Since I don't ask women to smile, I really don't think my behavior is implicated. Why do you think I'm being asked to examine my behavior? That's a huge assumption. I'm trying to point out that just calling something harassment doesn't mean it's harassment. It doesn't mean it's *not* either. But there's a value in…

In 2014, RAINN itself recommended not emphasizing "rape culture" as a way to promote change. It's a difficult and highly tenuous phrase. It presupposes that we live in a culture that normalizes or excuses sexual violence against women. But that's not exactly easy to say. RAINN itself noted in the same letter that the…

You think repeated comments about how a person looks, requests to smile, etc., is an *appropriate* way to indicate interest, especially at work? It's … Not.

Sure, but it's not about whether it's "sexual" on the surface but whether it's sex-based, as in, based on your sex. If you're repeatedly told to do something based on your sex, it's not okay. It might be harassment if it happens at work. (As I was trying to say elsewhere in comments, applying the term harassment…

Wow what? Yeah, if a guy at work is repeatedly told to smile by his female boss — who does not say the same thing to women — and let's also say there's an invitation to dinner or drinks, or compliments about his glasses, clothes, etc. yes, it could be sexual harassment. Why is that surprising?

Seems like a minor thing to go to a manager about.

There can be an environment of harassment. Problem is — as I was saying elsewhere — that's just not a very productive or meaningful term to describe a public sidewalk, because there is no individual person you can say "harassed" you in that context.

Actually a good point. I have no idea who these men are that don't walk around after dark feeling any fear. Do women feel more fear? Sure. And that's a problem because it's a result of predatory choices other people make.

You can call the comments you get whatever you'd like. I'd probably agree with you in most if not every case. But the thing is — that doesn't make the term subjective. From misdemeanor charges to workplace lawsuits, the test for "is this harassment?" Is not, "do you feel like it is harassment?" And that's not about to…

Actually that sort of depends. If you are being told to smile because you are a man — eg you work for a woman who doesn't say that to women — and it happens every day, and it's perhaps accompanied by some other comments/gestures … Maybe you are being harassed.

Coming Apart is by the same guy who did The Bell Curve. I think that's kind of a mark against him in terms of being taken seriously.

I'm not arguing with that. But again, it's not about "what's terrible" or "not terrible." I took exception to the implication that someone feeling harassed by behavior which was — lets stipulate this as a hypothetical — entirely innocent and harmless, would suggest something about a culture of harassment, when it does…

There's a couple things to unpack in what you said. And I can agree that the bottom line in terms of behavior is to take the other person's feelings into account and not do things that upset people. And sometimes we all screw up at that.

But isn't that the point? If "someone felt harassed" by this guy at some point, and his behavior was not harassing, is that a sign that "the culture of harassment" is prevalent or just an indication that someone's subjective response to this guy was, on that occasion, flat wrong? That itself is no sin. Doesn't mean…

Dear AV Club,

JFC. The AV Cub is covering this movie as if there was a huge campaign to prevent it from being made, and simply casting it was an act of heroism on par with marching on the Pettus bridge.

So is it racist to point out that between 1996 and 2016, the Oscars did award a lot of statues to black nominees, although obviously the last two years don't speak well of the industry? It's frustrating to see this issue discussed as if black people have not been winning awards, and now we're all noticing, because…

I'm just frustrated because I really don't think that Viola Davis was trying to say that Olivier shouldn't have played Othello. He was the greatest Shakespearan actor of his era and Othello is one of Shakespeare's four great tragedies. He should have played it WITHOUT blackface, of course, but that is really not the…

It comes down to, was Viola Davis making her comments with the intention of shaming Olivier for playing Othello in blackface in 1965?

The only daylight between us is that I feel it's reasonable to assume industry sexism factored into the decision to offer her half of her co-star's negotiated salary. Do you not?