Sunday, August 10, 2008

sexual harassment ruled to be civic duty in Russia


True story. Ad agency in Russia. 22-year old exec is locked out of her office by her 47-year old boss because she refuses to have sex with him. She sues. Case is thrown out of court. Why? Judge rules that employers are obliged to make passes at female staff to ensure the continuation of the human race.

"If we had no sexual harassment, we would have no children," he said.
Since Soviet times, sexual harassment in Russia has become an accepted part of life in the office, work place and university lecture room. According to a recent survey, 100 per cent of female professionals said they had been subjected to sexual harassment by their bosses, 32 per cent said they had had intercourse with them at least once and another seven per cent claimed to have been raped.

Women also report that it is common to be browbeaten into sex during job interviews, while female students regularly complain that university professors trade high marks for sexual favours.
So, think twice about accepting that transfer to the office in Moscow. For Mad Men-wannabes, of course, it could be just the place.

via DKR via Huffington Post

8 comments:

shaun. said...

imagine what the olympic female athletes have to go through...

sorry, im all about the olympics right now.

Joker said...

Seems another very cold war never stopped being fought. I have always said that murder can eventually be justifiable or explained... rape and sexual assault shall forever be filed under punishable by death.

Why?

it takes a second or an impulse to kill someone... the same cannot be said for the other.

Ps.: word verify knowledge

vredcc.... too many ways to interpret this one.

HighJive said...

Well, let’s not be too quick to condemn the Russians. First of all, the UK (where the newspaper reporting the story is based) is hardly a bastion of equality on any level. Remember, the Queen is just a figurehead. But more importantly, the US is not that far behind Russia. Depending upon your feelings about the authenticity of Mad Men, we’ve witnessed sexual predators and intimidation happening weekly. In the last episode, Don Draper coerced a talent manager by sticking his hand up her crotch. Do you really think we’ve evolved that dramatically? Don’t you still see this shit daily (especially if you’re in a BDA)?

Joker said...

@ High jive: you're totally right. But at least it is looked down upon over yonder. The reality though is that harassment is a daily occurrence and that sexual predators and vile assholes are alive and well. Albeit unfortunately. But from that to having a sexual harassment lawsuit be disregarded because it's one of the ways our species propagates is a bit much.

In essence, regardless of where it occurs, a nice cock slicing is the least a man can get for the trouble of forcefully furthering the human race.

HighJive said...

Yes, Joker.

At the same time, how many sexual harassment lawsuits have failed in the US? Need proof? Think about the last time you saw a woman succeed in suing an ad agency. Besides, wasn't Steve Biegel's sexual harassment suit every bit as bizarre as the Russian tale?

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

@shaun-If coaches are male, I hate to think.

@joker--Interesting differentiation: I'd never considered heinousnous of crime to be linked to time it takes to commit. You may be seeding a new era in psychopathology.

@highjive--reading the story did bring to mind for me tales closer to home of the same ilk. And you have a good point about harassed ad broads being convinced it is usually pointless sue. But a US judge ruling that sexual harassment is necessary for the propogation of the human race? Even Ad Broad isn't that cynical. Yet.
re: Biegel. Boggling. And to your point--I wonder if Dentsu would have settled so handsomely if Steve had been a Sabrina instead.

HighJive said...

Another American Courtroom Drama.

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

Thanks for the link, High Jive. Who cares if his dog was eaten by a coyote?