Jessica's Feminized Atmosphere

  • Aired:  10/02/14
  •  | Views: 672,541

Jessica Williams sits down with the women of New York City and asks them to share their experiences with street harassment. (5:49)

>> Jon: WELCOME BACK.

SEXISM.

DOES IT STILL EXIST?

MANY MEN SAY NO.

JESSICA WILLIAMS EXPLORES.

>> PEOPLE COMPLAIN A LOT ABOUT SEXISM THESE DAYS, BUT

THANKFULLY THERE ARE THOSE WHO KNOW THE TRUTH.

>> I'M NOT BUYING THIS INEQUALITY BUSINESS. I'M NOT.

>> MEN AND WOMEN ARE DIFFERENTAND WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THAT

RATHER THAN CLAIMING WOMEN AREVICTIMS.

>> IF ANYTHING IT'S NOT THEWOMEN WHO ARE VICTIMS,

IT'S THE MEN.

>> IN THIS SORT OF FEMINIZEDATMOSPHERE IN WHICH WE EXIST

TODAY, THE OLD FASHIONED TOUGHGUYS ARE IN CONSTANT

DANGER OF SLIPPING OUT ANDSAYING SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA

GET YOU IN TROUBLE AND MAKE YOULOOK LIKE A SEXIST.

>>RIGHT, THEY ARE THE ONES INDANGER, BUT WOMEN ACTUALLY

HAVE IT GREAT. LOOKAT ME! I'VE GOT A HIGH POWERED

JOB IN NEW YORK, BUT I GETBENEFITS MEN WILL NEVER SEE.

COME SPEND A DAY IN MY FUNWORLD.

LET'S GO.

NOW LET'S TAKE MY WALK TO WORK.

FOR MOST GUYS IT'S JUST A CALM,BORING COMMUTE. BUT FOR ME,

IT'S LIKE I'M COMPETING IN ABEAUTY PAGEANT EVERY DAY.

DO MEN GET SUPER NICE THINGS SAID TO THEM WHEN THEY WALK BY

AN OPEN CONSTRUCTION SITE?>> HOLA.

>> HOLA.>> HOW ARE YOU?

>> I'M FINE, HOW ARE YOU?>> GOOD. YOU LOOK GOOD.

>> THANKS.>> WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

>> OR WALKING BY A RANDOMSECURITY GUARD ON HIS LUNCH

BREAK.>> I LIKE YOUR HAIR.

>> THANK YOU.

YES, I DO HAVE NICE HAIR, MR. RENT A COP.

AND IF I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TALKING TO ME WHILE I WALK TO

WORK ALL I HAVE TO DO IS GOFOUR BLOCKS NORTH TO AVOID

TEENAGERS HANGING OUT AT THEBODEGA, THREE BLOCKS WEST

TO GET AROUND THOSE CREEPY OLDGUYS PLAYING DOMINOS, OH

AND AVOID WALL STREET DOUCHES,WHITE GUYS, LATINO GUYS,

BLACK GUYS, MIDDLE EASTERNGUYS, REALLY ANY MEN.

AND IT ONLY TAKES 55 MINUTES TO GET TO WORK.

AND LOOK AT HOW MUCH EXERCISE I GET.

HOLD ON. HOLD ON.

IS THAT GUY STARING AT MY ASS?

THANKS, SIR, THAT'S SWEET.

WHOO! HOLLY (BLEEP).

HOW COULD ANY WOMEN POSSIBLY BE BOTHERED BY THIS?

INCREDIBLY, I FOUND ONE OR TWOLADIES WHO ARE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SITTINGDOWN WITH ME.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.WOAH.

ALL RIGHT, LADIES,LET'S HEAR IT.

>> I THINK IT'S A HUNDREDPERCENT OF THE TIME THAT YOU

HAVE THE VULNERABILITY AS YOU'REA WOMAN WALKING DOWN THE STREET.

>> AND I THINK THAT'S THESCARY PART FOR ME.

IT'S I NEVER KNOW HOW TORESPOND. SHOULD I RESPOND.

IS MY SAFETY COMPROMISED IF IMAKE A RESPONSE.

IF I CALL THEM OUT.

>> YOUR SAFETY?

GEEZ, LOOSEN UP ALREADY.

>> THEY MEAN IT IN A NICE WAY, I THINK.

>> MOST OF THEM DO, YEAH.

>> LIKE THEY FIND YOUATTRACTIVE OR THEY WANT TO

JUST PAY A COMPLIMENT.

>> WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I DIDN'T LIKE IT.

IT USED TO BOTHER ME.

I THOUGHT LIKE, OHTHIS IS SO SEXIST.

NOW I'M LIKE, IF IT DOESN'THAPPEN, I'M LIKE, EXCUSE ME.

>> EXACTLY, YOU SHOULD BE FLATTERED.

