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I would love to write "It’s Different for Boys", not as a rebuttal, but to explain how two-sided this problem is from a man's perspective. That sexual harassme
by throwwwaya2 12y ago
I would love to write "It’s Different for Boys", not as a rebuttal, but to explain how two-sided this problem is from a man's perspective.
That sexual harassment and the weirdly dysfunctional sexual culture of business is perpetuated on men as well as women.
I arrived on the scene in the Bay Area start-up culture ~5 years ago from a very different industry / cultural perspective.
I was in LOVE with the idea of the Bay Area tech-start-up culture - it's incredibly magnetic.
Within a month I'd closed a major deal with a new client - they'd just raised tens-of-millions in venture money from prominent VCs, the CEO was very visible in the SF bay start-up culture, etc.
I was living the dream - everything in their office was just as I imagined, the people were all hip and fresh and liberal-earthy-but-wise-and-techie just as I'd hoped.
Then the work day ended and I was invited out to drinks to celebrate our deal with the "boys" from the office.
Drinks led to more drinks, led to a strip club, led to the CEO literally going home with a hooker (and he was dating another prominent valley founder at the time no less).
And nobody batted an eye.
Like the author I don't quite know how to wind this up other than to say this is a two way street.
And the more time I spend with rich and powerful SV men, the more I see a "women as toys" culture perpetuated.
Yes, we're all human susceptible to our very human flaws and needs, but it's insane how completely acceptable sexualized behavior is behind the scenes.
- abracar 12y agoI don't see how that would be a rebuttal, but from what you say it could be interesting to read.
- throwwwaya2 12y agoGood point, edited my first sentence.
- nollidge 12y agoHow is this a rebuttal? If anything, this furthers the author's case. EDIT: nevermind, the language was fixed.
- pbhjpbhj 12y ago>And the more time I spend with rich and powerful SV men, the more I see a "women as toys" culture perpetuated. // Isn't this "just" the distasteful behaviour of rich and powerful people. Don't rich and powerful people who engage in all types of sexual behaviours, of both sexes, objectify people. When a rich and powerful woman goes to a strip club, or uses a prostitute or engages in drunken fornication do we demand that her industry sector be reformed? What I mean to say is, is this issue really about men being obnoxious or is it about rich people being obnoxious and those rich people happen to be men? [It's a question, not a supposition. I find all such behaviour to be abhorrent FWIW]
- wpietri 12y agoIf you do write this up, definitely avoid the false equivalence that one could read into your comments here. I agree that being around the CEO picking up a hooker could be uncomfortable, but Roizen's story involves much more career risk and personal impact.