Senator Al Franken accused of unwanted kissing/groping

[simba16]

The leaders of Franken's own Minnesota party is calling for his resignation. He has a history of crude, sexist behavior and always uses comedy as his excuse. Women are tired of this behavior and it is time he hold himself accountable.

The USO wants entertainers to entertain. It is why Tweeden and he were there. Franken decided to humiliate and demean a woman in order to entertain himself. Troops include women, who should be treated as equals and afforded respect. He shoved his tongue into a woman's mouth without her permission. His action had nothing to do with comedy. The audience wouldn't know it. No coworker has a right to penetrate a colleague with his tongue.

I'm shocked anyone is excusing his creepy behavior because his victim was a nude model. I

Well be shocked. Read the posts.

 

[K_Z]

It does not matter where one works, what one wears or how one chooses to live their life. A job is a job and where a person chooses to work is more complicated than a moral judgment might assume.

I don't agree with this. Leeann Tweeden, in this case, wasn't forced into a life of taking off her clothes, posing in sexy magazines and catalogs, and grooming her image to be a sexy plaything. She was well paid for it, and enthusiastically groomed her career in that direction. She is not to be pitied for her station in life, IMO.

It does matter what you choose to do with your life, how one chooses to behave. It does matter to your health, safety, and risk factors when you make your choices. Her choices earlier in her life put her at serious risk of being exploited-- thankfully she hasn't been hurt or victimized. The time is LONG past for her to complain about this USO Tour experience. Her motivations are pretty transparent, IMO. I don't see her as any kind of victim, and I resent that she has presented herself as a victim.

 

[simba16]

Before Buffalo Wild Wings came along, I went to Hooters for wings and beer. They have good wings. Stop shaming the waitresses there. Better yet, stop shaming victims of harassment.

Pages of this thread are all about shaming.

 

[human]

He had no right to force himself on her with the kisses.

What is the truth re the photo? Was she part of the joke or not?

 

[bluesneakers]

This can't be a serious comment?! Maybe if the nude photo is in a medical text illustrating a serious, rare, or painful medical condition, I could agree with you. If the nude pic is in Playboy or Fredricks of Hollywood, it's not about the articles or the clothes. It's about SEX. Yes, it is! Lol!

What's so wrong with sex?

 

[bluesneakers]

He had no right to force himself on her with the kisses.

What is the truth re the photo? Was she part of the joke or not?

Has she said she was part of the joke? Has he said she was part of the joke?

 

[human]

Has she said she was part of the joke? Has he said she was part of the joke?

That is what I am wondering. I have read many reports on the infallible net that she was part of the photo op joke.

So what is the truth?

 

[simba16]

I don't agree with this. Leeann Tweeden, in this case, wasn't forced into a life of taking off her clothes, posing in sexy magazines and catalogs, and grooming her image to be a sexy plaything. She was well paid for it, and enthusiastically groomed her career in that direction. She is not to be pitied for her station in life, IMO.

It does matter what you choose to do with your life, how one chooses to behave. It does matter to your health, safety, and risk factors when you make your choices. Her choices earlier in her life put her at serious risk of being exploited-- thankfully she hasn't been hurt or victimized. The time is LONG past for her to complain about this USO Tour experience. Her motivations are pretty transparent, IMO. I don't see her as any kind of victim, and I resent that she has presented herself as a victim.

Her life is not defined by being a nude model. I've heard nothing in days of coverage on CNN/MSNBC about her past work just that she works in radio now so that would not be based on nudity, right? Radio work?

 

[K_Z]

The leaders of Franken's own Minnesota party is calling for his resignation. He has a history of crude, sexist behavior and always uses comedy as his excuse. Women are tired of this behavior and it is time he hold himself accountable.

The USO wants entertainers to entertain. It is why Tweeden and he were there. Franken decided to humiliate and demean a woman in order to entertain himself. Troops include women, who should be treated as equals and afforded respect. He shoved his tongue into a woman's mouth without her permission. His action had nothing to do with comedy. The audience wouldn't know it. No coworker has a right to penetrate a colleague with his tongue.

I'm shocked anyone is excusing his creepy behavior because his victim was a nude model. I

I'm not "excusing" his behavior. I just don't think it's the huge big deal that the media is trying to make it. It was entirely predictable on both their parts-- that's the explanation. If he wants to resign, so be it-- but THIS is not the sole reason he should, IMO.

My earlier posts basically say the same thing you did-- he was known to be a bawdy, raw, rude and sarcastic comedian-- that's why he was hired on the USO Tour, along with LT, whose role was that of sex kitten entertainer. The USO Tours have looong been known for sex humor and sexy girls to entertain the troops.

That will change going forward, but we can't change the past, or apply new behavioral mores just because now in 2017 we want to condemn everything in the past we don't agree with.

 

[MyBelle]

And I think it's completely unreasonable and illogical for anyone to think that their actions don't have consequences. A person can't make sex/ sexuality/ nudity the focus of their reputation and persona, then expect others to ignore it.

A woman *chooses* to work at Hooters for a different reason than a woman chooses to work at Cracker Barrel. Lol!

A woman *chooses* to work at Hooters because it pays better than Cracker Barrel. But no customer has a right to touch a waitress without consent whether it is Hooters or Cracker Barrel so what exactly is your point?

One of my college classmates posed for Playboy while in college in the early '70s. Her husband, also a college student, didn't mind because she was paid a lot of money. Her decision doesn't give anyone the right to shove their tongue into her mouth without her consent.

 

[simba16]

What's so wrong with sex?

