Virginia Blackburn
NOTHING like a bit of common sense, is there? And, to adapt an old joke, this is nothing like a bit of common sense. In the wake of all the #MeToo agitation, Netflix has introduced new “anti-harassment” rules on set, which include not looking at anyone for longer than five seconds, no lingering hugs, no flirting and don’t even think about asking for anyone’s phone number. What a joyous place to work Netflix is going to be.
For a start, those rules are pretty unenforceable: how are you going to know if you have been looking at someone for a forbidden six seconds? Will you need a stopwatch? And what if you are having a conversation with them? If you keep looking away that might come across as rude, prompting a complaint to HR. And how do you define flirting? I once came across a case where the boss of a company said someone’s hair looked nice, which prompted whingeing about his “inappropriate” behaviour. Has the world gone completely mad?
Putting aside the fact that many people meet their future significant others at work and that by banning them from getting together, Netflix and similarly minded companies are in a very real way risking the future of the human race, this hysteria is getting out of control. Yes, men who behave in the way that Harvey Weinstein is accused of doing deserve to have the book thrown at them but most men are not like that. And people who work together are likely to have similar interests. It is no surprise if they tend to get on.
If we go much further with this it’s only a matter of time before men and women are kept A NEW report says that crow’s feet make people appear to be more sincere to the observer. That’s as maybe but they also make people look older. Swings and roundabouts and all that. ALL credit to The Donald for the business with North Korea but let it not be forgotten what he offered Kim Jong-un in return for giving up nukes: a capitalist future. There are still some people out there who refuse to accept that capitalism is the best antidote to poverty. Clearly Kim isn’t one of them.