Research Paper Example on Sexual Harassment

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sexual harassment as “uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of sexual nature especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate (such as an employee or a student).” Olivia Sun, a youtuber with over 70k subscribers, considers whether the BuzzFeed thirst tweet videos made on mostly male celebrities count as sexual harassment despite the public’s enjoyment. In their essay videos, their arguments are often well-structured yet not biased. They choose to present examples, definitions, and evidence to support their point of view and conclude by opening the room to others who might want to provide a different outlook on their statement. Their position is against the wave of netizens who dehumanize celebrities and strip them of their consent for their own entertainment. The purpose of their argument is to bring awareness and to create a consensual and respectful space for everyone, regardless of status, race, or gender. Some questions Sun aims to answer in the argument are: “Why do we count “unwanted sexual comments” as sexual harassment but enjoy watching (often male) celebrities get uncomfortable reading sexual tweets about them?” and “Are the differences between tweets and real-life enough to make this BuzzFeed series acceptable?”

Furthermore, the BuzzFeed videos named as examples featured celebrities Manny Jacinto, Mark Ruffalo, Hasan Minhaj, 5sos, Jay Park, Avan Jogia, Chelsea Handler, Jordan Fisher, and Jessi. It is well known that celebrities often have to do things they might not particularly like for publicity as part of their job. 

While Sun considers this to be a valid statement, they also question why it should be different to recognize sexual harassment in celebrities “if the reason why we don’t want to be sexually violated is because we believe it is a basic human right?” Celebrities have a publicist or manager who sets up their interviews, invitations to talk shows, and YouTube channels like BuzzFeed. They also have the responsibility of deciding which questions the celebrity can be asked. So, while it is their job to schedule promotional content, their clients might not have the final word and risk harming their public image. Sun states that starring in a BuzzFeed thirst video is not necessarily the celebrity’s choice, and even if they did decide to do so, the concept is one they do not agree to. The hook-up bar example is given to “translate the same idea” to a different scenario. While a person might have the intention of finding someone to hook-up with for the night, they could go to a nearby bar with previous knowledge and expect suggestive comments. However, this does not imply that they could not feel uncomfortable with certain unwanted comments made by a stranger. “I want this example to show how specific sexuality is. A celebrity may watch a few previous thirst tweet videos and find nothing disturbing in them, but those past thirst tweets are not going to be the same as any future ones they have to read. It’s one of society’s golden rules of consent, isn’t it? A yes at the beginning doesn’t guarantee a yes later.” 

Sun considers it a case of coercion when celebrities are in an environment that does not allow them to decline. “That coercive nature is a part of sexual harassment.” Coercion can be defined as the use of manipulation, verbal persuasion, blackmailing, or authority that corresponds to a “pervasive problem”. To rebut her initial argument, Sun suggests the instances where people point out that tweets are funny and do not imply a “real threat” and that the language might be dramatic because it’s simply Twitter. Sun replies by expressing that many of the celebrities are over the age of 35 and might not understand “Gen Z” humor, so it may be disturbing to them. Though many celebrities do not seem bothered by the tweets, Sun believes that this does not justify overlooking those who do seem bothered. As for the final verdict, Sun concludes by mentioning that even though BuzzFeed videos are not necessarily of an offensive nature, we should rethink what counts as sexual harassment in everyday situations. “It’s easy and satisfying to vilify someone who says something uncomfortable to us but if we find entertaining to find others frazzled by sexual tweets about them maybe we should reevaluate. There are many things I do not know behind the scenes, and I do recognize there is a good argument to be made about tweets being different from a genuine sexual advance.” 

Their argument is well supported with facts and examples, as well as a variety of terms that could be applied to different scenarios. Some of the concepts they discuss are celebrities, consent, sexuality being individual-specific, coercion, gender differences, and overlooking the minority. In addition, Sun considers that society and sexuality are intertwined in a psychological context that needs to be studied further. 

The modern meaning of sexuality came to the fore when the dominant physiological approach was superseded by a more psychological one (H., 2012). They conclude with their final verdict and remaining questions, leaving an open space for the public to comment with their thoughts and opinions. Their attitude remains equitable and keeps an open mind toward contrasting beliefs during the argument. This evidences that their argumentative power is used properly. While acknowledging the controversy around male sexual harassment and the problem with sexuality, they approach the topic with respect, the means to educate and present an analysis of society’s behavior.