Thread by @pixielauren

Let's talk about what Toobin did. A TRIGGERING AND TERRIBLE THREAD.

In case you haven't heard ... here:

1/?
cnn.com/2020/10/19/med…

I'm fucking FLOORED at how people are talking about this.

I've heard things like: It was "accidental." Poor guy -- he didn't mean to get caught jerking off, right? He's sorry. He's embarrassed. He didn't know the camera was still on!

2/?

Um. WHAT?

Jerking off DURING A WORK MEETING is deliberate.

He was aware he was participating in a work meeting -- this is not in dispute. He thought his camera & mic were off, but he knew he was in a work meeting.

3/?

So. Man (with fame, clout, authority) in work meeting pulls out his dick and masturbates, thinking nobody will notice.

HOW is that not sexual harassment of the highest magnitude?

Consider this question: WHY did he choose to masturbate DURING the meeting?

4/?

I'll tell you why. Because, for men like him, there is an additional thrill in masturbating when people might catch you. An additional thrill to do this during a work meeting.

Again: How is that not plainly a choice he made to sexualize his workplace? ON PURPOSE.

5/?

A tactic a lot of harassers and abusers use is to "accidentally" get caught with their dicks out.

Oops -- just an accident! But they've exposed themselves to their victim, just the same. They get the thrill, but they also have plausible deniability.

6/?

WHY are @NewYorker and @CNN treating Toobin with so much respect and deference? He admitted he did it -- yet New Yorker has only suspended him while they "investigate."

If you believe the people who reported it, WHAT is there to "investigate?" He ADMITTED & "apologized."

7/?

It's even worse at @CNN, where they said they've "granted" him "time off" while he deals with a "personal issue."

Why is Toobin allowed to control what happens to him? Why are you letting him control the narrative, CNN?

8/?

I've been harassed at work, by a boss who would "accidentally" leave porn playing on his work computer.

The thrill he must have felt when I saw the porn & felt sickened. THAT was what it was about for him -- that horrifying moment when I saw.

But -- plausible deniability!

9/?

Again: HOW is Toobin any different from my creeper boss who left porn on his computer for me to "accidentally" find?

Toobin KNEW he was participating in a meeting. He chose to jerk off because the risk of it was thrilling. THAT makes it sexual harassment of his co-workers.

10/?

Once again, the narrative -- at @NewYorker and at @CNN -- is being controlled by men who are saying how "embarrassing" this must be for Toobin.

Did anyone ask an expert in workplace harassment for their opinion before publishing such a kind & gentle version of events?

11/?

Do we EVER learn ANYTHING? Doesn't anyone remember #MeToo ?

LISTEN to those of us who have had our workplaces sexualized by creeps like Toobin. "Accidentally" or no, it DOES NOT MATTER. The end result is still the same.

#MeToobin

/END

POST SCRIPT: Excuses in my mentions from the Toobin apologists!

He was "at home."
It was PRIVATE!
I'm "sex shaming" him.
He thought his camera was off.
It was "harmless" & didn't hurt anyone.
He said sorry!
I'm a feminist shrew for even tweeting about it!

🙄 🙄 🙄

POST-POST-SCRIPT:

A much more descriptive piece about the incident -- that doesn't soften the blow and protect the masturbator, is from Vice, linked below.
vice.com/en/article/epd…