Bob Collins
Angela Lansbury, the beloved 93-year-old actress, is pinning the blame for sexual harassment and abuse on women.
“We have to own up to the fact that women, since time immemorial, have gone out of their way to make themselves attractive. And unfortunately it has backfired on us – and this is where we are today,” Lansbury tells Radio Times, according to The Telegraph.
“We must sometimes take blame, women. I really do think that. Although it’s awful to say we can’t make ourselves look as attractive as possible without being knocked down and raped,” she said.
It is awful to say that. But she said it while also saying women shouldn’t have to be prepared to be sexually abused and assaulted.
“It is a deeply unhelpful myth that rape and other forms of sexual violence are caused or ‘provoked’ by women’s sexuality or ‘attractiveness’,” a rape crisis organization responded.
There are obvious flaws in her theory, former Marketplace reporter Heidi Moore points out today.
If every woman has been harassed (and every woman has!) then obviously it’s not limited to bombshells and not about makeup and clothes
— Heidi N Moore (@moorehn) November 28, 2017
Related: Minnesota rape victim discusses the future of a bill to aid other victims (NPR)
