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Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Kate Stewart: Why it's wrong for women to flaunt their sexuality

By Kate Stewart
Columnist·Whanganui Chronicle·
24 Nov, 2017 04:00 PM4 mins to read

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In light of all the sexual allegations levelled, primarily, at Hollywood he-males, I'm surprised no counter-allegations have been made against A-lister females and their sisters-in-arms.

Right or wrong, the term Hollywood casting couch came into being because, as they say, it takes two to tango, and - again, right or wrong - we women have been known to use our womanly wiles to our advantage.

And before all the haters start in on me, many a budding actress has been known to publicly admit they're prepared to do whatever it takes to catch their big break.

Read more: Kate Stewart: Waiting in line
Kate Stewart: Being a modern man

That could be "exotic" dancing, escorting, resorting to pornography or, dare I say it, sleeping their way to the top.

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I'm not judging - each to their own, and we all have our own moral compasses - but I am somewhat perplexed as to why it appears to okay for them to use their sexuality to further their careers.

Is it okay that men get away with it? Hell no, as long as the allegations are proven to be true, but the same standard must apply to all.

Sexual assault and/or abuse may be too strong a term, but some commonly seen behaviour could certainly fall under the sexual harassment category.

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Sexual harassment is a very broad term ... what offends me may not be offensive to anyone else, it's very subjective by nature.

Just as some may be offended by this very column, others will relate to it very well.

So where are the outcries from men and women who have been suffering from PTSD after been subjected to giant, wobbling bum cheeks, protruding while twerking in short shorts?

Some people may be waking in a cold sweat and screaming at the sight of cellulite, jiggling like jelly, in just about every music video made these days - which, incidentally, come with no health warning.

Boobs, both real and fake, are almost entirely visible. Some so big, collision has the potential to cause severe head trauma or smothering, and couple that with cleavage so deep that you would need a specialised caving and abseiling team to ensure a safe rescue.

Take, The Voice's Delta Goodrem, for example. Could she be any more revealing? Practically topless in every episode.

As an extremely broadminded woman, even I feel offended that she feels the need to expose herself so extensively for what is, essentially, a show that should be able to be enjoyed by families ... its time slot and rating would suggest the same.

Yet week after week we see her donning tops that are so close to being indecent they must be taped in place to avoid "Nipplegate". Essentially forced upon us, whether we want to see it or not and, sadly, Delta is just one of many and actually pretty tame compared to other examples.

Adam Sandler was recently called out for placing his hand on a fellow guest's knee on The Graham Norton Show, yet it was apparently perfectly acceptable for female guest Emma Thompson to go into great detail about how her pants were so tight, they were actually causing her discomfort in a private place.

Madonna and her "cone boobs" ... iconic? If a male artist walked on stage wearing a giant phallic-inspired codpiece, we'd be screaming harassment, objectification and voicing our disgust and outrage.

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For women all over the world who are desperately seeking equal rights, allowing this double standard to continue unchecked is not a good look and does nothing but hinder the chances of being taken seriously.

If we are to demand that our male counterparts hold themselves to a certain standard, surely we must do the same. Would it be acceptable for them to arrive at work, virtually shirtless, midriffs on display, invading our personal space with the battering of inch long false eyelashes or pharmaceutically enhanced lips, pouting their way towards a promotion?

I may not be a burn-the-bra extremist and nor am I comfortable with the exploitation of women, under any circumstance. However, to just accept that women are always the victims and never the perpetrators is simply naive. I'm merely advocating for fairness and the much sought after equality.

And if men aren't complaining because they really are content to just "enjoy the view", it still doesn't justify the behaviour. Nothing does.

Feel free to bare all (your opinions) at investik8@gmail.com

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