This week’s roasting is not really of a person, although Mallard certainly deserves to be in the cross-hairs again. Rather it is an action that has got the Oilers exercised. The action of an innocent hug being elevated to sexual assault and even, maybe, rape.
It all began with the revelation that the “rapist” stalking the corridors of parliament had been stood down. We all breathed a sigh of relief on behalf of all the innocent men who had been tarred with the sweeping allegation made by Mallard.
Then a reporter asked the offender for his story …
https://www.thebfd.co.nz/2019/05/the-bar-for-rape-is-now-at-floor-level/
As PhantomsDoc said:
Be afraid guys, be very afraid.
The lads (assuming gender here) showed their confusion and worries about the brave new world.
Bobba Fret:
As a man, the worst thing (or fear) that can possibly happen to you would be to be accused of either being a pedophile or being accused of rape. Even if you prove yourself to be innocent, you may always still be tainted as there will always be some people that say he was accused and ‘where there’s smoke there’s fire”.
This bloke could be almost suicidal thanks to Mallard. Maybe he has been guilty of being over touchy, but rape?
Hatchet Harry wondered about his hairdresser:
95% of frontal hugs from women will result in breasts touching my chest, is that rape? sexual assault? Well endowed hairdresser washing my hair at the bowl leaning over me assault? clown world alright
Wallace Westland highlighted how mad it had all become:
I refuse to touch a women in the work place.
I’ll only shake hands if I’m introduced.
Dudes no worries…one of my male staff deserves a pat on the back and a word…gets both.
I’ve had female staff complain they don’t or seem to be treated slightly different…. They get the look.
Never EVER put a hand on a female employee…don’t open a door for them, don’t help unless they ask and if they do ask get it in writing.
While Plantagenet pointed out the ironies involved in modern life:
It’s certainly a funny old world that we are now living in. We have a PM who enjoys popularity with some because she is smiley and tactile and often hugs people. We have a native culture that demands that strangers get into each other’s personal space and squash noses. Any form of reserve and reticence, which used to be the order of the day, is now generally criticised and regarded as somehow wrong or at the least very old-fashioned. And yet, a man who hugs someone, touches their arm, or compliments a woman on their hair is hounded out of their workplace, subjected to the worst kind of insults and generally held up to scorn from some quarters. We are a very confused society.
And John made a very valid observation:
The downside of all this (apart from the ramifications of people being wrongly accused) is that the real sexual assault victims are often now being tarred with the “metoo” brush as people looking for attention.
