Obviously sexual harassment has been a huge story for us lately.
I haven't really commented on it much here on my blog because I like to provide happy, fun, silly stories as much as possible. But I have made some comments on my Facebook page.
But I feel it's time to comment here.
The latest accusations involve Matt Lauer, which I have to say, honestly, I'm not really shocked, I've heard rumors about him for years as far as being inappropriate around women he works with.
Lauer allegedly would make comments about women's bodies, he supposedly gave a female employee a sex toy and described to her what he'd like to do with it and in one instance allegedly called a female employee into his office and dropped his pants and pointed to his penis. When she declined to engage in behavior involving said member, he got pissed.
Now this, 'showing of the member' (in person or via selfie snap) type behavior has not been an unusual occurrence in these stories, and it's been a pattern for SOME men in the past. (Remember Bill Clinton telling Paula Jones to 'Kiss It' after dropping trou?)
Apparently, there are a lot of men out there who THINK that we have an absolute need to SEE it and SEE IT RIGHT NOW!
I present to you the following examples from my own experience:
Example #1 -- When I was 12 and in 6th grade living on Long Island, I was on a school bus coming back from a track meet one lovely late spring afternoon with a bunch of other girls. (We won the meet by the way and I placed 1st in the Long Jump and 2nd in the 220m race.)
Sitting at the back of the bus at a stop light, I happened to look down out the back window to see a man, who I predict was in his 40s, sitting in the driver's seat of a car, with his pants and underwear around his knees, member in hand, looking up at me as if to say 'Hey there, young lady...check THIS OUT!'
Since I was 12, I had not yet seen one in person, but I had previously seen a picture of one when my friend showed me her mom's Playgirl magazine collection. So I wasn't completely shocked.
I started laughing and pointing, and called my friends over to point and laugh as well.
The guy turned beet red, swerved around the bus and sped off.
Example #2 -- A few years later, when I was 15, my family and I had moved to Orange. During my sophomore year in high school, I was on a public bus with a friend going to the local mall. The bus was pretty empty, just a few other people on it. We were sitting all the way in the back. A man, in his 30's I assume, kept looking back and staring at us. We didn't pay him any mind. But as we walked to get off the bus near MainPlace in Santa Ana, I looked over at him and he had this weird smile on his face and his pants and underwear were around his ankles, and...he had member in hand, shaking it (no, not masturbating) my way. Again, as if to say..."Hey! Check THIS OUT!" (By then, I had seen one numerous times in person due to my relationship with my boyfriend, which lasted 4 years by the way.)
I started laughing uncontrollably, and as I walked off the bus laughing I said to the bus driver...."Hey, heads up, that guy back there just showed me his d**k." Subtle, I know...my penchant for brutal honesty and colorful language started early.
I have no idea what happened after that, because I had no interest in hanging around, my interest was in getting into the mall to shop and hang out with my friends.
Example #3 -- Two years later, when I was 17 and in my senior year, I was jogging through a local park when a guy, maybe in his 20's, standing next to his friend up against a brick wall, decided it would be the PERFECT time for him to drop trou and show me his penis, and attempt to masturbate. I say attempt because as he and his friend were so proud of what he was about to do and I think I ruined his attempt.
I didn't stop jogging and I laughed...LOUDLY, and yelled...'Sorry, NOT IMPRESSIVE at all!' and continued laughing as I jogged away.
I haven't had another occurrence in more than 25 years.
Now, I fully realize that I was VERY lucky the encounters I had didn't involve violent predators, because my laughing at them could have sent them into an uncontrollable anger and I could have been attacked physically.
These encounters were obviously with men who thought it would shock my delicate female senses just to see a penis!
Well, it didn't.
I have also since found out from speaking with so many women and young ladies over the years, that these occurrences are NOT UNUSUAL. I have heard from so many of my friends that they had at least one of these experiences between the ages of 11 and 30.
So I have a Public Service Announcement for all the men who are thinking of "Matt Lauer-ing," "Weiner-ing," "Weinstein-ing' or "Clinton-ing" it either in person or in a selfie.
WE DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR PENIS.
It's a weird looking appendage, and today, if you show it to me without me asking, I will laugh my ass off and then kick you in the nuts.