When sexual harassment becomes “a joke” in the public’s eye, that’s when you know society has taken a turn for the worse.
Sexual assaults have evolved into entertainment for some people. Although there are people who don’t stand for those sort of acts, there are still those who laugh at it and take it lightly.
Sexual harassment is not a joke. It is invasive and demeaning. It is definitely not something that should be idealized or promoted. You are victimizing an innocent human being and not only is that offensive, it’s illegal. Sexual assault is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. It is not just limited to touching without consent, it also includes cat calling.
What seems to you as a form of compliment, may appear threatening and scary to the person on the receiving end. Saying “hey girl, looking good in those shorts” may seem like an empowering statement to you, but it could be interpreted as sexual harassment by others. Never assume that cat calling is a compliment because not everyone thinks of it like that.
Although on a federal level sexual harassment is outlawed, street harassment is dealt with state to state. It is different in every state, which blurs the lines between what is okay and what is not. I define sexual harassment as anything that you do to a man/woman with a sexual intent, without his/her consent. For instance, pinching girls butts in public should not be tolerated.
Recently, a ‘prank’ video posted by a prominent YouTuber Sam Pepper, shows him going up to girls and pinching their butts with a “fake hand.” Some of the replies tell viewers to “take a joke” and that “it was funny.” That is not called a joke. That is called sexual harassment. There is a fine line between funny and foul.
Although he revealed later that the video was a campaign whose purpose was to anger people to show that sexual harassment is not okay, the public continues to shun him. He claims that he had consent from the girls in the video, but even if that were true there are better ways of shining light on a sensitive issue. I don’t think it was a campaign at all. I believe Pepper tried to pass it off as an awareness raiser when he saw all of the hate and criticism directed towards him.
This is not the first time that Pepper has posted provocative videos on YouTube. Vulgar videos of him forcing girls to kiss him and handcuffing strangers to him and not letting them go until they kiss him are circulating on the Internet. The girls in the videos are visibly uncomfortable, but Pepper doesn’t even acknowledge it. These videos haven’t been taken down even though he is seen degrading women through his sexual acts. Pepper infers that women are just sexual objects, who don’t have a mind of their own. It is offensive, it is degrading and it is disgusting.
As a result of his ‘campaign,’ YouTube has taken the video down as a violation of terms of service. Pepper is now banned from YouTube conventions like Playlist Live and Vidcon. He also won’t be featured as a reactor on TheFineBros channel. Pepper is blacklisted by many of his fellow YouTubers and it’s doubtful that anyone will film a collaboration with him in the future. Laci Green, a YouTuber who discusses topics like sexuality and body image on her channel, wrote an open letter to Pepper discussing her outrage at his video and hopes that he will cease to post anymore derogative videos. A number of YouTubers like Tyler Oakley, Grace Helbig and John Green have co-signed it.
Pepper isn’t the only YouTuber who likes to post videos like this. Others have posted distasteful videos of men touching girls’ butts, laughing and then running away. However, unlike Pepper’s video, viewers aren’t as outraged. Most of the comments are ones of praise and appreciation. So what is the difference between Pepper’s video and the other ones just like it? We should be just as outraged and disgusted by other demeaning videos as we are with Pepper’s.
Videos like these are made to “entertain” people and to get likes, shares, followers, subscribers, etc., but what is so appealing about someone victimizing others? In what way is it funny? Sexual harassment shouldn’t be glorified through videos and/or photos. It displays to the public that it is an okay thing to do, which is never the case. Sexual harassment should never be seen as normal to the public
These sexual acts are not just limited to men, they are extended to women as well. Videos of girls deliberately touching/pinching guys’ butts are also laughed at on YouTube. In one case, a girl is filming herself touching Harry Styles‘, a member of the band One Direction, butt and viewers in the comment section brush it off as a joke and something to laugh at. That is not okay. Men are generally seen as the harassers and women as the victim. That’s not always the case. Men should not be isolated as the sexual harassers because women do it just as easily.
An example of this would be when an Obama administration political appointee Suzanne Barr was accused of making lewd and sexual comments to her male subordinates. She later resigned from her position and in her letter wrote that the allegations made against her were “unfounded.”
Sexual harassment, whether the harasser is a male or a female, is disgusting and should not be supported by anyone. We are living in the 21st century and it is disturbing to know that some people find that sort of thing entertaining. You are violating someone’s personal space and no one should have to stand for that.
There are so many people who are sexually harassed every day and people often times overlook it, unless it is taken to the media. Many people who see others sexually harassed simply turn their heads and go about their business. We need to stop allowing cases like these happen. If you see someone being harassed, don’t just be a bystander. If the victim can’t stand up for himself/herself, help them. Show that sexual harassment will not be taken lightly and that it is not okay. It’s time to stop turning heads and start changing the norm.
