#metoo and the impact of rape culture

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Name Change: Oct 9, 2005

Chris Cuomo is probably done at CNN (finally) after it became clear just how much interference he was running for his brother.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2021/11/30/cnn-chris-cuomo-suspended/

quote:

In May, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo had joined conference calls to discuss how to handle the allegations. At the time, the network said it was �inappropriate� for Cuomo to engage in conversations that included members of the governor�s staff; the host acknowledged his error in doing so and pledged not to do so again.

But after the state attorney general released a cache of documents from its Cuomo investigation � including text messages between the journalist and the governor�s aides that showed he had drafted statements for his brother to issue, demanded a larger role in strategy, contacted fellow journalists to find out about potential articles about his brother and attempted to research his accusers � the network said on Tuesday that he had gone too far.

�The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions,� a spokesperson said. �When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother�s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly. But we also appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second. However, these documents point to a greater level of involvement in his brother�s efforts than we previously knew. As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation.�

The network has not indicated whether Cuomo will regain his role at CNN upon such evaluation or how long the suspension will last.

# ? Dec 1, 2021 04:36

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 23:51

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Just think... Toobin jerking himself off on a Zoom call is not the most troubling of sexual harassment allegations amongst senior staff at CNN.

I expect Cuomo will suffer similarly light consequences once the heat is off.

# ? Dec 1, 2021 05:17

Second Hand Meat Mouth: Sep 12, 2001

PT6A posted:

Just think... Toobin jerking himself off on a Zoom call is not the most troubling of sexual harassment allegations amongst senior staff at CNN.

I expect Cuomo will suffer similarly light consequences once the heat is off.

Yeah, so Toobin's punishment was what, just eight months off the job? I'm willing to bet when he was fired he was given at least half that much of salary in severance.

# ? Dec 1, 2021 05:39

Wheeljack: Jul 12, 2021

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/30/media/chris-cuomo-suspended/index.html

Chris Cuomo suspended indefinitely today, per CNN, who put it on the top of their page. Usually this sort of news gets buried or ignored on the media outlet it happened on and it's the competing outlets who run with it. And it was a surprise to Cuomo, and to Anderson Cooper, who had to fill in for him at the last minute.

# ? Dec 1, 2021 07:25

A big flaming stink: Apr 26, 2010

yeah uh, bad news about that "indefinitely" part

https://twitter.com/Mediaite/status/1466106721835835400

considering how toobin got treated, i have pretty low expectations in regards to this :smith:

# ? Dec 2, 2021 03:53

Smeef: Aug 15, 2003; I posted my food for USPOL Thanksgiving!; Pillbug

Here's my suggested rebranding for CNN when Toobin is on air:

~cnn8

# ? Dec 2, 2021 04:14

Wheeljack: Jul 12, 2021

A big flaming stink posted:

yeah uh, bad news about that "indefinitely" part

https://twitter.com/Mediaite/status/1466106721835835400

considering how toobin got treated, i have pretty low expectations in regards to this

Firing a prominent television personality seems like a tricky process. Dan Rather remained on the CBS Evening News for six months after running the fake Bush memo story even as they fired some of the behind the scenes people, and he still sued CBS for being fired. Since they're very public figures, there could be libel concerns that you don't see in other jobs from an immediate and splashy firing. It'd hurt their brand too. Cuomo may even go back on the air and then "leave the network" shortly after that, for totally unrelated reasons, honest.

# ? Dec 3, 2021 10:30

Toplowtech: Aug 31, 2004

A big flaming stink posted:

yeah uh, bad news about that "indefinitely" part

https://twitter.com/Mediaite/status/1466106721835835400

considering how toobin got treated, i have pretty low expectations in regards to this

Of course he will be back far faster than Toobin: just look at all the blue check marks who went "i would do the same to protect family", totally ignoring that what he did was mostly (ab)using his position to find material to discredit his brother's accusers.

He would be far less likely to come back if he had refused to push things like Russiagate or the Iraq War.

