Senator Al Franken accused of unwanted kissing/groping

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Sen. Al Franken accused of kissing and groping broadcaster Leeann Tweeden without her consent

The incident, Tweeden said, took place back stage when the two were practicing their lines for a skit Franken wrote. The comedian, Tweeden said, had insisted the skit include a kiss but she did not want to go through with it.

"I felt disgusted and violated," Tweeden said. "Not long after, I performed the skit as written, carefully turning my head so he couldn’t kiss me on the lips." Yet she did not report what happened. "At the time I didn’t want to cause trouble," she said. "We were in the middle of a war zone."

Tweeden also said Franken groped her while she was sleeping during the flight home, which she only discovered by reviewing a photograph on a CD of images from the trip. The photo featured her asleep and Franken holding her breasts.

"I couldn’t believe it. He groped me, without my consent, while I was asleep," she writes. "I felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated. How dare anyone grab my breasts like this and think it’s funny?"

Photo evidence at the link

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...leeann-tweeden-without-her-consent/870097001/
 
Yet another one...... Disgusting, why do so many men see women as mere sex objects?
 
The victim got a call from another woman who said something similar happened to her

[video=twitter;931230515486699520]https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/931230515486699520[/video]
 
Yet another one...... Disgusting, why do so many men see women as mere sex objects?

this could be a topic for a whole other thread IMO. But I saw a graphic recently, with Pepe Le Pew - remember that character? - and how his exploits way back then (debuted in 1945) were all about trying to get that girl skunk, and the way he would "assault" her in his pursuit. The caption was something like, "we have been teaching our kids this for so many years..."

I appreciated seeing that and wish I could find it to share here. My apologies if it was indeed someone on WS who posted it - I want to give credit where it is due!
 

I am not the least bit surprised. Personally, I have never liked this man and dislike him even more now.

I bet there have been cases involving men that were molested or groped by female directors, producers, actors, CEOs, etc. too but men rarely come out publicly to say they have been assaulted/molested or sexually harassed by a female. They are the least likely group to ever tell anyone.

I have seen it happen a few times over the years in the workplace by other females who were bosses from grabbing the man's butt, pinching their nipple to grabbing their private area, and pushing their bodies into the man's body imitating the sex act. And this was done in a large company and none of them ever reported it. The men cringed with embarrassment, but remained silent, and didn't report it to HR.
 
The victim got a call from another woman who said something similar happened to her

[video=twitter;931230515486699520]https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/931230515486699520[/video]

Okay, here we go..........the flood gates will open now on Franken.
 
Franken issues apology to news anchor and asks for Senate to investigate, per MSNBC. This is the only way to handle true allegations as opposed to victim bashing, lying, calling claims "fake news" or "conspiracies", ie Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and now Roy Moore.
 
My husband gets asked by the women he works with all the time at work to do things because he is bigger and stronger and taller than they. I struggle to see how that is any different than asking a staffer to "twirl".

I started a job and a week later my bosses hired a stripper to come and surprise one of the others in the office with a dance behind closed doors for the recipient only. Later, they joked with me that they were worried what I might think or do. I thought it was funny and did not feel threatened or harassed. In highlight, it could certainly have been grounds for harassment.

Is it only harassment if the "victim" perceives it as such? Is harassment objective?
 
Anyone who sexually harasses others should suffer the consequences.
 
My husband gets asked by the women he works with all the time at work to do things because he is bigger and stronger and taller than they. I struggle to see how that is any different than asking a staffer to "twirl".

I started a job and a week later my bosses hired a stripper to come and surprise one of the others in the office with a dance behind closed doors for the recipient only. Later, they joked with me that they were worried what I might think or do. I thought it was funny and did not feel threatened or harassed. In highlight, it could certainly have been grounds for harassment.

Is it only harassment if the "victim" perceives it as such? Is harassment objective?

BBM

Asking someone to reach an item on a high shelf or move a heavy box because the task is easier for them physically is the same as asking someone to twirl for the visual delight of the viewer in a workplace?!?

I see a difference.
 
I’ve only seen a brief clip on this so far, but I do give Franken credit for not putting blame on the alleged victim. he seems to be taking responsibility for his actions, and acknowledges if she was made uncomfortable, then he was wrong, even f he does not recall such an event occurring. I’m not sure how long ago this supposedly happened... I probably should have read the links first. Hopefully, he will now go out of his way to behave better and support women in their quest to stop such behavior.

ETA: yikes! The photograph? That changes things in my mind quite a bit. And he admitted it was real but “didn’t know what was in his mind, except to be funny”? No, no, no!
 
Franken has a raunchy past as writer, cast of SNL. I first I saw the photo today and thought he was trying to be funny but when she told details of "the kiss", yuck, that's assault.
 
Horrible, I hope this finally gets everyone on the same page and people stop saying things are locker room talk. Perhaps the wall of resistance to the issues of women being grabbed by their *advertiser censored* or by their breasts or being ogled when they are young teens in a pageant will finally be broken down.

It is not funny or cute no matter who says or does it. No star should be exempt

:ditto:This^ has to be the best reply ever on these threads regarding sexually inappropriate behaviors. There is no excuse, ever, for purposefully making women uncomfortable or degrading. It doesn’t matter your rank, color, gender, or even she. it is always WRONG!

the whole culture needs a swift kick in the behind.

Thank you, human.
 
So gross. He deserves to lose his seat. What's been really strange amidst all of these sexual assaults coming to light is that the conversation really started with Trump's sexual assaults, and yet his name remains suspiciously absent among many of the lists that are being compiled. No one should be immune to facing the consequences of these actions, from the Predator in Chief, on down. WTH are these people????
 
Because women have allowed it. Hopefully this stops now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I disagree with your wording. I see this more of a "women stayed silent and expected that this was par for the course" and didn't fight it. I hope women are no longer silent. I hope other women are encouraging that their peers speak up rather than judging or saying that a "woman asked for it" when something occurs.
 
Because women have allowed it. Hopefully this stops now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is a blanket statement and unfair, imo.

Some women perhaps allowed it. Some women put up with it. Some women hated it but accepted it. Some women complained. Some women were ignored. Some women were scared. Some women were unaffected. Some women denied it. Some women used it. Some women were destroyed by it. Some women lost jobs. Some women pressed charges. Some women were silenced. Some women rose above it. Some women struck out on their own. Some women gave up. Some women fought back.

The crimes happened because someone committed them....not because they were allowed to commit them.

We agree it's time for it to stop.

jmopinion, might not match yours.
 

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