It’s no secret that sexual harassment is a pervasive problem that seeps its way into all industries, institutions and incidents. From elite Hollywood producers, to blustering presidents, to the cops on the beat, to middle managers, to company moguls, to maintenance workers, to Internet nerds to high schoolers, it seems that there are predatory men everywhere who think the male gender gives them the right to objectify—or worse—every woman, at all times.
Here’s a clue to fellas everywhere: it’s not alright. These women that you letch after do not want your greasy hands anywhere near them. They don’t want your innocent office shoulder massages, or your cleavage peeks, or your invasive and degrading comments about the scent of their hair or the fact that you think they should smile more.
And if you think the women who are speaking out now are only doing so for a cash grab or because it’s simply the fashionable thing to do, then you are part of the problem and your outmoded way of thinking will soon go the way of the dinosaurs. The sheer number of women sharing their personal horror stories about sexual harassment is signaling a much-needed cultural shift in how society deals with these incidents—the old way being to not deal with it at all and to simply accept it as the nauseating “boys will be boys” anthem.
Women of all ages are speaking out at a higher rate than ever before, and not just on social media. Here at Anton Media Group, we recently received a letter from a female student at a local high school that called out her male classmates for inappropriate behavior and the school administration for failing to adequately address the accusations.
The days of sweeping such incidents under the rug are over. The days of gross old men lecherously leering at young women without consequence are over. Women are stronger and more united than ever before. If you are a man reading this, take the sign of the times as a warning—objectify women at your own risk. No one is too powerful to be called out for sleazy behavior.
—Steve Mosco
