Harassment
Stay off the
internet! Do not tweet! Beware of facial
expressions! Practice your robot voice because you will be judged on words,
facial expressions and body language.
Furthermore, body language experts you’ve never met will tell the world
what you really said, even if you did not know you said it.
“What is
this all about Cranky man?”
The
quarterback of the SF 49ers was asked in a post-game interview by Erin Andrews,
the original sidelines “Babe” interviewer,
“How does
it feel to start the season 8-0?”
The QB
answered with a smile, “It feels great baby!” He then had the audacity as he turned and left
to smile again.
The internet
exploded over this overtly sexist comment.
“He
called this married woman ‘BABY!’”
“He
smiled afterwards in a sexist way!”
“His body
language was clearly inappropriate!”
Get over it
world!
This
quarterback just finished an emotional, exhausting game where his team won for
the eight-straight time. He was
happy. He was high on adrenaline. Winning any football game is an exhilarating
experience, winning eight in a row in the NFL is special. Pretty sure flirting with Erin was not number
one on his mind. It was probably about
number 8 million and seven on his mind.
Ridiculous!
Erin Andrews
is a competent interviewer. She got her
position as an ex-athlete who understands athletes and competition. She also was chosen because she is an
attractive lady. She is not a
supermodel, she is not Pam Anderson hot, but being an attractive lady surely
helped her land this job. She is still
young at 41, but a bit older than the 28-year-old quarterback. This QB is a good looking dude. He is wealthy. He is an NFL superstar. Meeting women is probably not a problem for
him. He is probably not really
interested romantically or sexually in a married sideline reporter 13 years his
senior.
Have you
ever watched “Dancing With The Stars?”
Erin works there also. She does a
lot of ogling and cooing over the hot shirtless male dancers on that show. For some reason the internet does not explode
when that happens.
I also did
not read anything negative into Erin’s reaction to “Baby.” Erin has had some real and serious
harassment issues in her past, so she would have reason to be sensitive to ill-advised
advances.
I am all about treating women with respect. I
have a daughter and a granddaughter; I know some men are assholes and treat
women like objects. Weinstein, Cosby,
some politicians…all should have the crap beaten out of them and then be
publicly humiliated as a rotten tomato target for the masses, but we also need
to calm down just a bit.
If this QB
was making an inappropriate pass at Erin as many, including “body language” experts, claim, I wonder if
he will be hit with a sexual harassment suit from the 320 pound lineman who he
slapped on the butt after the game and shouted, “Great game baby!”
I heard he
was smiling when he said that too.
When I was at the supermarket car park the other week and an elderly woman looked at me as if she had a bad smell under her nose. Her dog growled at me.
ReplyDeleteWhat was she thinking? What was her dog thinking? Should I have felt harassed? Who do I complain to?
Are you grinning sarcastically as you read this Joe?
God bless.
Ridiculous! There is definitely a double standard, but I suspect the tide will turn and women will be shunned if they comment on a man's body one of these days.
ReplyDeleteWe are all way too sensitive these days. Eggshells indeed.
ReplyDeleteWhen the pendulum swings, the momentum often makes it swing farther than intended.
ReplyDeleteTimes have changed. George Costanza got away with many a "baby!"
ReplyDeleteUm... everytime my 80 year old neighbor Winston sees me he says "Hi Babe, how's everything?" or "Hi Babe, no mail yet!" or "G'morning Babe, where are you off to today?"
ReplyDeleteI'm 58 years old and I always get a big kick outta it :)
I would not be surprised if he gave a male interviewer the same answer.
ReplyDeleteThere are some people whose sole purpose in life is to explode over the internet over what they perceive as inappropriate. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it is a job they get paid for.
ReplyDeleteThe world is nuts. We worry about something that silly and yet on TV shows and movies the language, content and everything else is totally inappropriate and not worth my time. Have you seen the way women dress at events like the oscars, emmy awards, etc..and then say they are in the "me too" movement? Really? Anyway, I wish a 28yr old would call me baby! Ha!
ReplyDeleteThe culture of the cancel. Behave, to our ever changing standard, or we will cancel you out, fire you, run you out of here. It's awful, and i am glad for the culture of forgiveness i got to hear about in church today. A wonderful antidote.
ReplyDeleteWell said! 👏👏👏 Making a big deal out of nothing only serves to trivialize serious, legitimate issues. Ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteAmen! I had the same reaction you did to that incident. A friendly, affectionate guy in a great mood answering a (stupid) question with a spontaneous expression...probably smiled in reaction to the realization of the firestorm he set off. Geez, leave the guy alone already!
ReplyDeleteI've heard similar answers given to male reporters. This whole world needs to relax and get back in touch with their common sense. Not everything is a lawsuit or offensive or intended to be mean or demeaning.
ReplyDeletei don't know people create hill out of nothing
ReplyDeletei find nothing shameful what you shared here
all i think is that he was in his happy mood and replied genuinely