If you watch The Daily Show, you probably love Jessica Williams — I know I do! And that love grew even more after her segment about street harassment last night.
The segment was in response to Fox News portraying street harassment as a compliment last week and one host even saying we should let “men be men.” During the segment, guest host and Fox contributor Arthur Aidala reenacted his personal signature “move” – aiming a slow round of applause at women on the street and said he has a 90% success rate because 90% of women smile at him.
Jessica broke down why this is flawed, namely that most women who smile at harassers on the street do so to try to end the interaction and because they don’t want to get called a Bitch or get followed or have trash thrown at them. She called street harassment creepy. And I also really liked this line: “Since going to work isn’t a performance, we aren’t looking for applause.”
THANK YOU, Daily Show and Jessica Williams for this brilliant piece! Street harassment is not a compliment or joke nor is it okay. It needs to end.
