And the vegetables were TOTALLY METAPHORS, man.
Sorry, it was a blanket term for the ‘light’ harrassment type stuff like in two interview clips in the ET video. I’m not talking the clearly over the line Cosby type stuff. I thought that it was obvious that things clearly over-the-line are wrong. I do realize that everyone’s line is different so I am defining over-the-line as what your culture says is over-the-line. By culture I’m referencing culture of work/town/city/area you are in.
For instance, we can see that the women in those interviews are uncomfortable even they are are politely laughing/being friendly. I am not sure what Morgan Freeman sees though. However, I do know that realistically, they can’t say ‘Hey Morgan that’s not ok’ because they will get sidelined or get some sort of bad reputation. And that’s the situation most women are in. The way they respond could put their career or even life in jeopardy. I suspect that like most people in a disadvantaged situation, they just grin and bear it and Morgan Freeman goes on thinking to himself ‘Yup, still got it!’
I think that crap needs to change. I think that the only way it will change is if more people party to a situation speak up and say hey that’s not ok. The only way more people are going to do that is if they don’t have repercussions to fear.
It’d be great if you could stop all the creepy stuff but I doubt that’s feasible because there are too many different variables, eg people that like that overt stuff, occasions where there is mutual attraction, situations where one just wants that at that specific moment etc. There are just too many variations between human interactions to make people feel comfortable all the time.
I personally feel it is fine for one to feel uncomfortable, sometimes it’s a catalyst for growth, art, etc.
I think it’s safe to say that it is always more risky for a woman to do the calling out
I can’t imagine how someone could become one of the most respected actors in the world without developing the ability to correctly interpret basic human emotion and body language.
I don’t think the one necessarily follows the other. Not to mention humans are prone to confirmation bias. I’m pretty sure he thinks he’s a ‘stud,’ not a crusty old man with an amazing voice.
So if a director told him that a certain scene called for him to express that his character was deeply uncomfortable but putting on an outward mask of agreeability to avoid confrontation, he wouldn’t know what that looked like?
I call nonsense there. Just watch the scene in Driving Miss Daisy where he is briefly detained and questioned by a pair of racist Alabama cops. He nails it.
If Freeman couldn’t see those women’s discomfort it’s because he didn’t want to.
Yeah, something tells me he’s kind of deep into “I don’t give a fuck” territory. Maybe it has something to do with being rich and famous, cuz those fuckers got no rules.
Because if we purge the back catalog of every unmasked sexual harasser, as is apparently being done with Cosby and Garrison Keillor, there won’t be anything left to watch except game show reruns and “Barney”.
I understood what you were saying, I just don’t agree with the conclusion. I don’t think that one has to fully understand and interpret human behavior in order to be a good or even great actor.
But running with with your example, let’s say that he completely understands the plight of being a black man in that driving-miss-daisy-racist-cop situation.
It doesn’t follow that just because one is a particular type of disadvantaged person, they can relate that experience to another type. Ideally, one should be able to make the connection, but plenty of women are racists, and plenty of minority men are misogynists.
When I watch those two clips in the ET video, it seems to me that (a)Morgan Freeman thinks these women are beautiful (b)Morgan Freeman is very satisfied with himself after each interaction. Why is that? Is it because he is a creepy old dude that likes making women feel uncomfortable?
Possibly, but I think that it is more likely that he incorrectly thinks that these women were charmed at his behavior. Furthermore, when he sees the laughter and pleasantness, he doesn’t see it for what it really is, but sees confirmation that he’s ‘still got it.’
It’s probably a combination of both creepy old dude and confirmation bias.
Nah just Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. Definitely not Barney though 
. Doesn’t he have some issues with with his tantric sex massager/healer thing he does now? I think some women had complained about him.
And let’s be real – there’s a very decent chance it’s actually worked for him at times.
Ugh, not this again. Who gives a fuck? And more to the point, why do they give a fuck?
I’m not sure what closing one’s eyes to the reality of this aspect of the situation adds to fixing it. I’m generally one who wants to confront the often ugly realities of Life on Earth. Not saying you have to be, but come on – you’re essentially trying to censor our awareness of reality. That’s getting a bit to 1984 for my personal predilections.
Let me just say that I really, really hope that Tom Hanks isn’t outed as a creep.
I tend to assume rich famous people tend toward being creeps/assholes/baddies, unless proven otherwise. Because I don’t know Tom Hanks personally, I’m kind of in the camp of, of course he could be a creep. Fucking Elmo molested kids, for god’s sake!
(Allegedly)
How does pointing out that once in awhile, when powerful men pressure women to have sex with them, they occasionally succeed in getting women to do so, add anything to fixing the problem of sexual harassment?
I mean, first of all, obviously that happens. And so . . . so what?
So again I’ll ask, since you haven’t actually answered my questions, why are some here (all men, I’d guess) finding it worthwhile to say, “Well ya know, I bet that sometimes, that kind of shit actually works”?
Is it some “nudge nudge wink wink!” thing? If so, that’s definitely not helpful.
Just how do you think you’re helping to curtail sexual harassment of women by pointing out this obvious thing? WHY are you pointing it out?
It’s not because I’m the misogynist you seem to heavily be implying, but which I won’t take offense to, because I can see how maybe you could interpret it as you have.
Rather, some people have asked, repeatedly, why would he do this? With cameras running? Review the thread – it’s there, over and over. This aspect of people’s confusion seemed, to me, to be legitimate.
The answer, probably the main answer, is that because sometimes it does work. You say it’s obvious, but to some people, especially men who do not act this way, nor hang with people who act this way, it is not so obvious. It is not part of our regular experience, like it is for probably all women. You may be surprised to hear that, but it’s absolutely true. A lot of the female experience is lost on men, just as a lot of the male experience is lost on women. This is why I think us pointing things out, versus assuming it’s obvious to everybody, is generally better than censoring part of reality from the dialogue.
You seem to take it that I’m somehow implicitly endorsing the act, by even making the comment. Which is rubbish, frankly.
And not Denzel Washington either; we Black folks are running out of strong positive male role models.
