It wasn't a locker room, it was a WORKPLACE

[pamela]

At the time of the video, both Billy Bush and Donald Trump were employees of NBC. The actress they were so crudely discussing, Arianne Zucker, was also an NBC employee. Donald's appearance that day on Days of Our Lives, and his interview with Access Hollywood, were part of a fairly standard casting stunt designed to promote the Apprentice, Days and Access Hollywood. It is part of Trump's job description to promote his show in this way.

The minute Trump entered that van, he was on the job. Bush, and the camera crew in the van, were also on the job. Bush and Trump were crudely discussing an employee of their parent company in front of other employees of that same company. Arianne Zucker got to spend the rest of her workday around two men who had just been casually discussing her potential sexual assault and a crew of people who had heard her being objectified and demeaned.

(I find Billy Bush's behavior particularly troubling because he not only egged Trump on in the van, he carried the atmosphere of the van into the interaction with Arianne when he told her to hug Trump, knowing full well Trump had just been talking about kissing her and grabbing women's pussies whenever he wanted. Trump had been describing sexual assault and Bush decided to play wingman.)

[NYC Liberal]

1. Someone should ask Trump and/or his surrogates:

If Billy Bush is getting suspended for this -- and he's just a TV host -- why shouldn't anything happen to Trump?

[sheshe2]

5. Bush has been asked to step down for now.

Trump should as well.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Me thinks he isn't going to get off that easy.

He's cooked. The Trump name is now fully connected with harassing women.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. what he described doing was sexual assault

so leaving aside crudeness or sex or any of it, he was admitting on tape to criminal acts.

[SunSeeker]

4. "Trump had been describing sexual assault and Bush decided to play wingman."

That is it exactly. Bush was conspiring with Trump to commit sexual assault.

[NBachers]

6. It wasn't a locker room, and Trump isn't an adolescent teenager. He was 59 years old at the time.

And yes, the hugging business, knowing their predatory intentions, was especially creepy. Arianne Zucker had no idea that she was being preyed on by a couple of admitted molesters.

[Ohio Dem]

7. I don't give a shit. Work OR locker room.

You're quite right. It was work. But even if it wasn't, this shit is inexcusable. Guys don't talk like that in locker rooms or on the golf course or anywhere else. I suppose SOME do, but they are assholes that are ignored by the other guys as blowhards and, well assholes. At least, that's my experience.

[BigBearJohn]

8. well said!

[Ohio Dem]

9. Thanks. It pisses me off that the media lets this go.

"Locker room talk." Bullshit. Guys, and I'm one, don't talk like this. Not guys that respect women, anyway.

[yardwork]

13. Understood, but the fact that this was work is relevant to the actress.

This is the kind of harassment that professional women have to navigate all the time. It's all on the tape.

[pamela]

20. Exactly!

Plenty of people have pointed out that this language is always unacceptable in any setting but I haven't heard anyone discuss the fact that this was actually a workplace setting. That adds a whole new dimension to this. Women have no legal protection from this language if it is used against us in a locker room but we do have legal protection from this in the workplace.

Arianne Zucker went to work that day knowing that she was to do a scene with Donald Trump. She probably wasn't thrilled by that, not just because he's repulsive but because it's probably not fun as an actress to do these stunt casting bits with non-actors. What she didn't know was that she would be degraded and objectified and set up for much worse.

She continues to be objectified in this story. No one uses her name and I think that's partially because of this objectification. Even to us, she has been relegated to "that actress." That's the subtle consequence of objectification.

[Javaman]

14. +1 nt

[pamela]

22. I bet Arianne Zucker gives a shit.

This was her work place and she was harassed and set up for worse. It's one thing to hear that men were talking trash about you in a locker room. Of course that's bad, too. But this was her place of work. Acting is her profession. Her fellow NBC employees degraded and demeaned her in front of the crew.

I get what you are saying and I agree this language is always inexcusable but in the workplace it is also illegal. Now NBC employee Mark Burnett is threatening retribution to any other NBC employee who might release further evidence of sexual harassment in the workplace. The fact that this threat took place immediately after the release of a tape revealing sexual harassment in the workplace is very relevant.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

10. Yep. But you know how pissed off the Right is about all this "political correctness"

that doesn't allow them to harass women in the workplace!

Jeeez, how are they supposed to get through the work day without a little pussy grabbing? Or, at least the right to talk about how much they sure would love to do some pussy grabbing?

[Liberty Belle]

11. What's the statute of limitation for sexual assault and workplace harassment in CA?

If it hasn't run out perhaps a CA prosecutor could do the world a favor and have tRUMP arrested.

[pamela]

21. NBC is continuing to cover for a known sexual predator and is threatening whistleblowers.

I don't know the statute of limitations but this appears to be ongoing. NBC employee Billy Bush and NBC employee Donald Trump were caught on tape violating workplace laws. In response, NBC employee Mark Burnett is threatening other NBC employees to not to reveal any further evidence of sexual harassment they might have.

[yardwork]

12. Thank you. I missed your OP until now. This is absolutely correct.

[smirkymonkey]

15. Hear, hear!

FFS, I am so sick and tired of all the "boys will be boys" excuses. Enough of this crap!

[athena]

16. Exactly!

Furthermore, even if it was a locker room, it still wouldn't be OK. If this is how men talk in locker rooms, no wonder we live in such a misogynistic society. No wonder women are treated so unfairly in male-dominated workplaces. No wonder there is a rape culture in colleges and everywhere else. It is up to men to stand up and put a stop to this kind of rhetoric, inside and outside locker rooms.

[Major Nikon]

18. It's worth noting that Billy Bush just got fired for exactly that reason

As if screwing everyone he's ever done business with wasn't enough evidence, this just adds another straw to the camel's back that Trump is a serious business liability.

[CrispyQ]

23. Outstanding post.

Kick.

[True Dough]

24. Great tweet from Ricky Gervais...

Ricky Gervais
11 hrs ·

This locker room I keep hearing about....is it in a high security prison?