Matt Damon is under fire for new comments he’s made about sexual misconduct in Hollywood. He told Business Insider men who do not commit sexual harassment should be spoken about more.
“We’re in this watershed moment, and it’s great, but I think one thing that’s not being talked about is there are a whole s***load of guys – the preponderance of men I’ve worked with – who don’t do this kind of thing and whose lives aren’t going to be affected.”
I mean, honestly, a kind of non-comment. Are we lauding those people in Hollywood who haven’t made racist comments? Are we suddenly congratulating anyone who is a fairly decent human being?
The real problem with his comment is the fact that it comes so soon after this exceptionally stupid observation. He recently said, “I do believe that there’s a spectrum of behaviour and we’re going to have to figure, you know, there’s a difference between patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation.”
Thank you so much Matt Damon for pointing out this blindingly obvious fact.
The problem with someone like Matt Damon is that I don’t think he has a real grasp of the true scale of sexual harassment that women face on a day to day basis. Of course there’s a difference between a “pat on the butt” and child molestation – what a ridiculous thing to clarify. But has he really and truly thought about how that “pat on the butt” makes that woman feel.
As my experience goes, it makes me feel very vulnerable and small. We may seem like formidable women but even a wolf-whistle in the street can cause pain that someone like Matt Damon clearly has no insight to.
As a man, who might not have experienced this feeling, is he to be wholly blamed for this? Probably not… But I know plenty of men who are angry on my behalf when a guy assumes he can harass me in the street. Evidently, a little more sensitivity on the subject would be appreciated.
His comments seem irrational and semi-uneducated, and it’s as if he’s now trying to get other men to speak up so women will stop ripping him apart for his comments. You know, the kind like these…
Dear Matt Damon,
It’s the micro that makes the macro.
(Thread)
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 16, 2017
Matt Damon- SERIOUSLY? You are a smart man. A privileged, white man. This is NOT the time to ask for a pat on the back. How about we NOT celebrate men who are simply decent human beings. Stay on track, Matt. It’s not about you. https://t.co/mmdbqAUyP7
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) December 18, 2017
Sexual harassment is sexual harassment and until you try to understand how that “pat on the butt” really makes us feel, please do not comment.
Feature Image from Wikimedia.
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