This isn't some attempt to be a rampant, raging feminist on my part; if you touch a guy inappropriately without consent it is just as wrong as touching a girl inappropriately without consent.
If Sam Pepper wished to address the issue of young girls touching him inappropriately at meet ups, VidCon or some other sort of hormone-charged YouTube event then fine! He is completely within his right to do that. If he doesn't want to be touched, the he should be free to tell people as such, and the girls who have done it in the past should be feeling equally as ashamed today as Mr Pepper.
However, the way he went about making his case was wrong. Plain wrong. Touching somebody inappropriately in public and then posting it online is wrong.
Harassment and assault are everywhere. Literally everywhere. The internet and news media, quite rightly, are completely and utterly outraged at his actions because, even with all of the fake apology crap, Sam Pepper was saying that going up to people in public and touching them without permission is okay.
On a daily basis millions of people including young women (i.e the demographic which composes 90 - 95% of Sam Pepper's fan base) and young men, feel uncomfortable and weary of the people around them. Particularly when walking alone, being out at night, or being involved in some sort of 'going out' situation such as a gig or going to a club. They are scared because they don't feel safe. They recognise that they are vulnerable and potential targets for a person who may hold malicious intent.
These are perfectly reasonable fears! I mean, this week alone during Freshers I've met a person who on Monday was dragged around the club by the arm and forcibly held around the waist because, and I quote the person in question: 'I want to fuck a fresher and I'm determined for it to be you'. I myself have had somebody try to touch me in a club, it took a very strongly worded 'back off' and my 6 foot, ridiculously pierced, heavy metal playing friend to stand next to the guy for the message to get through. People need to realise that stuff like this happens. All of the time. Although for many people it isn't a life traumatising experience, it just leads to anger and puts a bit of a downer on a night out, for some people it is a much more serious affair and can really have an effect on the rest of their lives. People feel emasculated and ashamed, nervous to go out alone, and some never trust a person enough again to experience a sexual relationship.
People are already unnerved at the prospect of becoming a victim of sexual harassment or assault and Sam Pepper, a man who is admired by hundreds of thousands of young people, stood in broad daylight and played upon those fears. He glamourised sexual assault and turned it into some sort of game.
So fuck you Sam Pepper. Fuck you for playing on people's insecurities. Fuck you for abusing your position of influence. Fuck you for trying to hide from what you have done wrong and passing off crime as some sort of joke.
These are perfectly reasonable fears! I mean, this week alone during Freshers I've met a person who on Monday was dragged around the club by the arm and forcibly held around the waist because, and I quote the person in question: 'I want to fuck a fresher and I'm determined for it to be you'. I myself have had somebody try to touch me in a club, it took a very strongly worded 'back off' and my 6 foot, ridiculously pierced, heavy metal playing friend to stand next to the guy for the message to get through. People need to realise that stuff like this happens. All of the time. Although for many people it isn't a life traumatising experience, it just leads to anger and puts a bit of a downer on a night out, for some people it is a much more serious affair and can really have an effect on the rest of their lives. People feel emasculated and ashamed, nervous to go out alone, and some never trust a person enough again to experience a sexual relationship.
People are already unnerved at the prospect of becoming a victim of sexual harassment or assault and Sam Pepper, a man who is admired by hundreds of thousands of young people, stood in broad daylight and played upon those fears. He glamourised sexual assault and turned it into some sort of game.
So fuck you Sam Pepper. Fuck you for playing on people's insecurities. Fuck you for abusing your position of influence. Fuck you for trying to hide from what you have done wrong and passing off crime as some sort of joke.
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