Charlotte Proudman (sic) was deeply offended when a fellow lawyer, granted, twice her age, complimented her on her on her "stunning" profile picture on the site Linkedin. She shot back with a broadside indicating that she found the comment "unacceptable and misogynistic". But although I have always tried to treat women as different but equal, and that part of me approved of her disapproval, another part of me felt a trace of sympathy towards the older (and perhaps rather pathetic) man.
Look at Ms Proudman's picture, especially her fringe. Has she not applied some sort of perming device to it? Why? Presumably to enhance her attractiveness. In which case, I find myself thinking that if she has gone to some trouble to make her face look more pretty and appealing, why is she then offended when someone says they find it so?
OK, OK. I know I could be seen as missing the point here, that as La Proudman is using Linkedin as a forum for business contact, she doesn't want it to be used as some sort of Ashley Madison thing. But here's what worries me. Can we now take it that men can no longer say to work colleagues things like "you look nice today", or "I like that dress"? I rather think we can. I remember an incident a few years ago when my practice nurse came rushing in from the car having been caught in a cloudburst. I said:
"You look unusually attractive today, what is it?"
Her response was that maybe it was because her hair was wet. To which I said "Oh right, that's probably it." And that was the way it was left. No lawsuits for sexual harassment; no offence intended, none taken. I fear those days are long gone. If I tried a line like that today I'd either find myself in court, or handing over substantial damages out of it to avoid public exposure as a sexist brute.
You know what? I'm glad I'm retired.
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