EACH Friday my big treat is securing an hour to myself to watch the latest episode of The Morning Show. Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon star in this series which tells the story of the behind the scenes drama at a fictional US morning TV show.
When I am into a series, I take it seriously. In preparation for the arrival of the second series, I re-watched the first. For some reason, the storyline of sexual harassment and exploitation of women resonated with me more than it did first time round.
The predatory behaviour of one of the show's anchors, the fictional, charismatic, charming Mitch Kessler, had been tolerated for too long.
The storyline is on point. I recognised, have witnessed and wrongly accepted much of the behaviour and culture that has been brought into question in this drama.
While the fictional drama of The Morning Show will continue to unfold over the next few weeks, The R Kelly nightmare is very much a reality for countless women. Hopefully his conviction this week will go some way to allowing the survivors of his disgusting behaviour to get on with their lives.
This man's behaviour was condoned, and he was protected and allowed to use and abuse women and children. I started to watch the acclaimed Surviving R Kelly documentary series and couldn't finish the first episode.
These women had been traumatised and broken by the actions of a man who thought that he was unaccountable to anyone and anything. They, on the other hand felt utterly worthless and humiliated.
This week, Scottish singer Iona Fyfe bravely spoke out about being offered gigs in return for sex. Sophie Ellis-Bextor recently revealed that she was raped when she was 17 by another musician much older than her.
Both revelations are shocking, but they are not exceptional. There are many more stories like this. It is the harsh reality of many women, in all walks of life. Sex is used as a tool, women are objectified.
While it doesn't make it right, the vulnerability of the victim can be the reason why it happens. The victim is either blamed by society or blames herself. Predators seek out vulnerability because it makes them feel powerful and in control.
Insecurity, self doubt, lack of confidence make people vulnerable. It takes confidence to call out predatory, unacceptable behaviour. A woman on her own in any way is vulnerable to a predator, and perfect prey.
Make no mistake about it, sexual predatory behaviour is not just confined to the famous and we need to educate our children that it is wrong, as well as how to identify it and call it out.
Start with teenagers. Has your teenager asked someone if 'they send' in the reference to sending nude pictures on social media platforms?
There are R Kelly-type characters walking amongst us who justify grooming and exploiting women for self gratification.
Last week social media feeds referenced the powerful and heartbreaking impact statements of Sarah Everard's parents, who told of the inconsolable pain they feel and questions left unanswered after their beautiful daughter was taken from them.
It is a tragic irony that they plead and hope that no other family will ever have to feel their pain while this is the current reality of the family of Sabina Nessa - another beautiful young woman, brutally taken from this world because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the prey of a predator.
Someone tweeted last week that they read an interview with a male writer who said that he liked nothing better than to go for a walk around 10pm at night. The stillness of the night gave him clarity and space to think. 'IMAGINE' was this woman's reply to that idea. Imagine indeed.
If a woman were to venture out at that time of night and something happened to her, it would be her fault. What was she doing out, on her own, at that hour? Was she drunk? What was she wearing?
Flip the narrative. What business did he have going anywhere near her?
I honestly don't know how my mother slept a wink when I started going out or when I moved away from home. How do we make the world a safer place for our daughters?
By locking them up and taking away their freedom because they must be accountable for the actions of others? By others, I mean men. We owe it to our sons to better educate them.
