Commentary - Sex And The Public Eye

[deZengo]

Commentary - Sex And The Public Eye

Jun 20, '11 9:16 AM by Troy for everyone

Congressman Anthony Weiner is the latest in a long list of high profile men who have been undone by their sexual proclivities.  Is it possible to have a discussion on this subject bypassing the obvious lascivious aspects – ignoring the media, and the public’s bottomless pit of curiosity about the private lives of public people?  I’d like to break it down to three categories.  First the sense of entitlement assumed and presented to athletes, actors, elected officials, and corporate moguls.  Secondly, the role of women in these various escapades.  And finally, and perhaps the most important, the moral aspect of the allegations and the civil liberties protection that have been ignored with the men who have been indiscreet.

Starting with the sense of entitlement, where you can only assume that the sexual hit list of recent times, a list that would include Tiger Woods, Charlie Sheen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senator John Ensign of Nevada, John Edwards, men who represent only the most celebrated.  More will certainly follow since bloggers and cable news won’t rest until the next sex scandal erupts.  All of these guys have had one thing in common; they had expected to get away with their indiscretions because they’ve been given the keys to the kingdom.  Excessive incomes which gives them protection with an array of psycho fan shielding and selling them as they abound in their jets, limos, and boats – distance from the vox populi.

As outraged as the public is at each and every one of them, none in fact are behaving much differently than millions of other American men who are out of the limelight.  Drive around the country, into any state, go past those various adult performance enclaves after work.  The parking lots are filled to capacity.  American men are in a continual state of sexual hunting; not all of course, but enough to indicate that Anthony Weiner’s texting, and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s alleged adultery are not far afield from general male behavior in America.  We are not a reflection of Saturday Evening Post covers or sanctimonious Sunday sermons.  I’m not making a judgment, merely reflecting on what I see and what I hear.  It is what it is.

All right – part two.  The response of many women to the evolving sexual scandals, Whoopi Goldberg was near apoplectic on The View expressing her disapproval of Congressman Weiner’s publicized private behavior.  I’d like to point out that his apparent sophomoric act was dutifully shared by several women; adults who seem quite willing to participate in his fantasy and photo exchanges.  Men are not involved in these escapades without participation of females.  Of course there is always the wounded wife humiliated by her husband’s exposed adventures.  The picture of the dutiful wife standing by her man has achieved cliché proportions, though South Carolina’s recent Governor Mark Sanford had a wife who moved out, declared herself independent of her mooning husband, and even scored a book deal in the process.  But there seems to be enough women willing to explore adulteress adventures and strange sexual behavior to indicate that any sociological study could not be directed solely at the male species.

It’s also an ironic fact that at a time when Gay Marriage critics are celebrating the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, they’re constantly being sabotaged by our most cherished leaders in the public eye.  All that being said, my thoughts on the successful cry for Weiner’s scalp to resign from Congress, which he did this past week, of course I recognize the pragmatism of the Democratic Party leaders who hardly need an embarrassment like Weiner as they vie to regain control of the House of Representatives in the next election.

But do we make our moral decisions and surrender an individual’s civil rights and civil liberties on the basis of political expediency and public disapproval?  As I stated I would venture to say that there are a couple of million American men right this moment texting away emulating the resigned Congressman. Are they all subject to ridicule and being fired from their jobs?  Likely not, because few care about what John Doe does with his electronic gadgets as long as it does not involve children.  No matter how you might have disapproved of Anthony Weiner’s reported behavior, his was a private act with consenting adults and the court of public opinion should not have caused him to resign.  Of course there are higher expectations from our elected officials, but laws or values should not change because someone is prominent.  Weiner might have been embarrassed into resigning, but he should not have been pressured into it.

There has been virtually no public outrage at the invasion of his private life, and I may add in Saturday’sNew York Times there’s a story that some conservative bloggers created fictional people in the Weiner odyssey.  Also there’s some apparent sadistic glee in watching the celebrated as fallen idols.  Gossip seems to be the determining factor in much of our civil liberties issues.  Quite frankly I was not concerned about the Congressman’s texting, nor is it my business if the former Governor of California was in an adulterous adventure.  That’s between him, and his wife, and his family.  I should have no say in it; it’s none of my business.

Monogamy is the assumed Biblically inspired preference in our country, but there is little evidence that those Holy thoughts are reflected in the behavior of 21^st century American men.  Hypocrisy is paramount.  I can’t help but adding Cardinal Dolan and Conservative Party’s Michael Long have been pressuring Albany, New York’s Senators about protecting marriage by attempting to defeat the Gay Rights bill.  I would suggest that they should refocus their energy if they’re concerned about the state of marriage.  Respect for other’s privacy might be a unique notion, but it’s worth considering.

I’m Troy J., out on a limb.