I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
I'm teaching a writing class this semester at a large local university. Just one semester. Just one class. Nevertheless, I've spent the past two hours doing an online course in sexual harassment -- that's a requirement, by the way: you've got to spend at least two hours; if you spend any less, there's a pop-up warning telling you to slow down.
What I learned about sexual harassment, over the past contractually-obligated 120 minutes, is this: whatever you do, don't. Whatever you say, don't say it. And whenever you're faced with this issue -- as a supervisor, teacher, student, harasser, harassee, whatever -- stop, freeze, and file a formal complaint and/or report to the Department of Equity and Diversity, and no, I'm not making that name up.
Here's the irony: the class I'm teaching is a television writing class. The students in it are aspiring television writers. For them, the goal is to get a job writing on a television series and eventually to be the creator of a series of their own.
The screenshot to the right is from one of the last slides of my online training. It's a list of "Don't Do's" for teachers and supervisors in a university setting.
Almost every item on that list, however, is a regular, daily occurrence in the writers' room of a television show. Some are twice daily occurrences. Some happen too often to keep count.
So while I hope I'm teaching my students something about writing professionally, I'm sure not teaching them anything about being a professional writer.
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May '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
I had a great line here but I can't use it. The Office of Equity and Diversity knee capped me first.
Jul '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
Does this mean the end of boob jokes on sitcoms?
They just keep chipping away at hallowed American traditions....
May '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
I think the most striking feature of the graphic was at lower right, "173 of 180." Perhaps your mandated suicide prevention slideshow followed that one. Press on Professor Long!
Dec '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
"Supervisors should never: ...
So, which categories can you tell jokes about?
Oct '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
A little stroll through a minefield bother you there... Wait until you have been accused of some PC violation. The experience is straight out of Kafka...
Good Luck...As Mom used to say, Mind your Pees and Ques as it goes.
Jul '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
Nickolas: "Supervisors should never: ...
So, which categories can you tell jokes about? · Feb 15 at 7:48pm
Straight white males. Republicans.
Jul '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
I hate that they do this stuff online now. I used to get paid big bucks for sexual harassment training.
And I always put the little hotties in the first row....
Dec '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
Kenneth
Nickolas: "Supervisors should never: ...
So, which categories can you tell jokes about? · Feb 15 at 7:48pm
Straight white males. Republicans. · Feb 15 at 7:53pm
Don't forget Christians. It is always politically correct to make fun of Christians.
May '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
The expression on Rob's face in his icon could be grounds for a suit.
Nov '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
Ahh...some artful use of double entendre could provide a chink in the armor. I don't see it on the list, but I don't know how it would hold up at the hearing. Just trying to help. Good luck!!
Jun '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
I could have saved you some time -
Everything is harassment.
Aug '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
Rob Long
Almost every item on that list, however, is a regular, daily occurrence in the writers' room of a television show. Some are twice daily occurrences. Some happen too often to keep count.
So while I hope I'm teaching my students something about writing professionally, I'm sure not teaching them anything about being a professional writer. ·
So just make the first lecture be about Lyle v. Warner Brothers and you should be hunky dory. Here's the money quote from the decision:
"Based on the totality of the undisputed circumstances, particularly the fact the Friends production was a creative workplace focused on generating scripts for an adult-oriented comedy show featuring sexual themes, we find no reasonable trier of fact could conclude such language constituted harassment directed at plaintiff because of her sex within the meaning of the FEHA."
Edited on Feb 15, 2011 at 8:32pmMay '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
I never cared much for her legs but harassment everything to me.
May '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
If you're curious about the distinctive culture of The Room, the two best guides to it are actually Rob's: "Conversations with My Agent" and "Set Up, Joke, Set Up, Joke". Our host is too decent and classy to point that out, but it has to be done! True also of most arts organizations I've known: for better or worse, most of Los Angeles' best film festivals, even by most Ricochet readers' viewpoints, were put together by people of both sexes and every conceivable orientation who by today's standards smoked like chimneys, drank like fish, and were cheerfully prone to workplace romances of jaw-dropping blatancy. Nonetheless they got the work done, and without lawyers. Usually.
Dec '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
I am officially offended on behalf of Asian cavaliers.
Aug '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
Rob Long
you've got to spend at least two hours; if you spend any less, there's a pop-up warning telling you to slow down.
Oh come on! There HAS to be a way to write a script that will click through the thing for you automatically!
Dec '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
I have always viewed sexual harassment training as a how-to class.
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
What? No links?
Jun '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
Rob - If you showed an episode or two from the British version of The Office with Ricky Gervais (the link shows a clip from one of the tamer moments in the show) you'd likely get into trouble since each episode violates just about everything shown in the "What Not To Do" list. Even though it's directly related to the academic research of what it is you're teaching, the administration could still come down on you..but then you'd have a wonderful first amendment case...and could get a lot of air time pleading your case...you could have Ricky Gervais publicly testify in your defense. I can see it now, appearances on Leno and Letterman with Gervais. You could show how bleedin' pathetic these PC guidelines are in limiting free speech and confining academic freedom so much so that teaching a course on television writing essentially becomes a farce. I think you're onto something here.
May '10
Re: I Am Now an Expert in Sexual Harassment
Rob,
I'm a little confused. Could you ask the Office of Diversion and Perfidy to provide some specific examples in each category? I'm especially interested in jokes that I shouldn't tell.
Know whad I'm sayin'?