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> Tell that to Neil Degrass Tyson! Would you ever consider him an asshole? And yet, here he is getting lambasted for pointing out a tattoo on a woman's arm and
by CiPHPerCoder 8y ago
> Tell that to Neil Degrass Tyson! Would you ever consider him an asshole? And yet, here he is getting lambasted for pointing out a tattoo on a woman's arm and telling people he doesn't do hugs.
I thought he was being accused of physically touching a clothed area of the woman's arm without being granted consent, not merely "pointing out". The words "pointing out" imply a gesture, which can be done at a distance, not unwelcome physical contact.
- throwaway5250 8y ago> accused of physically touching a clothed area of the woman's arm without being granted consent Is this really an offense worth ending someone's career over? (And is it any surprise that we might all deduce the lesson if it is?)
- CiPHPerCoder 8y ago> Is this really an offense worth ending someone's career over? In isolation? No. It's a social faux pas that should be responded to with apology and remediation. Nobody is perfect, after all. As one incident in an overall pattern of abuse stretching one's career? Different matter. If this pattern holds, the accused doesn't need to be propped up as a role model for science communication.
- jbob2000 8y agoAnd herein lies the problem with #MeToo. NDT thought he was being curious and pointing something out, the woman thought she was being sexually harassed. This is the problem, that any action can be construed as sexual harassment.
- CiPHPerCoder 8y ago> NDT thought he was being curious and pointing something out, the woman thought she was being sexually harassed. If he did in fact physically touch her, then this isn't an ambiguous "he said/she said" problem, this is a violation of her personal boundaries.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- everdrive 8y agoExcellent clarification. I'll get his scarlet letter ready.