General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: And then there is this...re:Franken [View all]ehrnst
(32,640 posts)and it is a boy's club, even in rehearsals. Playful "lechery" is common.
I have experienced worse than she did. I wasn't wearing a flak jacket, just a blouse and bra when my boobs were grabbed in a scene that wasn't rehearsed that way - got some big laughs.
Yes, I've had an actor slip me the tongue onstage, and afterwards I told him to never do that again. There were some snickers from other men who heard me. This was in a professional theatre company.
I imagine many comedians, especially who worked on SNL and likely Jon Stewart are nervous right now, because if what Franken did was the worst he ever committed, he would be considered a choirboy by the standards of the comedy boys club.
Women in comedy have been talking amongst each other about this for years. Franken's long response was refreshing in it's honesty, and in calling out other men, and it was good to hear it.
There will be more relevations among our favorite comedians, actors and politicians to come, so we have to be ready to determine what does and does not constitute an ongoing danger of harassment and abuse among them, because it's going to be like using illegal drugs - at some point you will find that anyone with a social life at all at least tried it. The issue will be if what they did constitutes a non-starter for public service.