Thursday, December 3, 2009

Death to the Double

Some weeks ago, a friend was relating to me a humorous story that had happened at the ER she was working. A woman with the most incredible body and large, perfect breasts had been brought in, unconscious. Because the nature of the accident, her clothes had to be cut off. While she was unconscious, every male member of the hospital trouped in to gaze in wonder at her beautiful nude, perfectly waxed figure.

I was appalled. Revolted. My friend hadn't even considered the victimization that was happening, the violation of the patient's privacy. It was horrible. I'm sure everyone reading this is appalled, as well.




Well, okay. That's not actually what happened. What really happened, was that a male with an incredibly large sex member (described as "the size of a baby's arm") was brought in, unconscious. While he was unconscious, every female on duty in the hospital trouped in to look at his penis.

Now, imagine- if you haven't already- how horrified everyone would be that men would get to ogle a nude unconscious female. It's hard for me to see a hospital in the U.S. today where such behavior would be tolerated. When it happens to a male, though, no-one even seemed to notice, except Look! Big penis! Funny.

It's revolting and horrible. The double standard doesn't just extend to males being allowed to get away with behaviors that most of society would not accept from females. Equal rights. Equal treatment. Every time. Anything else goes against the very spirit of our country.

10 comments:

Asphyxiated Emancipation said...

You've hit on one of my pet peeves. There is indeed a double standard of behavior for men vs women, and it applies to every portion of our society. From the length of a man's hair and even color, to the cut of a man's trousers in the office vs a womans. If a man compliments a woman for looking nice, he has to first consider whether that woman is likely to be offended, yet a woman can make off hand lewd comments about how a man looks, and it is not even thought of.

Ambulance Driver said...

That's disgusting.

I mean, if they all wanted to look at me naked, all they had to do was ask! Ogling me while I'm naked and helpless is unconscionable!

Thanks for clearing up something that had been puzzling me, though. I had been wondering why every female member of the staff was lining the hallway, applauding, when they wheeled me out to my truck when I was discharged.

Now I know.

Old NFO said...

Ah yes... the double standard exists, always has, always will... Ever wonder why boys are not allowed to babysit girls, yet girls are allowed to babysit boys unsupervised???

charlotte g said...

Girls are different from boys. OK. Big hoo-ha. But a lot of that is "men are-women are" thinking. Back in the 60's, I was a pretty radical feminist. I wanted equality, and actually got a job in a previously all male profession. And I am still proud of it. At that time, I knew nothing about early childhood development and thought it was all environmental. I vowed if I had a girl, she would never have a dress till she was at least 5, and she would get Tonka trucks for Christmas.
I had two sons.
Which were an eye-opening experience. and I took courses and learned something about genetics and some basic differences in the genders. There are differences,but I truly don't think it matters in effectiveness. And not so inherent as people say. Today,a friend said men identify themselves first by job and then family while MOST women identify themselves first by husband, children, then job. I looked at her and smiled. I said thank you.
Society doesn't acknowledge the the differences, strengths and weaknesses of both genders. I was ready, educated, and able to buy my granddaughter her dresses and Mary Janes while I encouraged her to climb trees, learn advanced math and dream to be anything. There are differences. Society tells women to be victimized and men to be ego-stroked. Doesn't mean that is how they actually reacted. BUT.
These women have violated this man's privacy, regardless of his reaction.--and I wonder how much of his reaction is real, and how much is a programmed defense.
You really are a feminist. So am I. beyond this, no human being, whatever gender. whatever age. whatever race. should ever be treated so.
When I looked for a nursing home for my mother, I found many who cleaned the linens and washed the clothes and left Altheimer's patients in restraints naked while their things were washed and dried. My mother didn't go to those homes. Same thing to me. If you don't give consent. it should never happen.

charlotte g said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Matt G said...

Most men reading this will imagine that they would be proud to have their pecker looked at, if it were huge. That's not projection; it's fact.

I think that, in fact, a man would feel ashamed of being looked at while helpless, and truly naked. (Not just nude. There's a difference.)

Don't worry; Mom's still a feminist. She just would probably let a daughter wear a dress, nowadays. ;)

J.R.Shirley said...

Thanks for everyone's comments. Voyeuristic viewing of a patient naked is wrong, regardless of the sex of the patient. That it happened while the patient was not conscious makes it, if anything, worse.

Matt, try not to get too excited, there.

Matt G said...

Not excited. Just curious. You have no other posts on this topic, so I can only assume that you have plans to write more on male genitalia. Interestingly, none under the title, "vulva."

Tam said...

Give it time, Matt. John is nothing if not fair. :)

Don said...

If you want posts on Vulvas, you have to come to my place. I have an 850 Turbo I just love.


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