#Her Too
Allyship is a real thing.
For any disenfranchised group, the more solidarity you have, the easier it is to survive and thrive.
That being said, there will always be group members who disregard allyship.
They may be attention-seekers.
They may be trying to gain power and prestige with the unaffected/oppressor.
They may have mental or psychological issues.
Whatever her reasons, British actress Jacqueline Bisset has clearly demonstrated that she is not an ally to other women.
In a recent interview with Page Six, the 80-year-old actress who was a worldwide phenomenon during the 60s and 70s expressed her disdain with the MeToo movement.
Bisset told Page Six that she felt “unsympathetic” toward women who spoke out publicly about sexual harassment:
"I understand as an idea, it’s important that men behave, but I do really think it’s important that women behave, too."
"I think how you dress, your subtext is very, very important. It’s very dangerous and not to be played with."
"(I am) very unsympathetic to these stories, these #MeToo things. You have to be very careful what you put out [there]."
She continued:
"(Women) need to learn the word ‘no’ or the F-word or something and you have to do it and you can get through it without any problem."
In addition to making these shocking comments, Bisset claimed that she had never personally experienced sexual harassment because:
“(I) was very determined not to have anything happen to me and I was completely devoted to that idea."
“I really did not have trouble with all the stories that people talked a lot about [with the #MeToo movement]."
"I was also very determined not to have anything happen. I've worked with people who have got the reputation of being monsters, but they weren't."
Bisset’s comments are disappointing and damaging.
Her statements give cover to harassers and predators.
They harken back to the old tropes of “women need to dress and act a certain way, and they will be fine.”
She’s not living in the real world if she thinks she can manifest protection against sexual harassment.
It would be an awesome world if we could maintain the correct mental attitude to prevent bad things from happening.
Racism, nativism, homophobia, xenophobia, and every kind of prejudice wouldn’t exist because positive attitudes would shield potential victims from harm.
Moreover, who does Bisset think she is fooling?
She’s never been sexually harassed?
Anyone who remembers her role in the film “The Deep” also remembers her underwater swimming scenes. These scenes led to a best-selling pinup poster where certain parts of her anatomy were prominently displayed.
Did she think that this kind of attire was acceptable to avoid harassment?
She wants us to believe that she never had to deflect or dodge sexual innuendo.
She never suffered inappropriate touches or words?
Or worse? Much worse?
That’s not the world that women live in.
Women are regularly harassed, stalked, objectified, and marginalized.
And worse. Much, much worse.
It doesn’t matter how much they wish it wouldn’t happen – it does.
It doesn’t matter whether women dress like a stripper, an Amish woman, or somewhere in between.
It doesn’t matter how she talks, walks, or behaves.
Women are subject to daily abhorrent treatment.
No amount of positive thinking, careful couture, and demure behavior protects them from predatory behavior.
Either Bisset is the luckiest woman who has ever been in the entertainment field, or she is one of the most deluded or naïve women who ever lived.
Don’t listen to Jacqueline Bisset.
Her story is more unbelievable than any Hollywood could ever concoct.
Her reasoning on how women can protect themselves from sexual harassment is worse than fiction.
It’s a dangerous, malevolent lie.