France, Meet the ’90s. May 26, 2011 at 1:48 am
Nancy Gibbs, journalistic idol to me and to many, has a great piece in Time called “Men Behaving Badly: What is it About Power That Makes Men Crazy?” She provides the requisite pop-psych answers about impulse control and ego. Then she takes it to the next level with a devastating analysis of how and why powerful men give themselves permission to behave inappropriately with less powerful women.
When I was in high school reading all that shit in magazines about “Do-Me Feminism,” this was the kind of article I fantasized would eventually be standard in the mainstream press. And the happy day has come.
Offering insight into the ’90s sexual harassment conversation, she describes it as a period of “awkward adjustment” when our pact with morally compromised leaders came into contact with the 24-hour news cycle.
And then there’s a great Viewpoint by Elaine Sciolino called “The Turning Point,” which suggests that France is having its Anita Hill moment.
Both pieces show that these conversations are not about permission to banter or flirt, but rather about women being branded uptight troublemakers if they don’t play along with men being naughty and/or violent.
Go, Time, with the smart sexual harassment coverage! My inner ’90s teenager is very grateful.
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