General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Dear Democrats (and everyone else) calling on Sen. Franken to resign: [View all]Jarqui
(10,150 posts)Weinstein wielded his power over careers to shut people up. Ditto to a lesser extent for Lauer. And they used it.
What control over a career did Franken have over this woman who joined him for a photo? None. They were strangers. She was just a casual encounter. She could have slapped his face, sued him, called the cops, etc - right then and there. A bunch of the women Weinstein or Lauer assaulted didn't have the same option - because their careers could be directly ruined in the background. That's not misogyny to note that - it is a fundamental, material fact of the differences in their circumstances. And i'm simply not letting you hide behind the skirt of misogyny when I point it out.
There is no contempt, hatred or prejudice against women (misogyny) when I make that observation because I can and would make the same point for males in similar positions.
Now, a minority would want to experience a social incident in the above circumstances. A majority would elect in the shock of the circumstances to avoid an embarrassing situation. I get that. I would be and have been no different many of those times. But there have been moments where I reacted on the spot and let someone know where to get off. The higher the number of incidents without a different outcome - particularly where Franken lacked the control over a person like Weinstein had, then the chances of it being a real problem are diminished. That's not misogyny - it's basic reasoning.