*Michael Reagan perfectly encapsulates cultural conservatism and what’s wrong with it in how he tried to defend the actions of Bill O’Reilly.
Specifically Reagan said that calling a black woman “hot chocolate” should be seen as nothing more than a compliment and that men should be able to sue because a woman made them sexually aroused.
Conservatism is about attempting to keep things the way they are now or getting things back way they were in the past. Up until the 1970s men could express attraction to women with impunity when sexual harassment was literally added to state penal codes. So Reagan is basically promoting the idea that society should go back in time. And I don’t blame him. White men have lost the most privilege since other segments of society began receiving civil rights.
And if I’m being honest, I have probably used lines just as cheesy and had thoughts just as sexist. The difference is that I’m able to recognize the ridiculousness of those ideas, whereas Reagan believes they are valid points of view. To be clear I don’t think there is anything criminal or harassing about calling someone hot chocolate. It is an attempt at flirting. The problem is if you think you’re going to get anything but a frown from someone you aren’t already dating.
Reagan’s second comment I find personally offensive. Of course there are attractive women at my workplace, but to say that I have to then ogle them is nonsense. Number one I don’t believe it is impossible to avoid sexual arousal in the presence of an attractive woman; I mastered this skill at some point during junior high school and I find it incredible that Reagan and O’Reilly apparently haven’t. But even if they are sexually aroused, that doesn’t make their erection the responsibility of the woman that caused it. There was Man Seeking Woman episode that elaborated on the absurdity of this idea. Everyone chooses clothes that they believe look nice on them, but only women are then looked at as deserving extra attention because of their clothes.
The ability to recognize the problems with these outdated ways of thinking and moving past them is a hallmark of American gender culture in 2017. Reagan needs to catch up to the times. O’Reilly needed to acknowledge his position. I can imagine that these aren’t the only women he hit on during his tenure at Fox News. Some of those flirtations may have been successful and/or not taken so negatively. I don’t begrudge him for trying. But when you are the most popular anchor at the company you have to have a moment of self-realization and know when you are making someone uncomfortable. The smart thing would have been to flat out state that this could be viewed as harassment and then flirt; and if the person is not receptive then stop.
That’s the mature way to do thing s as an adult in 2017 rather than an adolescent in 1947.
Trevor Brookins is a free lance writer in Rockland County, New York. He is currently working on a book about American culture during the Cold War. His writing has appeared in The Journal News. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @historictrev.
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