Editorial: ‘Locker room talk’ is more than just Trump’s problem
Most people at least know of the things that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said recently regarding rape accusations made against him. Of course, he brushed them off as simple “he said, she said” situations and claimed that there was no truth to them.
There are a few problems with this situation that need to be addressed, one being the blatant and overwhelming display of ignorance that comes with dismissing sexual harassment as nothing more than common “locker room talk.” A countless number of rape and sexual harassment accusations are ignored everyday and when victims do try to reach out, their pleas for help are brushed aside because no one wants to face the fact that these terrible things are happening and that, maybe, it’s not actually the victim’s fault.
The normalization of casual misogyny and toxic masculinity is one of society’s biggest problems. Trump talks about these problems like they aren’t affecting countless women every day and this normalization is only adding to the stigma preventing people from seriously talking about rape culture in America. In almost every debate with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Trump has interrupted her or degraded her for nothing more than being a woman. This sort of display of misogyny in 2016 is ridiculous.
Trump is a near perfect example of toxic masculinity in today’s society. He is able to say terrible things about women and the struggles they face every day, and still have a massive following of people planning on voting for him in the upcoming election.
Hearing someone who is now supposed to be a public figure say these things not only pushes victims of rape and sexual harassment to believe that no one would believe them, but potentially sets the stage for more incidents to occur. If the issue is normalized any further, the future will be riddled with people who think that sexual assault is okay to commit.
Though Trump frequently illustrates exactly what toxic masculinity and casual misogyny are, it is important to note that he is not the only one. These are problems that have existed and will continue to exist as long as there are people who think that they can get away with the basic degradation of women. Catcalling, for example, is one of the most common forms of sexual harassment that women face. Many people think that the victims of catcalling should be flattered by the attention but they are just made uncomfortable. Unwanted advances of any kind cannot be watered down to sensitivity.
These reactions are the direct result of the rape culture that has been created in our society. We have become so numb and used to sexism that the things that Trump and so many other people are saying are considered normal. This has to stop. The blatant objectification of women has to end. Trump’s recently leaked comments and behavior during debates illustrates one of our biggest problems as a society and we have to stop ignoring the damage that ignorance is doing.