So lately it seems like a new sexual assault scandal seems to be popping up every single day, and it has grown way beyond the usual christian rapist priests. And the first reply from all the accused is always the same: “I used to be the guy that never got caught and got away with it! But now that I’ve been caught, I’m not that guy anymore, now I’m the guilty looking guy who feels really bad about being caught, and some heartfelt bullshit about the victims”. Seems like a lot of us consider ourselves to be awesome, and our sense of reality doesn’t always catch up. These new times are also changing the balance of powers, and a lot of people, not just “victims” are finally growing a pair and speaking out. I think we can all agree we don’t want our mothers, sisters and daughters to be groped or harassed by creepy but powerful people. So far I’ve seen one famous comedian not make excuses for his shitty behaviour, and own up to his actions. The majority seems to mostly regret getting caught, and think of themselves as really cool people. This can be more extreme when powerful, successful people are surrounded by an entourage that constantly validates them. Slowly we’re learning that the image we have of ourselves, can be very different for people we work and live with.

We are all gradually learning that not just stupid people do crimes and dumb shit, smart people just don’t get caught as often. And the rich and famous will always be more susceptible to being able to abuse people with less power or influence. None of us have clear cut easy to fix solutions for these issues, it’s going to be a continuous process of self improvement and having reality catch up with our self images. Personally I hope every person who’s been mistreated or abused, starts letting their voices be heard, without blaming entire groups of people. The blame game and the finger wagging can quickly escalate in to witch hunts, not based on reality, but on political, idealogical and religious agendas.

Here’s a little fun personal anecdote to cut the edge off. I was a teenager at school, full of hormones and confused as hell. During lunch hour I went to the school gym, and i was walking up the stairs. Out of nowhere I felt someone squeezing my butt! Fight or flight mode instantly activated, and as a teenager it’s fairly easy to have a surplus amount of rage and anger, so I was ready to fight! (or flee if it was those taller bully guys…) Shocked to see that it was a group of girls, that were giggling and even fucking taunting me, and my reaction was almost disbelief and not knowing what to do. All I remember was this sense of confusion and me just giving them this half assed chuckle and walking away. I can look back now and laugh about it, but at the time it felt weird and I still knew it was a joke. But it did give me some hidden insight on how impressive an experience it can be when this behaviour comes from very powerful people. I would like to add they were nice girls and yeah, even girls can do dumb shit, and I’m sure they are not like that anymore.