#SOL17: Misogyny Isn't a Simple Matter of Attitude

Peril (M.A. Reilly, 2012)

Unmasked (M.A. Reilly, 2012)

Misogyny is still situated as a personal matter between people, not an institutional one. In some ways it is similar to how some understand racism--as if it was nothing more than a sharp difference between two people.  Misogyny and racism are institutionalized--we learn to hate through our participation at school, churches, synagogues, mosques, and libraries. We learn to see some as other and to distrust them while playing with the little league, in our jobs, walking down our neighborhood streets, by the foods we eat and fail to eat, through our government. We have repeatedly been taught to believe that women are inferior, untrustworthy, aggressive,  wrong. One only has to remember that 54% of white women in the United States voted for Donald Trump after the Access Hollywood tape was released along with allegations of sexual rape and misconduct by more than a dozen women, five of whom were minors to grasp how underlying attitudes about women and men continue to inform present actions. Women have been taught to discount their own thoughts, to revere men and to trust men's beliefs as if they were given truths.

Now, we find ourselves mired in accusations from scores and scores of victims who have named the men below for sexual misconduct which means a variety of charges from rape, groping, sexual harassment, to inappropriate comments. I know this list is incomplete as it names only the now infamous, not the ordinary. But sexual misconduct happens in our homes, at our work places, and on the street. But perhaps this wave is a start at changing beliefs about how we understand women and the worth we afford women in the United States. Frankly, I think it is time to clean house and for the men below to resign their positions and make room for more ethical people to rise up. Curious what you think.

1. President Donald Trump, Republican (3 counts of rape and attempted rape of a minor, sexual assault and harassment, 5 were minors)
2. Senate candidate Roy Moore, R-AL (accused of sexually assaulting two women decades ago when they were teenagers; about a half-dozen other women have accused Moore of inappropriate conduct)
3. Harvey Weinstein, Producer and co-founder of the Weinstein Company (raping three women, sexual assault and harassment of dozens of others)
4. Kevin Spacey, actor (sexual assault or misconduct of 24 men, one was a minor)
5. Ed Westwick, actor (raping two women)
6. Steven Segal, actor (raping two women)
7. Robert Scoble, Tech blogger and co-founder of the Transformation Group (sexual assault of at least two women)
8. Andy Signore, Senior vice president of content for Defy Media (sexual assault of one woman and harassment of several others)
9. Kirt Webster, Nashville publicity titan (sexual assault and harassment, including unwanted touching.)
10. Brett Ratner, Producer and director (rape, sexual assault and harassment of six women, including exposing himself and masturbating)
11. David Guillod, Co-chief executive of Primary Wave Entertainment agency (sexual assault of four women)
12. Mark Halperin, political journalist and author (sexual assault and harassment of a dozen women)
13. Gary Goddard, Director-producer (rape of an underage boy and sexual molesting of a 12 year old boy) 
14. Alex Gilady, Keshet Broadcasting President  (rape, sexual assault)
15. Robert Knepper, actor (sexual assault)
16. Tom Sizemore, actor (groping 12-year-old girl)
17. George Takei, actor (sexual assault of a man)
18. Jeffrey Tambor, actor (sexual misconduct including rape)
19. Dallas Clayton, author (rape)
20. President George H.W. Bush, Republican, (Accused of patting seven women below the waist while posing for photos with them in recent years)
21. Sen. Al Franken (D-MINN), (Accused of forcibly kissing a woman while rehearsing for a 2006 USO tour, apologized)
22. California Assembly Majority Whip Raul Bocanegra (sexual harassment, resigned)
23. Florida Democratic Chairman Stephen Bittel, (accused of sexually inappropriate comments and behavior toward a number of women)
24. Florida Republican state Senator Jack Latvala, (Sexual harassment and groping accusations)
25. Democratic Minnesota State senator Dan Schoem (Sexual harassment)
26. Steve Lebsock (D-CO), Democratic state representative, sexual harassment 
27. Kentucky ouse Speaker Jeff Hoover, Republican, sexual harassment 
28. British Defense Secretary Michale Fallon, Accused of inappropriate advances on two women,James Toback,  Hollywood screenwriter and director (Accused by hundreds of women of sexual harassment)
29. Ben Affleck, actor and director
30. Chris Savino, Nickelodeon creator
31. Roy Price, head of Amazon Studios
32. André Balazs, hotelier, (sexual misconduct)
33. Mark Schwahn, producer (accused by 16 women of sexual harassment)
34. John Besh, celebrity chef (accused by 25 women of sexual harassment)
35. Mark Halperin, NBC analyst 
36. Michael Oreskes, NPR news chief 
37. Lockhart Steele, editorial director for Vox 
38. Bill O'Reilly, FOX news personality
39. Brett Ratner, movie producer
40. Russell Simmons, Def Jam CEO (sexual misconduct with minor)
41. Charlie Rose, TV show host
42. Louis C.K., comic and producer
43. Hadrian Belove, Cinefamily executive
44. Jameis Winston, Quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
45. Glenn Thrush, NYT journalist
46. Roger LaMay. NPR board chairman 
47. Shadie Elnashai, Cinefamily executive
48. Richard Dreyfus, actor
49. Dustin Hoffman, actor
50. Andy Dick, actor
51. Jeremy Piven, actor, 
52. Ron Jeremy, actor, 
53. Andy Henry, CSI' Casting Employee
54. Andrew Kreisberg, Showrunner, (Sexual harassment by 19 women)
55. Gilbert Rozon, Just For Laughs founder (sexual misconduct)
56. Rick Najera, Director of CBS's Diversity Showcase
57. Matthew Weiner, director, producer
58. Steve Jurvetson, venture capitalist
59. Eddie Berganza, DC Comics editor
60. Stephen Blackwell, Billboard Magazine executive 
61. Giuseppe Castellano,  Penguin Random House art director
62. Hamilton Fish, President and publisher of The New Republic
63. Benjamin Genocchio, Executive director of Armory show
64. Terry Richardson, Fashion photographer 
65. Knight Landesmam, Artforum magazine publisher
66. Jann Wenner, founder and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine
67. Leon Wieseltier, writer, critic (Sexual misconduct)
68. Matt Zimmerman, NBC News producer