After just barely skimming over the recent New York Times exposé on comedian Louis CK’s sexual misconduct, Stuart Martins of Norfolk, VA remarked to his office, “Well why would you go into a comedian’s hotel room alone?”
Having missed the bulk of the article that detailed how two women specifically entered Mr. CK’s hotel room together because they felt much safer that way, Martins’ default reaction was to blame the victims for their own assault, and also not make the effort to read the entire article.
“I just think that if you’re going into someone’s hotel room, late at night and by yourself, you’re asking for trouble,” added Martins as he continued skimming his Facebook feed.
Five women accused the comedian of similar acts during a phone call, in a meeting in an office, and while walking to a television set, in the article which Stuart Martins did not read. As coworkers attempted to correct him, he continued: “When you put yourself in a position to be taken advantage of, you can’t be surprised when it happens to you.”
“The entertainment industry has always been a dangerous place,” he added, oblivious to the fact that all of the women profiled were approached by Louis CK in innocuous situations. “And that means you have to be responsible for keeping yourself in a safe environment.”
When Martins was finally made aware of Mr. CK’s legacy of inappropriate sexual advances, already explained very thoroughly in the front-page feature he didn’t bother to fully read or understand, Martins responded, “Well, women in the industry should do more research on who they decide to work with.”
“I mean, what do they expect from these powerful men?” he quickly added, successfully shifting the blame back to women.
