Most people were horrified upon hearing Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump describe sexually assaulting women on English sex moviesa video taped in 2005. Even his wife, Melania Trump, and his daughter, Ivanka, said the comments were "unacceptable," "inappropriate," and "offensive."
The backlash to Trump's comments prompted countless women to share their own stories of sexual assault. But now that public debate has turned to ending rape culture and sexual violence, people may find it difficult to know what they can do to make those goals a reality.
SEE ALSO: What Donald Trump's comments mean to me as a survivor of sexual assaultKamilah Willingham, cofounder of the advocacy group Survivors Eradicating Rape Culture, believes that action must include changing how men talk about women and their bodies.
"[Trump's comments] were terrible because it really was about how men in power demonstrate their power to other men using the degradation of women."
While no one expects men (or women) to stop talking about sexual attraction with friends, Willingham says there is a vast difference between a respectful, candid discussion and the vulgar, violent exchange heard on the audio recording of Trump and former Access Hollywoodhost Billy Bush.
"The conversation wasn’t just them discussing a passive appreciation for women," Willingham says. "It was talking about how you see something you want and you go after it. The conversation doesn’t take into account the wants or needs of the person or even if that person has wants or needs."
Despite allegations of sexual assault that match the details of Trump's comments, some have argued that his private remarks amount to nothing more than macho posturing. Trump himself has called it "locker room talk."
Either way, such language is damaging to both women and men, says Sam Polk, a former hedge fund trader who wrote a New York Times op-ed about the toxic effect of "bro talk" on Wall Street.
"[Trump's comments] in particular were terrible because it really was about how men in power demonstrate their power to other men using the degradation of women," says Polk.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Though Trump's case is extreme, both Willingham and Polk believe it holds universal lessons for how to have a conversation about attraction without dehumanizing women. If you're going to talk about sexually desiring a woman, here are five indications you're straying dangerously close to "locker room talk":
The simplest rule of thumb for gauging whether a conversation has veered into unseemly territory, says Polk, is whether you'd feel comfortable making the same comments to a woman in person. While every woman will have different boundaries for what feels appropriate — some might appreciate specificity while others are comfortable with vague compliments — using this general rule should give you a quick indication about the respectfulness of your comments.
The human body is indeed beautiful and people often develop preferences for which features they find particularly appealing. Acknowledging that is normal, says Willingham, but if your conversation is limited to rating a woman's physique and anatomy, you're probably neglecting to see her as a complex human being with emotions and aspirations of her own.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The point is not to compensate by insincerely referencing her intellect or sense of humor, but to fully understand how reducing her to body parts may diminish your respect for her humanity and agency.
If you're talking about a woman as a sexual object but you have no idea if she desires you —or know she doesn't — it's time to take a step back. Willingham says it's essential to understand if the attraction is mutual and whether the answer to that question is important to you.
If your feelings are unreciprocated or you don't care about a woman's interest, chances are the way you're talking about her isn't respectful. Such a conversation may also be premised on the dangerous notion that she'll eventually succumb to your entreaties. That mentality can lead to much worse than just crude private discussions.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
"The oldest foundation of rape culture is that women want or need to be cajoled or cornered into sex," says Willingham.
Some men may see playing up their sexual pursuits as a standard expression of masculinity, but Polk believes that framework is deeply troubling.
"There is a modus operandi in guy culture that is about stealing from women, taking something from them, taking virginity, getting them to sleep with you," he says. "It's almost like a point of pride [or] notches on your belt."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
When women encounter that callousness or aggression, it can be a devastating experience. So if your private language views women as a conquest, you can't expect your actions to look dramatically different.
Think of this as the Trump rule. If your comments could threaten your job or public standing because they describe questionable views or behavior, then find a new way to express how you feel.
And if you'd be embarrassed to publicly take part in such a conversation, do what you can to shut it down by saying something as simple as, "This is making me really uncomfortable" or "That's not how I talk about women."
Speaking up will always come with risks, but only men can stand up for the dignity of women in private settings.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Willingham says that how men define their masculinity will inevitably shape how they talk about women.
"If your view of masculinity is to have sex but put yourself as equals with women," she says, "then these conversations will naturally look different."
Topics Donald Trump Elections
New Girl Scout badges go where Girl Scouts have never been before: SpaceWoman loses engagement ring, finds it on a carrot 13 years later'Game of Thrones' fan proves why Arya has Sansa all wrongAnderson Cooper breaks down exactly why Trump's press conference should bother youWhat's behind the recent uptick in robocalls?'Overwatch' deathmatch was a mistakeBlizzard tries to rename Battle.net, failsGoogle can now warn you when your allergies might flare upGoogle just gave Docs a major overhaul for group productivityLeaked images might show the iPhone 8's wireless charging padsFacebook is adding daily deals from Ebay to its marketplace'Game of Thrones' fan proves why Arya has Sansa all wrongBlizzard tries to rename Battle.net, failsFacebook's mobile redesign makes reading easier but it's kind of just really gray'Game of Thrones' fan theory predicts another epic dragon showdown next episodeNintendo Switch dock lets you project 'Zelda' onto your wall7 best burns from Martin Shkreli's jury selection processRead Tim Cook's powerful note to Apple employees about Charlottesville violenceBehold, the LG V30 in all its gloryThe HBO hackers just hit us with the biggest dump yet Apple workers are speaking up in solidarity with Palestine Apple AirTags are nearly back to their record Like audiobooks on Spotify? You might have to pay more. China’s SAIC confirms cooperation with Audi for EV platforms development · TechNode Baidu’s CEO Robin Li resigns from the board of Ctrip Group · TechNode NASA's TESS launches on a mission to search the sky for alien planets China's biggest chip foundry SMIC appoints Liu Xunfeng as new chair · TechNode Android texting via satellite: Here's how it could beat iPhone Score a pair of Liberty 4 NC earbuds when you purchase the XREAL Air 2 Pro Best spring cleaning deal: The Bissell Little Green Pet Deluxe carpet cleaner under $100 Scientists eavesdrop on whales with deep Semiconductor Industry Association urges restraint on China chip restrictions · TechNode Mysterious bowhead whales found singing over 180 different songs Samsung and TSMC to jointly supply Tesla with 4nm auto China to boost private enterprise in effort to revive growth · TechNode WeChat Pay now accepts foreign credit cards for payment in China · TechNode Amazon First Reads deal: Prime members can snag two Kindle ebooks for free in April AI company Cloudwalk’s large Best smartphone deal: Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 for $899.99 at Amazon Tesla’s Shanghai factory offers workers a bonus increase after record deliveries · TechNode
2.2627s , 10140.59375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【English sex movies】,Wisdom Convergence Information Network