>> ONE TIME I WAS WALKING DOWNTHE STREET AND THIS MAN CAME UP

LITERALLY INCHES BEHINDME AND WAS LIKE I WANT TO

(BLEEP) YOU IN THE (BLEEP).>> WHAT?

>> A GUY ONCE SAID HEWANTED TO (BLEEP) ON MY TITS

AND TAKE A DUMP ON MYBREASTS.

>> I'M SO SORRY THAT HAPPENED.

>> BEAUTIFUL IS FINE, BUT BITCH,I WANT TO EAT YOUR (BLEEP).

THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.

>> AND THE SAD THING IS, THATGUY WILL PROBABLY BE HAPPY

TO TELL YOU THAT STORY. BUT,COME ON,

HOW OFTEN DOES THE GROSSSTUFF REALLY HAPPEN?

>> WHERE ARE SOME PLACES ON THIS MAP THAT YOU HAVE BEEN

STREET HARASSED?

>> SOUTH BRONX.>> LONG ISLAND CITY.

>> DUMBO.>> ATLANTIC AVENUE.

>> BRYANT PARK.>> UPPER WEST SIDE.

>> OH, THAT LEAVES A LOT OF SAFE PLACES.

YOU'LL BE SAFE RIGHT AROUNDHERE.

>> ACTUALLY, I'VE BEEN HARASSEDON ONE OF THOSE SIGHTSEEING

CRUISES. >> OH, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

>> YES.

>> OKAY, FINE.

BUT WHOSE FAULT IS ALL THIS ANYWAY?

>> I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN RESTRAIN BOYS FROM BEING BOYS.

SO THE LONG STARE.

THE OFF HAND COMMENT, IT HAVETO -- WHAT DO YOU DO, EXCUSE

IT?

BECAUSE IT WAS CERTAINLYPROVOKED.

>> OH RIGHT.

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CANJUST GO OUTSIDE WEARING A DRESS

OR PANTS OR A RED SHIRT.

>> YOU CAN WALK DOWN THE STREETIN A BURQA, YOU CAN WALK DOWN

THE STREET IN A BIKINI,IT DOESN'T MATTER.

YOU'RE STILL GONNA GET HARASSED.

>> IF YOU MAKE EYE CONTACTWITH ANYONE, IT'S LIKE

OH, THAT WAS AN INVITATIONFOR YOU TO SAY SOMETHING

OR LOOK AT ME TOO LONG.

>> WOAH, WOAH, MAKE EYE CONTACT?

LADIES, YOU'RE CLEARLY NOT WALKING DOWN THE STREET THE

RIGHT WAY.

RULE NUMBER ONE, ALWAYS WEAR OVERSIZED HEADPHONES.

RULE NUMBER TWO, MASTER THE FAKEPHONE CALL.

>> HELLO.

BEYONCE?

>> RULE NUMBER THREE, AVOID EYE CONTACT AT ALL COSTS.

KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN FOR THE LOVE OF -- OH (BLEEP)

AND THERE'S TONS OF OTHER FUN SOLUTIONS TOO.

>> MY NORMAL RESPONSE IS JUSTPUT ON MY BITCH FACE, AND JUST

WALK STRAIGHT AHEAD, COMPLETELYIGNORE THEM.

>> DO YOU GUYS ALL HAVE A BITCHFACE?

>> I DON'T WANT TO MESS WITHYOU.

>> BUT IF YOU REALLY NEED TO GET SOMEWHERE, THERE ARE THINGS

YOU CAN DO.

♪YOU'RE A GRAND OLD FLAG. YOU'REA HIGH FLYING FLAG.

♪ AND FOREVER IN PEACE MAY YOUSWAY.

>> LIKE ACT LIKE A PSYCHO.

>> ♪ YOU'RE THE EMBLEM OF

>> OR FOR REAL SAFETY, ALL YOUHAVE TO DO IS

GET A TRAVEL BUDDY. THEMORE THE BETTER.

>> WHO LIVES ON THE UPPER WESTSIDE? LET'S GO.

>> WHO NEEDS TO STOP AT ABODAGA ON THE WAY HOME?

>> DOES ANYONE LIVE IN WILLIAMSBURG? ANYONE?

WE'VE GOT TWO IN WILLIAMSBURG.

>> IT SEEMS WE CAN ONLY DREAMOF THE DAY WHEN WOMEN CAN

WALK DOWN THE STREET ANDCONFIDENTLY SAY, SAY IT WITH ME.

>> SIR, IT IS NOT OKAY FOR YOUTO SAY THAT YOU WANT TO TAKE A

(BLEEP) ON MY TITSAND A DUMP ON MY BREASTS,

ALSO, THAT'S REDUNDANT.

>> Jon: JESSICA WILLIAMS.

(APPLAUSE)(APPLAUSE)

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