Kelly Benny Hill & Co take the blame

The repercussions then and now for women have been anything but good, clean or fun.

It’s no coincidence a number of 1970s shows will never see the light of day again because the stars of them have, in the fullness of time, been revealed to be sex pests and worse. Top of the Pops has turned into a particular minefield.

It was interesting that when the House of Commons sex pest story first broke, much of the reaction from pundits whose formative years were the 1970s gave the impression it was essentially about unwanted knee touching and being ‘handsey in a cab’, particularly after drink had been taken.

Who hasn’t done it, some said, as if this was mitigation not an admission of guilt.

Even Have I Got News For You’s Ian Hislop – usually as good a moral barometer as you can get – had to be reminded by guest presenter Jo Brand of some perspective.

When referring on the show to the list of MPs and the allegations against them, Hislop said ‘some of this is not high-level crime’.

Brand said it doesn’t have to be high-level crime to make women feel under siege, particularly in blokey places like the House of Commons, and that it builds up and eventually wears you down.

If you ever want to find out if you’re sexist, racist, homophobic or in any way shape or form bigoted, ask the victims of it.

One of the good things to come out of this scandal is it gives us all a fresh chance to see, from the victim’s perspective, what is acceptable behaviour and what isn’t.

It’s a life lesson that doesn’t just apply to the politicians and celebrities who have been outed, but to the general public as well.