On a scale 1 - 10 how serious is sexual harassment?

[Rum]

There's suddenly a lot of it about it seems. I'm all for nobbling people who use their power or position to exploit someone, but the consequences do seem t be personally catastrophic if you get caught out. Kevin Spacey's career seems to have gone down the toilet, there are calls for MPs to resign etc.

And yet one of Spacey's 'targets' responded that the about the effect on him: "I was uncomfortable at best, traumatised at worst." That's a pretty wide menu of responses I would have thought.

If people bully, exploit or otherwise sexually harass someone they should be punished of course - but ruining their lives?

There seems to be a certain lack of a sense of proportion in all this. Perhaps it is because if you question the public and media baying for blood you are seen to be defending the behaviour in some way.

[Brian Peacock]

On a scale of 1 to 10 it depend how serious each incident is.

And yet one of Spacey's 'targets' responded that the about the effect on him: "I was uncomfortable at best, traumatised at worst." That's a pretty wide menu of responses I would have thought.

Perhaps this is just a way of saying, "Some days I'm fine and I don't think about it, and other days I'm a complete mess and barely functioning." We all know from our own experience that we don't just have a single reaction or response to something.

[laklak]

Depends. If it's me being harassed then it's a 0 for Scarlett Johansson, a 6 for Angelina Jolie, and a 1,245,327 for Rosie O'Donnell. If I'm doing the harassing then it's your lucky fucking day, bitch.

[Forty Two]

I've read a number of accounts recently, and I agree with the "it depends" answer. Obviously, sexual harassment is one of those terms that can include a wide array of behaviors and words.

How serious is sexual harassment if it's described as a guy makes "inappropriate" jokes around female coworkers from time to time, and doesn't stop when told to stop, or comments on appearance and such? Not very.

How serious is quid pro quo sexual harassment where a supervisor is demanding sexual favors in exchange for continued employment? Very.

How serious is what Harvey Weinstein is said to have done to various women in his hotel room, such as coming out in his bathrobe, asking prospective actresses in his movies for massages and sexual favors, etc. Pretty darn serious.

How serious is Adam Sandler putting his hand on a woman's knee in a group interview. Not.

How serious is Ellen de Generes joking about and ogling Katy Perry's monumental and oh-so-bodacious tatas? Not very.

[devogue]

Next up it will be school bullies.

Hollywood stars will name and shame unknown small town 46 year olds who bullied them thirty four years ago when they were both twelve. Said bullies can expect death threats, loss of employment and social humiliation. Everyone agrees that bullying is wrong and needs to be stopped, so this is obviously what needs to happen.

Excellent publicity for the stars, awesome click-bait for the media, lovely righteousness all round, social justice satisfied, and then on to the next cause.

You read it here first.

[Brian Peacock]

Yeah, when you see an actor being all tough and badass in an action film you have to remember that they were actually the sensitive and affected one's at school who liked poetry and shit. Remember that next time Vin Diesel is doing one of his fancy high leg kicks on a baddy - it's his ballet training that gave him that coordination, not martial arts training.