# ? Dec 3, 2021 11:35

Shageletic: Jul 25, 2007

Wheeljack posted:

Firing a prominent television personality seems like a tricky process. Dan Rather remained on the CBS Evening News for six months after running the fake Bush memo story even as they fired some of the behind the scenes people, and he still sued CBS for being fired. Since they're very public figures, there could be libel concerns that you don't see in other jobs from an immediate and splashy firing. It'd hurt their brand too. Cuomo may even go back on the air and then "leave the network" shortly after that, for totally unrelated reasons, honest.

Didn't they permanently can a guy for criticizing Israel

# ? Dec 3, 2021 12:26

Nonsense: Jan 26, 2007

Shageletic posted:

Didn't they permanently can a guy for criticizing Israel

Yep, Marc Lamont Hill. Chris will probably be doing the New Years show for CNN.

# ? Dec 3, 2021 13:25

Toplowtech: Aug 31, 2004

Shageletic posted:

Didn't they permanently can a guy for criticizing Israel

Of course, they did. He did a speech at the UN and called for the boycott of Israel. Was called antisemitic and fired extremely fast. Crime against the regime are dealt with really fast.

# ? Dec 3, 2021 14:22

Mellow Seas: Oct 9, 2012; Can't post for 10 years!

It's possible, and I hope, that Stelter is just wishfully talking out of his rear end about a friend, but the Toobin precedent (and the fact that Stelter probably has insider knowledge of the situation) suggests otherwise.

If they do a real investigation and actually care about what it concludes then he's done, it's just that neither of those things is a foregone conclusion.

# ? Dec 3, 2021 15:31

Toplowtech: Aug 31, 2004

Mellow Seas posted:

It's possible, and I hope, that Stelter is just wishfully talking out of his rear end about a friend, but the Toobin precedent (and the fact that Stelter probably has insider knowledge of the situation) suggests otherwise.

If they do a real investigation and actually care about what it concludes then he's done, it's just that neither of those things is a foregone conclusion.

Yeah, see while i think we are lucky that Cuomo's post covid ambitions probably pissed enough people in the Democratic New York scene for his scandal to surface, i am far from certain people in the media will follow suit on his brother because he is one of them. But you are right, that may be wishful talking. Tons of blue marks spoke the same sadly and yes Toobin is already back. Also i remember Geraldo Rivera's speeches about cosby's wasted months when he was freed and i suspect many of them wouldn't mind adding Andrew to the "returning Cuomon" wagon.

# ? Dec 3, 2021 16:19

Doloen: Dec 18, 2004

Toplowtech posted:

Of course he will be back far faster than Toobin: just look at all the blue check marks who went "i would do the same to protect family", totally ignoring that what he did was mostly (ab)using his position to find material to discredit his brother's accusers.

He would be far less likely to come back if he had refused to push things like Russiagate or the Iraq War.

https://twitter.com/cnnbrk/status/1467258845646962690

I'm honestly a bit surprised by this. CNN has made the worst decision so often for so long I didn't think it would happen.

# ? Dec 4, 2021 23:28

Kalit: Nov 6, 2006; The great thing about the thousands of slaughtered Palestinian children is that they can't pull away when you fondle them or sniff their hair.

That's a Biden success story.

Doloen posted:

https://twitter.com/cnnbrk/status/1467258845646962690

I'm honestly a bit surprised by this. CNN has made the worst decision so often for so long I didn't think it would happen.

poo poo, I'm honestly surprised by this too. Good job, CNN?? It feels so weird typing those words....

# ? Dec 4, 2021 23:38

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Just imagine the poo poo they found for this to happen.

# ? Dec 4, 2021 23:40

Toplowtech: Aug 31, 2004

Doloen posted:

https://twitter.com/cnnbrk/status/1467258845646962690

I'm honestly a bit surprised by this. CNN has made the worst decision so often for so long I didn't think it would happen.

Well, i am not saddened by the news that something good happened today.

# ? Dec 4, 2021 23:45

some plague rats: Jun 5, 2012; by Fluffdaddy

PT6A posted:

Just imagine the poo poo they found for this to happen.

