Has this country become a place where it's now acceptable for a drunken, ill educated mob to rule?
Forget the fact that stripper Scarlette wasn't willing to dob the yobbo Chiefs into the authorities, although she seems happy enough to recount her plight to the media.
It's the principal that's at issue here.
It's difficult to fathom why rugby players celebrate a Mad Monday but it's even more difficult to understand why they need a stripper along for them to truly become mad. It's worse still that the rugby union carries out a navel gazing exercise, that they call an inquiry, and slap the players on their clearly overused wrists with a wet bus ticket.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.The old boys at Rugby Union HQ tittered that they should be cautioned, presumably not to be nasty to strippers again.
It's impossible for the police to poke their noses in, given that the stripper only wants to complain to the media it seems.
And even though the players association said a stripper at a rugby function's inappropriate, the stage had already been set at the highest level, our Rugby World Cup winning ABs celebrating their win last year at a strip club in London.
The arguments around the water coolers tend to be generational - the oldies say a naked chick exposing herself to drunken, red blooded males deserves all she gets. In other words they're saying, males shouldn't be expected to control themselves.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.The more sensible of us say anyone, regardless of their occupation, has the right to some dignity and if she doesn't want the attention she's getting she has the right to refuse it.
But largely silent in all of this is politician whose job it is to promote the rights of women, Louise Upston, the Minister of Women's Affairs. Other than a tweet telling us this isn't an issue limited to sport, it's pervasive throughout New Zealand in all walks of life, she's had little to say.
Until men treat women equally and respectfully, we'll continue to have high levels of family and sexual violence, Upston tweeted, refusing to elaborate and talk specifically about this appalling behaviour saying it's a matter for the rugger boffins to deal with.
It seems she left that to the AB's cheerleader John Key who explained away her silence by saying she doesn't have to comment on everything, he's the spokesman for the Government. Yeah but she's the spokesperson for Women's Affairs and this issue surely goes right to the heart of it.
Key's view is that rugby should take a moment to reflect on whether it's the right way to celebrate the end of the season.
While they're reflecting they should perhaps consult the dictionary and look up the word "sorry."
