Woman gropes man’s boob “impulsively” = funny?
I guess in a “man bites dog” way, perhaps?
Man boobs clearly are not (yet) sexualized enough in our culture to pose a taboo similar to female breasts…
The nurse is enjoying it, and the guys in the background think it’s a hoot.
LORD.
That is all.
Well, yeah, in the context of the movie, and the scene, it’s a funny little moment and very human.
Unscripted = nonconsenual. If Jeremy Renner had said something like “It was the first time I saw Scarlett Johansson in spandex, and I just impulsively reached out and grabbed her boob” the internets would be in a tizzy.
Since we’re pretending there’s zero social difference between male chests and female chests, it’s totally cool for me to walk around shirtless today, right?
She was defrauded.
I know I am.
In the US, it’s legal in most states so if you really wanted to there’s nothing preventing it.
Won’t stop people from acting like it’s illegal and maybe one doesn’t feel like dealing with the harassment, but the way I see it society won’t change until enough people try to change it.
Of course “no shirt, no shoes, no service” is legal too so you might also have issues actually doing anything other than walking on the sidewalk.
I checked the laws for my state and county, and they’re very vague. Basically, there’s no actual legal protection for public nudity - which, if you’re female, being topless counts as. You can walk around like that, but if someone complains that they’re “alarmed or affronted” by your nudity, you can be cited.
A woman did apparently win the right to swim topless in a public pool after her double mastectomy. That is apparently less “alarming” than female breasts.
We’re not pretending there is no difference between male and female chests, we’re affirming that nonconsensual groping is wrong regardless of the gender of the groper or gropee.
But to answer your question, go around shirtless all you want; at least where I live, that’s perfectly legal.
I think it’s fair to not want people poking you unasked. Perhaps we should reflect on why the scene is still funny.
I’m afraid I don’t buy that analogy.
- As already mentioned there are big cultural and physiological differences between a female breast and a male pec which hardly need mentioning.
- It wasn’t really a “grab” so much as a “quick pat,” after which she immediately retracted her hand in apparent embarrassment.
- Unlike Scarlett Johannson’s breasts, Chris Evans’ muscles were the basis of his superpowers. Enhancing his character’s physique was the whole point of having that scene in the movie. In a sense, Hayley Atwell’s character was just admiring her team’s impressive handiwork.
- One of the main reasons sexual harassment is such a big problem is the power dynamic involved. Men tend to be bigger, stronger, and often in a position of authority over the women they harass, grope or rape. In this case there was no question of Hayley Atwell posing a physical threat to Chris Evans—he was not only the biggest and strongest person in the room but (in the context of the film) one of the strongest people in the whole world.
The character in that situation obviously enjoyed it.
Which may be the difference, I would guess that men on average see that kind of contact in a more favorable light. The power dynamic that another poster mentioned plays into it, the “yeah she digs me, I’m the alpha now” mindset.
[quote=“pixleshifter, post:4, topic:58495”]and the guys in the background think it’s a hoot.[/quote]In the context of the scene I’m pretty sure they’re celebrating the success of their risky experiment rather than yukking it up about the feels.
Sure, there is a big difference - if you’re willing to accept sexism. Some do. Those of us who don’t put up with some inconvenience to counter oppression.
It all depends. Harassment laws tend to involve a degree of mind-reading. If your touch was welcome, it’s fine. But if it turns out to have been unwelcome, it was harassment.
Only on BB could an ad-libbed, improvised, tentative poke of Captain America’s impressive abs become a discussion of whether an actor was sexually harassed.