Yeah seriously

# ? Dec 5, 2021 00:45

Wheeljack: Jul 12, 2021

Could be CNN wanted to have an ironclad legal reason to fire him to avoid a lawsuit, could be they just waited till the weekend to reduce the coverage of it some.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 02:26

Second Hand Meat Mouth: Sep 12, 2001

Wheeljack posted:

Could be CNN wanted to have an ironclad legal reason to fire him to avoid a lawsuit, could be they just waited till the weekend to reduce the coverage of it some.

Maybe, but this may indicate that's not what happened

https://twitter.com/jeremymbarr/status/1467273197754228746

# ? Dec 5, 2021 02:41

Kalit: Nov 6, 2006; The great thing about the thousands of slaughtered Palestinian children is that they can't pull away when you fondle them or sniff their hair.

That's a Biden success story.

Wheeljack posted:

Could be CNN wanted to have an ironclad legal reason to fire him to avoid a lawsuit, could be they just waited till the weekend to reduce the coverage of it some.

I mean.. they're a private company. Couldn't they pretty much just say "we don't want you anymore"?

# ? Dec 5, 2021 02:51

Second Hand Meat Mouth: Sep 12, 2001

Kalit posted:

I mean.. they're a private company. Couldn't they pretty much just say "we don't want you anymore"?

Being fired "for cause" has contractual implications on incentives present in most high-paying jobs, and the reasons that qualify are explicitly enumerated in those contracts. For example, it could've been the difference between needing to pay him a year's pay in severance versus nothing at all.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 03:03

the_steve: Nov 9, 2005; We're always hiring!

Kalit posted:

I mean.. they're a private company. Couldn't they pretty much just say "we don't want you anymore"?

I'm assuming there would be a contract involved, so it's possible they just needed to make sure they met whatever conditions were in it that would allow them to fire him without being sued for unlawful termination or something.

Personally, I figure they were willing to try to let it slide under the rug and then found out something that would make it un-ruggable and cut their losses while they were ahead/before it became public, but, who knows? Well, besides the bigwigs at CNN.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 03:03

Herstory Begins Now: Aug 5, 2003; SOME REALLY TEDIOUS DUMB SHIT THAT SUCKS ASS TO READ ->>

gently caress the cuomos, good riddance and it's nice to see both of them get shitcanned in the same year.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 03:32

some plague rats: Jun 5, 2012; by Fluffdaddy

Maybe the funniest thing about the Cuomo shitcanning is the number of media world psychos rushing forward to explain that in the right circumstances they would ABSOLUTELY help cover up a sex crime

https://twitter.com/LEBassett/status/1465881548239122434?s=20

https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1465872699868200962?s=20

I mean I get that you can't exactly write "enabler" on your linkedin but advertising it this way just seems crass

# ? Dec 5, 2021 03:45

Second Hand Meat Mouth: Sep 12, 2001

Here we go, sounds like new allegations against Chris?

https://twitter.com/grynbaum/status/1467342309255696384

https://twitter.com/grynbaum/status/1467342831694004224

# ? Dec 5, 2021 05:12

Name Change: Oct 9, 2005

500 good dogs posted:

Here we go, sounds like new allegations against Chris?

https://twitter.com/grynbaum/status/1467342309255696384

https://twitter.com/grynbaum/status/1467342831694004224

Chris' crimes also involve lying directly to both the backroom and the audience at home about what he was doing.

Extremely wild that the quintessential Democratic machine politician and his well-placed brother have become total disgraces inside of a year.

# ? Dec 7, 2021 19:52

Wheeljack: Jul 12, 2021

500 good dogs posted:

Maybe, but this may indicate that's not what happened

https://twitter.com/jeremymbarr/status/1467273197754228746

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/media/cnn-fires-chris-cuomo/index.html

Though CNN also said:

quote:

"CNN said Saturday that anchor Chris Cuomo has been "terminated" by the network, "effective immediately."

