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Compare the definition of harassment: Persistent attacks and criticism causing worry and distress or deliberate pestering or annoying. With the definition

Compare the definition of harassment: Persistent attacks and criticism causing worry and distress or deliberate pestering or annoying. With the definition of sexual harassment: The making of unwanted and offensive sexual advances or of sexually offensive remarks or acts, especially by one in a superior or supervisory position or when acquiescence to such behavior is a condition of continued employment, promotion, or satisfactory evaluation. There are really two separate definitions of sexual harassment. One is quid pro quo harassment, which is essentially just abuse of power of a sexual nature; I think everyone can agree that this should not be tolerated. The other definition is unwanted and offensive sexual advances or remarks. The problem is that this definition doesn't rise to the actual level of harassment: it doesn't need to be deliberate or persistent. If it is deliberate and persistent than it is simply harassment; the sexual nature is completely irrelevant and most people will agree it shouldn't be tolerated. I can talk about the many bizarre and fascinating parasites that exist in the world that many people will find far more unwanted and offensive than any casual sexual joke. Surgeries, the making of some foods, the history and ongoing saga of torture, and other topics all fall in the same category. However, you will not be accused of harassment for constantly talking about how people contract Noro virus although people will generally ask you not to talk about it during a meal.

ivanhoe 9y ago
It always seemed to me, as outsider, that sex in the US culture is a single topic that is especially uncomfortable to people, far more than in Europe. Just look at the TV/movies or social media rules: you can show blood, violence, guns, all kinds of criminal or deviant behavior, but any kind of nudity will set off alarms, to the point that we need to defend mothers' rights to breastfeed in public because nipples are somehow offensive? And if someone can be upset by mother breastfeeding a baby, then why be surprised that someone else is easily upset by unwanted sexual context of a joke or a conversation? That's simply what happens when society suppresses sexuality as something completely inappropriate outside of bedroom or academical discussions. And also alienation of people doesn't really help, our private space is getting bigger and bigger everyday, and we're more and more intimidated by any casual human contact. Being a hard-core introvert I sort of like it better that way, but that has a consequences that you need to respect other people's right to not give a damn about you, too.
- wil421 9y ago
  Much of the laws that shaped the country are from Protestant view point. Over the years violence and profanity have been accepted. Did you ever see what happened in the late 90/00s with profane music? It was supposedly corrupting our youth and congress had hearing discussing Eminem lyrics. How hilarious. Nudity is still rare but not really like it was 20 years ago. Religious nuts will protest "think of the children" and no politician will want to seem like they dislike children so they play along to get votes. Not going to touch breastfeeding, media fuled firestorm. Who cares?
  - thehardsphere 9y ago
    > Did you ever see what happened in the late 90/00s with profane music? It was supposedly corrupting our youth and congress had hearing discussing Eminem lyrics. How hilarious. How many of those kids are now adults who voted for Donald Trump?
  - cr0sh 9y ago
    > Did you ever see what happened in the late 90/00s with profane music? Goes back further than that; I'm pretty sure in 80s it was likely Madonna or something - I also know there was a frenzy around 2 Live Crew in the late 1980s/early 90s. But I'd be willing to bet that there was also talk about Elvis in congress back in the day...
    - dllthomas 9y ago
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxB-ZePpS7E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxB-ZePpS7E
- isoskeles 9y ago
  Nudity and sexuality are different. This feels like a false trope, the whole "Europe is so much more evolved," thing. Pop culture from the states often looks like a role model for sexuality across the rest of the world. Don't those K-pop music videos with gyrating women kind of remind you of Britney Spears? I don't think they got the idea from Europe. I will admit we have a confusing relationship toward sex here, where a non-sexual image of a nipple is unacceptable, but suggestive gyrating and sexual symbolism (commercials where beer is spraying out of a can like an orgasm, I don't know) are normal to the point that we don't even notice. We can see this as suppression in a way, where we can only talk about sex in metaphors, and only "the media" (Hollywood, advertisers) is allowed to do it for the rest of us.

ivanhoe 9y ago

It always seemed to me, as outsider, that sex in the US culture is a single topic that is especially uncomfortable to people, far more than in Europe. Just look at the TV/movies or social media rules: you can show blood, violence, guns, all kinds of criminal or deviant behavior, but any kind of nudity will set off alarms, to the point that we need to defend mothers' rights to breastfeed in public because nipples are somehow offensive? And if someone can be upset by mother breastfeeding a baby, then why be surprised that someone else is easily upset by unwanted sexual context of a joke or a conversation? That's simply what happens when society suppresses sexuality as something completely inappropriate outside of bedroom or academical discussions. And also alienation of people doesn't really help, our private space is getting bigger and bigger everyday, and we're more and more intimidated by any casual human contact. Being a hard-core introvert I sort of like it better that way, but that has a consequences that you need to respect other people's right to not give a damn about you, too.

wil421 9y ago
Much of the laws that shaped the country are from Protestant view point. Over the years violence and profanity have been accepted. Did you ever see what happened in the late 90/00s with profane music? It was supposedly corrupting our youth and congress had hearing discussing Eminem lyrics. How hilarious. Nudity is still rare but not really like it was 20 years ago. Religious nuts will protest "think of the children" and no politician will want to seem like they dislike children so they play along to get votes. Not going to touch breastfeeding, media fuled firestorm. Who cares?
- thehardsphere 9y ago
  > Did you ever see what happened in the late 90/00s with profane music? It was supposedly corrupting our youth and congress had hearing discussing Eminem lyrics. How hilarious. How many of those kids are now adults who voted for Donald Trump?
- cr0sh 9y ago
  > Did you ever see what happened in the late 90/00s with profane music? Goes back further than that; I'm pretty sure in 80s it was likely Madonna or something - I also know there was a frenzy around 2 Live Crew in the late 1980s/early 90s. But I'd be willing to bet that there was also talk about Elvis in congress back in the day...
  - dllthomas 9y ago
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxB-ZePpS7E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxB-ZePpS7E
isoskeles 9y ago
Nudity and sexuality are different. This feels like a false trope, the whole "Europe is so much more evolved," thing. Pop culture from the states often looks like a role model for sexuality across the rest of the world. Don't those K-pop music videos with gyrating women kind of remind you of Britney Spears? I don't think they got the idea from Europe. I will admit we have a confusing relationship toward sex here, where a non-sexual image of a nipple is unacceptable, but suggestive gyrating and sexual symbolism (commercials where beer is spraying out of a can like an orgasm, I don't know) are normal to the point that we don't even notice. We can see this as suppression in a way, where we can only talk about sex in metaphors, and only "the media" (Hollywood, advertisers) is allowed to do it for the rest of us.