as you can see, but also the double standard. If I were to walk down to dinner now and say something along the lines of "I just got off with a guy in the car park. He didn't really want to at first, but after a while he was too preoccupied to complain much" I would be met with absolute bedlam. Obviously, I would be lying; I've been sitting here writing this, and talking to friends online, but the point still stands. People would be angry, and rightly so, there would be all sorts of reports about me and I'd probably be facing a disciplinary action based on my behaviour.*
I have a feeling that if a lot of men/boys my age were to say that (and their language would more than likely be much more explicit) they would be met by rowdy cheers from their friends and heart congratulations. I also have a horrible feeling that it wouldn't matter to many of them whether the boy/man/guy/dude saying that was telling the truth or not, he would just seem like a bit of a Jack-The-Lad for a few hours, and nobody would report anything to anyone, even if they suspected it to be true.*
Finally, for now, there has been a discussion on this show based around the abuse that women on the TV get over social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. A lot of which is entirely irrelevant to their work in/on television and is purely speculation about their sexual prowess or attractiveness. Several of these were threats of rape and/or violence on many levels up to, and including, murder. Regardless of which gender you are, that is illegal and should be treated as such. This belief that people can get away with it if it's on the internet is not true; you're still threatening somebody's life. That's a violation of their Human Rights (http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a1 - Acts 2, 3 and 12, if you don't believe me) and should be treated as such. That's not feminism, that's common sense and the protection of the law.
And that's all I have to say at the moment. It's not a case of women getting special treatment; feminism is entirely about equality in the good stuff and the bad stuff. It doesn't mean chivalry, or women being better than men. It means everyone should be held to the same standards and offered the same respect by every member of society. Perhaps if we renamed it "equalism" then people would get the message.
* I feel for my own sake I should say that I am not condoning rape, or abuse of other people, in any way. Nobody should be allowed to physically assault anyone else and that is one of the key points for a peaceful society. The above scenarios are merely an (only slightly) exaggerated example to prove a point.
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