invited a thirtysomething female producer of the Factor to purchase a vibrator, but used a battery-operated one shaped as a “cock” on himself as he talked to her
O’REILLY: In the “Back of the Book” Segment tonight, you may remember a minor tiff was created by feminist Naomi Wolf a few weeks ago when she wrote an article saying one of her Yale professors rubbed her thigh while mentoring her at that college. That set off debate about sexual harassment, which is a problem the world over, no question.
With us now is Dr. Linda Mills, a professor of social work at NYU and author of the book “Insult to Injury: Rethinking Our Responses to Intimate Abuse.”
So you say that women — some of them are using this as a club, this sexual harassment deal sometimes, huh?
LINDA MILLS, PH.D., NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: Yes, I mean I think what happens is that women are denying, in a sense, their own sexual beings, and this is an opportunity and a time in our culture for women to think about themselves as sexual beings and to use that, their — that identity.
O’REILLY: Yes, but it’s impossible and I’ll tell you why. Men — and I know men real well, being a manly man — are barbarians. They’re just barbarians, OK. They see a good-looking woman. It’s — they’re not respecting their intellect. They’re — you know? And if they get a come- on at all by the woman whom they feel is attractive, then they’re in. So, if you say women have got to be cognizant of their sexuality, that’s going to open doors for all kinds of things women may not be prepared for.
MILLS: Well, that’s absolutely right, and we need to educate women about that very fact, but it doesn’t mean that we need to hold them completely harmless, that they’re always victims, and that if we don’t see the relationship between men and women and what women bring to that relationship, somehow they’re — they never get to…
O’REILLY: But isn’t there a difference between social — socializing and trying to find a mate and trying to get a relationship going and in a workplace or in a college — you know, what Wolf’s contention was with this guy — Bloom, I guess, his name is — took advantage of her when she was a student, and that happens all the time.
MILLS: Absolutely.
O’REILLY: It happens all the time where powerful men see a good- looking student, and they try to make a move. Now, you know, this thing happened 30 years ago, whatever. I think maybe Naomi might have let it go, all right, but how does a woman protect herself against that kind of thing?
MILLS: Well, but what’s different about the Naomi Wolf case and many sexual harassment cases is that they did have a relationship and that right now we don’t recognize the relationship…
— later the conversation got even better —
O’REILLY: I still think the guy abused his position, if it happened, and I kind of believe Wolf. But, look, I think that the sexual harassment thing is used as a club, as I said, by many women, all right. It’s something they have against men, a threat to keep men at bay in a very competitive marketplace.
MILLS: Well, I think — I actually interpret it a little differently, and that is that they use their sexuality in certain ways, and then when they get nervous, they run behind the sort of legal shield of sexual harassment, and that’s the part that’s a problem because I think that women are these sexual beings, and we need to recognize that. That’s a feminist position.
O’REILLY: Some women are. Do you think all women are?
MILLS: Absolutely not.
O’REILLY: I don’t.
MILLS: I completely agree with you.
O’REILLY: You know, there are women who manipulate themselves and use their sexuality to get ahead, all right.
MILLS: Absolutely.
O’REILLY: And then these women will turn around and file a sexual harassment…
MILLS: But shouldn’t we account for that, just that?
O’REILLY: But how do you prove it? It’s very difficult to prove it.
MILLS: Well, it’s hard to prove sexual harassment now as it is, but why not…
O’REILLY: Well, if you grab somebody’s thigh, I mean — if somebody sees it or you…
Let me ask you one more thing. This is really dangerous. It used to be in the workplace that you could make a sexual joke or something. Not anymore, right? You’re crazy if you do that, right?
MILLS: Well, yes, but that’s on both sides. Men and women.
O’REILLY: Oh, I’ve never heard of a woman making a sexual joke and being charged with anything.
MILLS: Well, the irony is that the studies show that men don’t take it seriously, and so they’re less likely to make claims, right?
O’REILLY: Yes, right.
MILLS: But I think that’s true on both sides, and it’s — it has changed, in a sense, the dynamic at work.
O’REILLY: Well, it’s changed my life. I’ll tell you, when I was a thug coming up, I mean I would say almost anything around women, and now I don’t say anything, you know, that could be remotely taken — you know, because, obviously, I’m a big target, and any kind of a thing like that stigmatizes you, whether you’re guilty or not, doesn’t it?
MILLS: Absolutely.
O’REILLY: So it’s — women — that’s a big power source for them, and I think some women use it ruthlessly.
o’reilly appeared on Regis & Kelly this morning where he discussed the case, not once denying that he sexually harrassed his producer (who was a former Bush intern, and therefore probably not a Democrat trying to sling mud), instead said that the $60 million settlement offer was outrageous.
the host of the factor said, “not even the 9/11 victim families got that much.” he added that although he agreed with some of his cohorts who said that taking this on might be the end of his career he said, “enough is enough.”
and still he didnt deny the charges. the author of a new children’s book, o’reilly seemingly only had issues with the price of the settlement.