The announcement came after an outside law firm was retained to review information about exactly how Cuomo aided his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, when the then-governor was accused of sexual harassment."

I'm a little impressed I read it ON CNN instead of them just keeping it quiet and letting competitors run the story.

Also, Cuomo has left or "left" his Sirius XM Radio gig.

In any case, good riddance to bad rubbish.

# ? Dec 8, 2021 07:02

Flayer: Sep 13, 2003; by Fluffdaddy; Buglord

https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3v5ng/girls-sexual-abuse-multiple-coaches-blackhills-football-club

So an appalling story of child rape by a coach at the club, the victims finally starting to get some semblance of justice over a decade later. Digging down into the story though it really does reveal how hosed the American justice system is. Because the rapist is poor (or at least not rich) there is no point going after him so he gets to walk away scot free. The (culpable) football club pays out some compensation instead because that's where the profit is.

What

# ? Feb 7, 2022 18:16

Rust Martialis: May 8, 2007; At night, Bavovnyatko quietly comes to the occupiers’ bases, depots, airfields, oil refineries and other places full of flammable items and starts playing with fire there

Flayer posted:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3v5ng/girls-sexual-abuse-multiple-coaches-blackhills-football-club

So an appalling story of child rape by a coach at the club, the victims finally starting to get some semblance of justice over a decade later. Digging down into the story though it really does reveal how hosed the American justice system is. Because the rapist is poor (or at least not rich) there is no point going after him so he gets to walk away scot free. The (culpable) football club pays out some compensation instead because that's where the profit is.

What

The decision not to sue the rapist was made by the victim, which makes sense in a civil trial if the rapist has no assets.

It would be great if this ended up getting criminal charges laid, I doubt there's a statute of limitations issue.

# ? Feb 7, 2022 18:44

Nucleic Acids: Apr 10, 2007

Digging up the political opinions of a rape victim should probably be prohibited in D&D.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 18:06

PeterCat: Apr 8, 2020; Believe women.

Nucleic Acids posted:

Digging up the political opinions of a rape victim should probably be prohibited in D&D.

Seriously. Pointing out the hypocrisy on constantly calling Bret Kavanaugh a rapist while giving Joe Biden a pass shouldn't be met with "yeah, but did you know that Tara Reade supports Putin? Just asking..."

It's on the same level as "yeah, but did you see what she was wearing?"

# ? Feb 26, 2022 18:54

Thorn Wishes Talon: Oct 18, 2014; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 26 days!)

Biden Overhauls Military Justice Code, Seeking to Curb Sexual Assault

Original link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/us/politics/biden-military-sexual-assault.html

This is the culmination of a law Dems passed in 2021 (spearhaded by Sen. Gillibrand) and it replaces commanders with independent military prosecutors in cases of sexual assault, rape, murder and domestic violence. Those prosecutors will in turn report to the civilian leaders of each branch.

quote:

The largest overhaul of the Uniform Code of Military Justice since its creation in 1950 removes commanders� authority over cases of sexual assault and a handful of other high-profile crimes.

---

President Biden gave final approval on Friday to the biggest reshaping in generations of the country�s Uniform Code of Military Justice, stripping commanders of their authority over cases of sexual assault, rape and murder to ensure prosecutions that are independent of the chain of command.

By signing a far-reaching executive order, Mr. Biden ushered in the most significant changes to the modern military legal system since it was created in 1950. The order follows two decades of pressure from lawmakers and advocates of sexual assault victims, who argued that victims in the military were too often denied justice, culminating in a bipartisan law mandating changes.

The White House called the changes to the military justice system �a turning point for survivors of gender-based violence in the military� and said they kept promises Mr. Biden made as a candidate.

�He�s made clear that our one truly sacred obligation as a nation is to prepare and equip those we send into harm�s way, and to care for them and their families both while they are deployed and when they return home,� the statement said. �The reforms implemented through today�s executive order do just that.�

The changes had for years been opposed by military commanders. But they were finally embraced by the Pentagon in 2021 and mandated by a law spearheaded by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York. Mr. Biden signed the landmark legislation into law two days after Christmas that year.

