Everyday sexism or harmless fun?

[L00b]

The monstering this young woman has received for daring to defend herself against an upper class Establishment figure is a cowardly demonstration of the decline of character and moral fibre in this country. At one time the average Brit would have taken the side of the underdog.

has been proportional to the disproportionality of her reaction to the LinkedIn message in question.

 

"Don't dish it if you can't take it" is the current form of expression, I believe.

 

As regards questions of "character" and "moral fibre", after the needlessly vindictive way she went about her business initially (and the genuine issue of her own double standards put aside for the sake of brevity), looks like hers could do with a tune.

 

The moral and proper manner of response was, at the most vindictive, a formal complaint to the SRA about the male Linkedin poster, which would have been heard by the Professional Ethics committee. I expect that, as a barrister, she was fully familiar with that recourse and with the fairness of its processing. I'll leave you to ponder why she didn't follow that course of action, and chose instead to make a public mountain out of a private molehill.

[Hogg]

has been proportional to the disproportionality of her reaction to the LinkedIn message in question.

 

"Don't dish it if you can't take it" is the current form of expression, I believe.

 

As regards questions of "character" and "moral fibre", after the needlessly vindictive way she went about her business initially (and the genuine issue of her own double standards put aside for the sake of brevity), looks like hers could do with a tune.

 

The moral and proper manner of response was, at the most vindictive, a formal complaint to the SRA about the male Linkedin poster, which would have been heard by the Professional Ethics committee. I expect that, as a barrister, she was fully familiar with that recourse and with the fairness of its processing. I'll leave you to ponder why she didn't follow that course of action, and chose instead to make a public mountain out of a private molehill.

 

In quoting my post and crossing out the bits you don't like you only serve to emphasise my point. The young woman was on a professional site - not a dating site. An older and much more powerful man chose to exercise his power in making an unwarranted remark about her appearance, prefacing this with an acknowledgement that what he was doing was 'politically incorrect'. The gutter press and many on this site have monstered her for defending herself, even in the face of her receiving death threats. This demonstrates the lack of character and moral fibre of the baying crowd having found and isolated a victim, they proceed to attack.

[RootsBooster]

The monstering this young woman has received for daring to defend herself against an upper class Establishment figure is a cowardly demonstration of the decline of character and moral fibre in this country. At one time the average Brit would have taken the side of the underdog.

Defend herself against what, exactly?

 

I don't think that in this situation there are any underdogs.

He may or may not be a lecherous, vile, creepy pervert trying his luck.

He may or may not be just an ordinary fellah going through a mid-life crisis.

He may just have thought she was pretty and decided to tell her.

 

I really don't know enough about him (or her). What I do know is what he said, call it a compliment or an attempt at a chat-up (certainly it was unprofessional & stupid), it wasn't abuse or an attack and it wasn't sexist.

 

What concerns me most is how the journalist Radhika Sanghani (in the OP's article) has jumped on this and seems intent on demonising the guy.

She repeatedly calls him sexist and misogynistic and compares it to online insults (not compliments) that she's received herself, a man who physically assaulted a female bartender in another article and a van driver who shouted abuse at a female jogger.

 

---------- Post added 16-09-2015 at 10:24 ----------

 

In quoting my post and crossing out the bits you don't like you only serve to emphasise my point. The young woman was on a professional site - not a dating site. An older and much more powerful man chose to exercise his power in making an unwarranted remark about her appearance, prefacing this with an acknowledgement that what he was doing was 'politically incorrect'. The gutter press and many on this site have monstered her for defending herself, even in the face of her receiving death threats. This demonstrates the lack of character and moral fibre of the baying crowd having found and isolated a victim, they proceed to attack.

 

I don't condone that behaviour at all, but you seem to be missing out that she's also "monstered" someone, which is the point I think Loob was making.

Edited September 16, 2015 by RootsBooster

[L00b]

In quoting my post and crossing out the bits you don't like you only serve to emphasise my point.

Not really (it's not as if I didn't read these bits first, nor as if your original post isn't there on the page). It was merely editorial license for effect.

 

Your original point is still just as moot.

The young woman was on a professional site - not a dating site. An older and much more powerful man chose to exercise his power in making an unwarranted remark about her appearance, prefacing this with an acknowledgement that what he was doing was 'politically incorrect'. The gutter press and many on this site have monstered her for defending herself, even in the face of her receiving death threats. This demonstrates the lack of character and moral fibre of the baying crowd having found and isolated a victim, they proceed to attack.

She didn't defend herself.

 

As a legal professional, defending herself should have been with any or all of (i) replying the older man privately and signifying the impropriety of the message, and/or (ii) filing a formal complaint with this older man's firm, and/or (iii) filing a formal complaint with the SRA (to the Professional Ethics rules of which this older man is subjected), subject to how aggrieved she felt and how far she wanted to take it (an SRA complaint is a Big Deal for a legal professional, make no mistake).

 

You'll notice that I'm not opining about the wisdom of her feeling offended or not, just about what behaviour is expected from a legal professional in such circumstances. I'm a legal professional. I answer to the SRA (and a s**tpot-full of further regulatory bodies and respective rules of professional conduct). This I do know about.

 

She retaliated against this older man (not 'much more powerful' at all btw, just a potential client) completely disproportionately, rather than behave professionally and follow the standard professional rules of procedure developed exactly for such circumstances and purposes. That has consequences, unsurprisingly she has been facing them.

Edited September 16, 2015 by L00b

[Cyclone]

Which convent did you come Its always been the guys place to comment or embrace the qualities of the opposite sex. This wasn't creepy in any way, just a fella embracing what his ideology of beauty was. I bet your lass had a blinding time when you first commented how efficient her typing skills were.

 

Back under your bridge creepy.

[cressida]

Well, I think she overreacted, probably because she thought he might be too interested and wanted to nip it in the bud.

 

He could have thought he stood a chance in addition to her invitation (vain, ego?)

 

Did ageism come into it?

 

Should she have said 'Hey, back off, it's just business'

[WiseOwl182]

Back under your bridge creepy.

 

Enjoy your holiday, Cyclone?

[Cyclone]

Yes, it was mid thirties all week thanks, I have a nice tan and some diving photos.

 

Did you think I'd had a ban? No, just taking advantage of out of school holidays prices.

[WiseOwl182]

Yes, it was mid thirties all week thanks, I have a nice tan and some diving photos.

 

Did you think I'd had a ban? No, just taking advantage of out of school holidays prices.

 

No, I didn't think it was a ban, it was just obvious from your absence that you were sunning yourself up away from Sheffield. You missed a real Indian summer here.