Nothing unless one has problems..

 

[PaulR]

I'm not "excusing" his behavior. I just don't think it's the huge big deal that the media is trying to make it. It was entirely predictable on both their parts-- that's the explanation. If he wants to resign, so be it-- but THIS is not the sole reason he should, IMO.

My earlier posts basically say the same thing you did-- he was known to be a bawdy, raw, rude and sarcastic comedian-- that's why he was hired on the USO Tour, along with LT, whose role was that of sex kitten entertainer. The USO Tours have looong been known for sex humor and sexy girls to entertain the troops.

That will change going forward, but we can't change the past, or apply new behavioral mores just because now in 2017 we want to condemn everything in the past we don't agree with.

I have worked with attractive women. I've even been (once) to a bar where the women were dressing similar to what they'd wear at Hooters. Somehow I kept my hands to myself, because that's what men do.

 

[MyBelle]

I'm not "excusing" his behavior. I just don't think it's the huge big deal that the media is trying to make it. It was entirely predictable on both their parts-- that's the explanation. If he wants to resign, so be it-- but THIS is not the sole reason he should, IMO.

My earlier posts basically say the same thing you did-- he was known to be a bawdy, raw, rude and sarcastic comedian-- that's why he was hired on the USO Tour, along with LT, whose role was that of sex kitten entertainer. The USO Tours have looong been known for sex humor and sexy girls to entertain the troops.

That will change going forward, but we can't change the past, or apply new behavioral mores just because now in 2017 we want to condemn everything in the past we don't agree with.

I'm sorry but I don't agree that Franken's behavior was "highly predictable." That's the same as blaming a victim because of the way she dressed and it might have worked back in the day when the military was all male but it sure as heck doesn't work today and the USO most certainly knows it.

 

[simba16]

M

A woman *chooses* to work at Hooters because it pays better than Cracker Barrel. But no customer has a right to touch a waitress without consent whether it is Hooters or Cracker Barrel so what exactly is your point?

One of my college classmates posed for Playboy while in college in the early '70s. Her husband, also a college student, didn't mind because she was paid a lot of money. Her decision doesn't give anyone the right to shove their tongue into her mouth without her consent.

Exactly. But obviously someone here thinks the Hooters waitress/Playboy model is asking for it.

 

[MyBelle]

I have worked with attractive women. I've even been (once) to a bar where the women were dressing similar to what they'd wear at Hooters. Somehow I kept my hands to myself, because that's what men do.

Exactly!

 

[K_Z]

Her life is not defined by being a nude model. I've heard nothing in days of coverage on CNN/MSNBC about her past work just that she works in radio now so that would not be based on nudity, right? Radio work?

She works in radio NOW, but not at the time of the USO Tour.

The media is reluctant to cover her sex kitten/ nude modeling history in depth, for the same reason that we see here-- they would be perceived as " shaming" her. They must ignore her past, and focus on her present, in order to make her story more believable and not open to any criticism or critical thinking.

If her sex kitten/ nude modelling history was more of a part of the story, in addition to the sex skit focus of the USO Tours, and AF's bawdy history, then it's a ho-hum, predictable bunch of childish pranks by entertainers, and not a "predator sex assault" story with a pitiful victim, designed to bring down a sitting senator.

 

[bluesneakers]

That is what I am wondering. I have read many reports on the infallible net that she was part of the photo op joke.

So what is the truth?

Reports from whom? Do you have a link? I haven't heard it was a joke she was in on.

eta: She also shared that photo. “I couldn’t believe it,” she wrote. "He groped me, without my consent, while I was asleep.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/enterta...ken-that-photo-and-trusting-the-women/545954/

And Franken says "As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn’t. I shouldn’t have done it.”

 

[HoneyWest]

Her life is not defined by being a nude model. I've heard nothing in days of coverage on CNN/MSNBC about her past work just that she works in radio now so that would not be based on nudity, right? Radio work?

Yes, she also was on a workout show called Fitness Beach. She spent a few years as a correspondent for Fox Sports Television and after that was on the NBC late night serious "Poker After Dark". She's also been on at least 16 USO tours.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeann_Tweeden

 

[simba16]

She works in radio NOW, but not at the time of the USO Tour.

The media is reluctant to cover her sex kitten/ nude modeling history in depth, for the same reason that we see here-- they would be perceived as " shaming" her. They must ignore her past, and focus on her present, in order to make her story more believable and not open to any criticism or critical thinking.

If her sex kitten/ nude modelling history was more of a part of the story, in addition to the sex skit focus of the USO Tours, and AF's bawdy history, then it's a ho-hum, predictable bunch of childish pranks by entertainers, and not a "predator sex assault" story with a pitiful victim, designed to bring down a sitting senator.

You sound like you have a personal vendetta against her. Disturbing.

 

[HoneyWest]

She works in radio NOW, but not at the time of the USO Tour.

The media is reluctant to cover her sex kitten/ nude modeling history in depth, for the same reason that we see here-- they would be perceived as " shaming" her. They must ignore her past, and focus on her present, in order to make her story more believable and not open to any criticism or critical thinking.

If her sex kitten/ nude modelling history was more of a part of the story, in addition to the sex skit focus of the USO Tours, and AF's bawdy history, then it's a ho-hum, predictable bunch of childish pranks by entertainers, and not a "predator sex assault" story with a pitiful victim, designed to bring down a sitting senator.

,...and this, folks, is one of the many reasons women who have been sexually harassed, molested, or raped do not come forward. Not only will men shame you, so will some women.