I get the surprise: the two events, on first blush, seem contradictory.
Serious question: would you then be open to information about the unexpected ways people sometimes process traumatic events?
Except that this is not a situation where we have to decide who to believe. We have video of the assault. In light of which, all the more -
I’ll add also that I don’t think much hinges on the extent to which what he did was specifically traumatic to her, unless she were seeking monetary damages in a civil suit. She may be a psychologically robust person who was able to get on with celebrating the win without it spoiling her day.
But the fact that Hermoso may be psychologically tough doesn’t excuse what he did in any way. We have video, and we can all see quite unambiguously the disgusting way he behaved, obviously without consent. That’s what he should be judged on, not whether Hermoso was later celebrating and trying to make a joke of it rather than sitting in the back of the bus crying.
You personally get to choose how you react to somebody forcibly kissing you without your consent. But you don’t get to impose your preference on how other people define sexual assault.
This (very common) dismissive attitude of “eh, such situations wouldn’t be a big deal if a bunch of snowflakes would stop throwing unnecessary fits about them and getting all traumatized by them” is one of the major societal factors in enabling rape culture. Generations of sexual assault victims have been brushed off with such dismissive remarks, and it’s not helping.
Yeah, strongly reminiscent of this:
It’s more than that - it is rape culture (or a part of it).
Absolutely.
Off topic, and I may have told you this before, but I have always admired the way you communicate with people whose views you disagree with. The empathy you display is honestly inspiring to behold.
Uhh, no, I don’t think she making a blanket statement, she was giving you permission to kiss her there and then.
The way you tell it, ISTM that she could tell how you felt about her, she felt the same way, and wanted to help you overcome your shyness.
Don’t feel too bad. I’ve had the same too-late realization, or been explicitly told later on, an embarrassingly large number of times.
Dammit, I looked to see if anyone made similar replies to this and didn’t find them. Sorry for the late redundancy.
But that Right_Hand_of_Dorkness-such a cad!
Yeesh. This should go well. (Excerpt: link follows)
Jenni Hermoso said the decision to call up players who are boycotting Spain’s women’s team was proof that “nothing has changed” at the country’s football federation (RFEF) following [the resignation of its president over the Women’s World Cup kiss scandal.
After most of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad were selected on Monday for upcoming games, the players said they would continue their boycott, which came after Luis Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation ceremony in Australia.
Should the players refuse the call-up they could face fines of up €30,000 (£26,000) and the suspension of their federation licence for two to 15 years under Spain’s Sports Act. Victor Francos, the head of Spain’s government national sports agency, told SER radio station if the players did not show up “the government must apply the law”.
Things are happening and it looks the Spanish players are still playing their cards well.
Heads are starting to roll: the General Secretary and right hand man of the former president Mr. Rubiales has been sacked, and (from the article, translated by DeepL):
Miguel García Caba, head of the RFEF’s integrity department, is the next to be dismissed. After them, the RFEF will also dispense with the services of external legal adviser Miguel González Cueto. The list of dismissals demanded by the internationals will not end here and will continue to grow with the departure of other senior management positions and employees of the RFEF.
The pressure and the psychological toll on the players is enormous, and three of the 21 have refused to join the team, to which the federation has assured them that they will not suffer repercussions.
It will be interesting to see the game against Sweden, whom they met in the half-finals in the WC one month ago. They are not nobodies (although Rolfö is injured), and the Spanish women have been distracted. But motivated too. Next Friday, the 22nd, 18:30 in my time zone. Yes, that is the day after tomorrow, 2,000 miles to the north from where they are now (Valencia). The federation blinked. The pressure for them was different, but even higher in the end.
Sweden 2 - Spain 3. Penalty kick in the 93rd minute!
The game was relevant as the Nation’s League is the qualifier tournament for the Olympic Games; starting with a win is very auspicious. And nobody will be able to say the players were distracted by their own priorities and forgot that they play to win.
And another good article by Rory Smith, from the NYT, so I gift it.
Sorry, I know the thread has moved past this, but I have tried to find this sequence of four exposures and I have had no luck. The photo I am familiar with is not the one in the Smithsonian link above, but the one where her arm is hanging down, although still with a clenched fist. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the one with her fist in his face before. I’d really like to see all four.
FIFA seems to have been concerned enough about this to award Spain and Portugal the bulk of the 2030 World Cup. Cynics might suggest holding the first three games in South America, to celebrate the centennial of the first tournament in Uruguay, is a ploy to increase the chances of another winter World Cup in 2034 by saying South America and Europe had their turn.
Update:
There is this tradition in Spain where they broadcast life the clock in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid on the night of the 31st of december: when the bell chimes twelve times at midnight the tradition is to eat twelve grapes. If you swallow all the grapes and survive it is suposed to bring good luck. Each year a couple of people choke to death, I guess that is bad luck. Those were the minutes with the biggest audience when I was young, the ads before and after “las campanadas” (the chimes) were the most expensive of the year, perhaps similar to the Big Bowl in the USA. I guess they still are.
Jenny Hermoso was invited to co-present this even from the balcony (link in Spanish) in front of the famous clock. She did well and declared to have felt honoured.
Mr. Rubiales was asked what he thought of that, and was not pleased. He was hardly able to bite his tongue, but soon stopped complaining: “Televisión Española is a public entity and it works with the taxes of all Spaniards. All this is being settled right now in the National Court and… I prefer not to give my opinion about a public entity taking a position, I prefer to stay out of it”.
Tomorrow, January 2nd, Ms Hermoso will testify under oath in front of the mentioned National Court that is investigating Mr. Rubiales behaviour. She is expected to confirm her previous statements, which have been debated in this thread already.
Do you have to swallow the grapes whole, or is chewing permitted?
Chewing is permitted, but you have to finish during the twelve seconds.
Today it is easier than in my childhood: they have seedless grapes! My mom used to peel and de-seed hers. We big boys of course scoffed at that and called it cheating.
Wow, there is even a page in English about that!
Thanks.
Also easier should you choose to attempt it in London; each of Big Ben’s ‘bongs’ takes a few seconds to deliver.