The law set up a two-year process for the Defense Department to create a cadre of special prosecutors to handle sexual assault and a handful of other high-profile crimes. The Offices of Special Trial Counsel, as they will be called, will be staffed by experienced military prosecutors who will report to the civilian leaders of the military�s branches.

The final step needed to change the Uniform Code of Military Justice under the law was a presidential executive order. Lawmakers directed Mr. Biden to issue it by December 2023. White House officials said Mr. Biden did so Friday, five months ahead of the deadline.

Under the rules established by Mr. Biden�s order, commanders in the military will no longer have the authority to decide whether to pursue charges in cases of sexual abuse and a handful of other serious crimes. Instead, that decision will fall to the new, specialized lawyers, White House officials said.

The decisions by those special prosecutors will be final and binding, and cannot be overridden by military commanders.

For years, advocates of sexual assault victims in the military complained that their cases were not taken seriously and were in many cases blocked by the commanders of the service members making the accusations. Over time, complaints grew � especially among young people � about the Pentagon�s tepid response to sexual assault cases.

Members of the top military brass were for years among the chief opponents of changing the code of justice for the armed forces. But that gradually changed. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, a retired Army general, endorsed the changes in 2021. Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had long opposed them, but acknowledged that same year that younger enlisted troops no longer had confidence that sexual assault cases were being taken seriously by the military�s command.

The fading of the military resistance provided the opportunity for bipartisan negotiations, eventually leading to the law in 2021 and, on Friday, Mr. Biden�s executive order.

The move to change the military justice system was also galvanized by the 2020 case of Specialist Vanessa Guillen, whose burned and mutilated body was discovered after she had tried to report instances of sexual harassment by another soldier, who the Army said killed her and later himself.

That case and others were frequently cited by Ms. Gillibrand and other female lawmakers, including former Representative Jackie Speier, Democrat of California, and Senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican who is a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ms. Ernst said her own experience as a victim of sexual assault informed her views on the issue.

�President Biden�s executive order will give final approval to removing judicial functions and prosecutorial decisions regarding the most serious crimes from the chain of command and putting them in the hands of independent, trained professionals,� Ms. Gillibrand said in a statement. �While it will take time to see the results of these changes, these measures will instill more trust, professionalism, and confidence in the system.�

White House officials said that the military branches had already begun hiring for the Offices of Special Trial Counsel, which they expected to be fully operational by the end of the year. But they conceded that it would take years to measure how the changes affected the culture surrounding the prosecution of sexual assault and other serious crimes in the military.

Under the executive order, the special trial counsel offices will have their authority expanded in 2025 to include cases of sexual harassment.

# ? Jul 28, 2023 17:28

emSparkly: Nov 21, 2022; I'm open to interpretation!

By engaging with the exploitative TV, film, and music industries, or the all too often misogynist and pedophilic mediums of video games or anime, am I perpetuating rape culture? Everyone I've met seems to think no, but I can't stomach the idea of thinking my enjoyment of a film is more important than the life and safety of a woman who the director raped in college. I feel like by enjoying anything at all I'm just another walking insult to survivors of sexual violence. How are so many just able to go about their day finding enjoyment in things so closely related to a culture of hurting women and shaming them afterward and coming away not feeling disgusted?

# ? Apr 17, 2024 17:34

Bel Shazar: Sep 14, 2012

emSparkly posted:

By engaging with the exploitative TV, film, and music industries, or the all too often misogynist and pedophilic mediums of video games or anime, am I perpetuating rape culture? Everyone I've met seems to think no, but I can't stomach the idea of thinking my enjoyment of a film is more important than the life and safety of a woman who the director raped in college. I feel like by enjoying anything at all I'm just another walking insult to survivors of sexual violence. How are so many just able to go about their day finding enjoyment in things so closely related to a culture of hurting women and shaming them afterward and coming away not feeling disgusted?

