letter to the editor

End the “boys club” culture

Wed, 11/09/2016 - 8:45am

Dear Editor:

In the wake of the focus, and at times outrage and disgust, regarding Donald Trump’s treatment of women, I must wonder why society has tolerated the TV show, "The Bachelor," for 14 years. Touted as, “A single bachelor dates multiple women over several weeks, narrowing them down to ... find his true love.” Scripted and edited, it showcases Barbie-esque young women, competing for the attention of one equally Ken-like young man. Where’s society’s outrage and disgust at this mainstream image of women competing for a man been these past 14 years?

In the early '70’s, a friend described a practice at his all boys private school in New York. It was called the “pig pot.” Riding to a dance at a girls school, money was collected among the boys. Upon arriving at the dance, a “pig” was selected: the girl deemed most unattractive by the boys. The prize money went to the boy who danced with her most.

Recently, Megyn Kelly sued her boss, 76-year-old Fox News CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. Twenty-four women testifying to 30 years of sexual harassment later, he stepped down. Kelly was not the first woman to sue Ailes.

Last week, The Harvard Crimson reported on a 2012 “scouting report” by Harvard’s men’s soccer team ranking the appearance and sex appeal of freshmen members of the women’s team in crude and sexual terms. The 2016 men’s soccer team continued the tradition of the “scouting report” resulting in the decisive end of their season and post-season play by Drew Gilpin Faust, first woman president of Harvard. Judge Aaron Persky, Stanford University alumna, should have used a page from Faust’s playbook when he sentenced Stanford student and swim team member Brock Turner to six months in jail for three felony counts of sexual assault.

What will it take, and how long, to end this “boys will be boys” culture? From high school to college to the corporate world, the “boys club” is alive and well. Let’s not allow our recent outrage to fade away along with the political ads condemning it. The election is over; the pervasive attitude is not.

Karen Cronk

Southport