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| Hearsay: |
Russell Smith, who’s written about sex in fiction for Bookninja, says it’s hard to not think about sex while working in publishing because all the women are so damn smart and hot. Well, Mr. Smith, I beg to… um… well, now that I think about it, you’re kind of right. They are all hot. Damn. But, as Smith goes on to point out, that doesn’t give anyone the right to jump on them or make them uncomfortable. And besides rights and wrongs, you’re a friggin idiot if you make the people making you look good uncomfortable.
But I have never in my whole career made a real pass at one of my colleagues or, I think, been flirtatious to the point of making someone seriously worried about my attention. Even when I was single.
Why? Why be so cautious, when we all know that the workplace is where most romantic relationships start, and that a lot of those go on to be perfectly respectable marriages? Where else are you going to meet people with similar interests?
…So why not go for it? I’m not even in a situation of power, as the Penguin president was. My editor has power over me. I could hardly be accused of intimidation by coming on to my boss.
I could, however, be accused of idiocy.
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June 25th, 2010 at 7:01 am
I like how he gives himself a pat on the back for not sexually harassing his literary agent, his publicist, and his editor (apart from calling them “hotties” in a public forum). Good job!
And the reason for his astonishing restraint: He just doesn’t want them to be so overwhelmed with his manly attentions that they falter in their jobs. Because surely they’ve never had to cope with anything like that before.
Because being decent to women colleagues, just for the sake of being decent? That’s for wimps.
June 25th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
I was wondering if he’d cleared that “unbelievably hot” comment with them ahead of time. He must have?
June 26th, 2010 at 12:03 am
Yeah, fuck that. I only want men to look at my chest. Pay and employment equity is for ugly girls.
June 27th, 2010 at 7:38 am
I’m astonished anyone is taking anything in this column at face value…
June 27th, 2010 at 8:46 am
Thanks, Zach! I’ve never once seen an online discussion about sexual harassment that doesn’t eventually involve a man stepping in to explain to the ladies about how they’ve taken things the wrong way. Helpful!
June 27th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Not talking about “the ladies,” Lauren. I’m talking about anyone with better than grade 12 education who read the column. Not a word of it strikes me as being earnest and Smith is known as a satirist. I don’t know him personally, but I’d be astonished if this is meant as anything but a huge send-up.
June 27th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Thank god that’s cleared up!