We're a hateful and corrupt species, OP

# ? Apr 17, 2024 17:38

Rappaport: Oct 2, 2013

emSparkly posted:

By engaging with the exploitative TV, film, and music industries, or the all too often misogynist and pedophilic mediums of video games or anime, am I perpetuating rape culture? Everyone I've met seems to think no, but I can't stomach the idea of thinking my enjoyment of a film is more important than the life and safety of a woman who the director raped in college. I feel like by enjoying anything at all I'm just another walking insult to survivors of sexual violence. How are so many just able to go about their day finding enjoyment in things so closely related to a culture of hurting women and shaming them afterward and coming away not feeling disgusted?

To answer your last question, human beings are fairly good at compartmentalizing, for better or worse. I don't mean this as some kind of stupid gotcha, but your question could just as well apply to more or less any other field of human endeavour. This is a nearly decade-old Vox article, so not the best source available, but they had this handy chart:

Obviously we all agree that sexual harassment is awful, workplace-related or otherwise, but basically by spending money on anything you're throwing it at industries where rape culture exists. One option would be to go full Ted Kaczynski (without the bombs!) and live "off the grid", but that's not feasible for everybody. Alternatively, one could attempt some kind of moral calculus: "I must eat, therefore giving money to grocery chains I have to do even if it perpetuates hostile workplaces, but watching a Kevin Spacey movie isn't necessary for my survival", etc., but this is where that compartmentalization comes in. I personally don't really think I'm perpetuating rape culture (at least very directly) if I watch a :filez:

copy of American Beauty, at least in the sense that I'm somehow keeping mister Spacey's career alive, that movie itself has some problematic themes though.

And the flip-side of this is that by disengaging from, in this case, mass media, there's no avenue left for attempting to enact change. To pick a current example, the guy who played a big bad dude in the Marvel Cinematic Universe recently and was slated to star in a bunch of movies got his career kinda poo poo-canned after his atrocious behaviour came to light, and the consuming populace at large made it clear that they no longer wanted to consume products with that dude in them. This particular case is still kinda in the air as far as I know, but you get the gist, I think.

I personally don't think capitalism can be "salvaged" via ethical consumption or whatever, and we can cynically point out that only the rapists who get caught too publicly and/or are not too "big" to dislodge (Jimmy Savile?) actually face consequences for their direct participation in sexual assault and rape culture. If you personally can't stomach watching pop media due to their corporate culture, that's your choice and I doubt anyone would fault you for it. But the answer to your question is some linear combination of powerlessness, apathy and a smattering of psychological defences.

# ? Apr 17, 2024 18:24

Goatse James Bond: Mar 28, 2010; If you see me posting please remind me that I have Charlie Work in the reports forum to do instead

I am *really* curious about those numbers per worker (easy to find numbers for tbh, might try) or per female worker (less easy but probably doable on the fly). My immediate guess is that the manufacturing numbers are even worse when calculated that way.

It's also for charges filed which... dunno how that shakes out per actual incident in each industry.

# ? Apr 18, 2024 01:10

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 23:51

Main Paineframe: Oct 27, 2010

emSparkly posted:

By engaging with the exploitative TV, film, and music industries, or the all too often misogynist and pedophilic mediums of video games or anime, am I perpetuating rape culture? Everyone I've met seems to think no, but I can't stomach the idea of thinking my enjoyment of a film is more important than the life and safety of a woman who the director raped in college. I feel like by enjoying anything at all I'm just another walking insult to survivors of sexual violence. How are so many just able to go about their day finding enjoyment in things so closely related to a culture of hurting women and shaming them afterward and coming away not feeling disgusted?

Guilt, by itself, doesn't actually accomplish much. If you're channeling that guilt into fighting for a better world, working to pitch in and help fix the problems you feel guilty about, or at least help the victims, that's one thing.

But if you're just sitting around telling yourself you're not allowed to enjoy things for fear that somebody involved in that thing may have exploited or harmed someone else once in their past, then you're not helping anyone. You're just putting a shoddy veneer of martyrdom over some flavor of depression.

# ? Apr 18, 2024 01:25

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > #metoo and the impact of rape culture

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