Mihaela Karst
Argonaut
During this election year, many perspectives have surfaced regarding republican nominee Donald Trump — both negative and positive. My Facebook feed has been bombarded by one post after another, all of my friends attempting to paint him in either a negative or positive light.
Most of the time, I try to zone out the typical right wing or left wing pleas for their candidate. But there was one article that captured my attention.
The Washington Post released a newly discovered recording of a conversation between Trump and Billy Bush in 2005.
Trump was recorded saying sexist and offensive comments about a married woman and when confronted about his degrading comments, Trump shrugged off the allegations and claimed it was simply “locker room talk,” and that it’s not that uncommon.
Making comments like “grab her by the pussy” because someone is famous and women will let them “do anything” cannot be described as typical “locker room talk.”
Discussing hitting on a married woman and saying, “I moved on her like a bitch” is not locker room talk.
Labeling statements like these as conversation that happens casually and frequently in male locker rooms gives the impression that it is OK to talk about women like this.
It gives the impression that it is OK for young men to condone and practice sexual assault — which is precisely what Trump referred to — in the locker room after basketball practice.
Using the term “locker room talk” gives the impression that it OK for men to talk about grabbing a woman’s genitals just because they can. Using the term “locker room talk” in this context promotes rape culture.
I am not upset that Trump used the term “pussy,” which is a common misconception when I talk about this with my peers.
I am upset by the fact that Trump said, “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” and then he followed that by promoting the groping of women’s genitals.
So because he is famous, that gives him the right to sexually assault women? To grope them without their consent? Because that is what he is implying in his statements.
By calling it “locker room talk,” Trump and his supporters promote the idea that “boys will be boys” and these kind of topics happen on a daily basis and this shouldn’t be a big deal.
Regardless of one’s political views, I find it impossible not to view these statements as anything but troubling.
I’m baffled at the fact that some Trump supporters are brushing it off because he has formally apologized for it. “Oh, it’s just locker room talk, he didn’t know anyone would be listening,” is only one variation of the excuses I’ve heard on Trump’s behalf.
Society should not condone this kind of language and claim it is acceptable for men to talk about women this way, even just among each other in private.
Using the term “locker room talk” promotes the idea that not only is it common, but it is also acceptable for men to degrade women and discuss sexual assault in the locker room after a heated match of tennis.
Mihaela Karst
can be reached at
[email protected]
or on Twitter @mihaela_jo