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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think it serves them right

44 replies

Kitsichick · 26/01/2011 18:00

,,,mostly Andy Gray- he seems most upset that he was caught not that he did it and hints at 'dark forces!' presumably his own stupidity. As a woman who has worked most of her life in a male dominated industry it is true that twenty five years ago this would have been seen as a 'joke' and the woman told to 'get over it love'.

One colleague of mine in an Ad agency was on the phone when one of the male directors- back from a liquid lunch, stuck his hand RIGHT up her skirt and INSIDE her knickers while muttering 'lets stroke little pussy'!

I was AGHAST - she and I were both 25. I felt she should have slapped him, reported him and gone to the police. She stood on his foot hard and said 'get off me' without even interrupting her phone call. I was even more horrified at that as she was a newly married Indian girl I had always thought of as quite shy.

She later told me she oculdn't possibly report it as it would have brought shame on her family. I made sure every time we gave him a cup of tea from then on- one of us spat in it. I know its childish but it made me feel better for her.

So I am GLAD companies seem to no longer tolerate this sort of blokey nehaviour which is actully bullying apart from anything else.
But some of my friends feel he was 'just joking' and should be let off. What do other people think? What kind of working world do you want for your kids?

OP posts:
narkypuffin · 26/01/2011 18:08
Hmm
herladyship · 26/01/2011 18:11

who is andy gray & what did he do??

bubblewrapped · 26/01/2011 18:13

I dunno tbh... he made a risque suggestive remark to a woman who is today happily posing in the papers in a very skimpy bikini... he didnt touch her.

Lovetheskinurine · 26/01/2011 18:13

I don't think there is a place for such joking in the modern workplace. I couldn't stand the man anyway so I must admit to a certain amount of schadenfreude in regard to this issue. It annoys me that the smug, fat, old and sexist dinosaurs have a place in broadcasting when lots of older, professional female people in the industry are getting the push.

I'm glad that this kind of thing is being highlighted at the moment and that it isn't being tolerated.

Kitsichick · 26/01/2011 18:23

It is headline news today, He is a very well paid sky reporter of sports and he was video'd shoving his mic, down his trousers and asking the female presenter (much younger than him) to tuck it in for him. When she did not respond he asked her again. He was also heard asking colleagues would they 'give her one' and did they 'shatter' (have sex with ) her? A lovely bloke!

OP posts:
Kitsichick · 26/01/2011 18:25

and the pic of the paper n her bikini was unconnected with the story - she wasn't #happily posing' for this story- they had got the pic of her on holiday some years ago from soemwhere. And ANYWAY- what are you saying Bubble? That that would make it okay for him to be so rude to her? I don't buy it!

OP posts:
herladyship · 26/01/2011 19:29

he sounds charming, what a lucky girl to be receiving his attentions Hmm

wukter · 26/01/2011 19:33

what's the Hmm face for Puffin?

BlueCollie · 26/01/2011 19:39

Didn't he say that women shouldn't referee because they don't know the off-side rule??? This was during the Liverpool game at the weekend. Anyway I met that woman who was refereeing(can't spell it) a couple of years ago and she has worked damn hard to be able to referee at that level in a very male dominated workforce. Glad he got sacked as he sounds like a total prick!

kittybuttoon · 27/01/2011 12:00

Either he or his colleague said there were 'dark forces' at work, as if there was some sort of conspiracy to out them as sexist old gimmers.

Give it large, dark forces, say I!!

JBellingham · 27/01/2011 12:14

I don't think he said it live on air, it seems to have been a private conversation. I am unsure of the exact details (dont follow sport) but it seems harsh to sack someone for giving their views in a private conversation just because he was wearing a microphone. Who overheard him and took exception?

slug · 27/01/2011 12:15

The "dark forces" in question being the women who have been submitted to his sexist bullshit at work one hopes Wink

BlueFergie · 27/01/2011 12:20

Do you know what annoys me the most about all this? The attitude from Gray, Keys and all their horrible ilk that its all just a joke and a bit of a laugh and that women should just suck it up. It basically puts pressure on women to laugh at and shrug off this sexist behaviour or else they are not up to being in the workplace.
Its a despicable attitude and shouldn't be tolerated especially in male dominated areas were it is hard enough to break through

Olderkidsaremine · 27/01/2011 12:24

Companies still accept this 'bullying' behaviour, at our Christmas office do one older man asked if I was going to do a 'deep throat' impersonation when I picked up a chicken kebab on a skewer, when I repeated the remark my line manager said 'oh you know what xxxx is like'. However I had a lot worse said to me when I was teenager working in a bank and so just ignored it. My daughters hopefully would make a complaint and they would be justified to!

According to the tabloids Andy Gray is a bit slimey - to say the least - and after talking to someone who knows him they confirm that they haven't got it that far wrong.

MyMamaToldMe · 27/01/2011 12:24

Agree with BlueFergie.

And Shock {angry] at your male director OP!

thefurryone · 27/01/2011 12:28

slug that's exactly what I've been wondering, if the women at sky just got sick to the back teeth of having to work the misogynist arseholes.

JBellingham · 27/01/2011 12:32

If they knew the microphones were on and other people could hear it is unnaceptable, if they did not know it is a private chat and no-one elses business.

beijingaling · 27/01/2011 12:35

Pre mn I would have said that it was a private chat and should be treated as such. Now I think that it doesn't matter where it was said. Men will only know comments like this aren't acceptable if there is zeo tolerance!

theoriginalscrummymummy · 27/01/2011 12:38

It's the poor girl's workplace, so it doesn't matter if it was recorded or not. She was not impressed at all. As for the point about her posing in a bikini? So what?

theoriginalscrummymummy · 27/01/2011 12:38

and I am well pleased they are gone. Ha.

JBellingham · 27/01/2011 12:39

So if someone eavesdrops on a private conversation while I am being misogynistic, racist or calling electric cars then I should be censured for it? What next? Thoughtcrime? It is all about context, people are allowed to have moronic views.

ginnny · 27/01/2011 12:40

The pair of them give me the creeps. I'm glad they got fired.
The whole 'offside rule' conversation could have been a bit lighthearted and on its own I don't think was that bad, but the conversation with jamie Rednap about "did you smash it?" was vile and I'm so glad that my future husband Jamie looked a bit uncomfortable with it and didn't respond.
As for the microphone down the trousers gag Hmm - that was just disgusting and I would have fired him for that alone.

mozette · 27/01/2011 12:43

The 'dark forces' are probably the fact that he is, i think, suing the NoTW for phone tapping and Murdoch has seen this as a way to get shot of him.

I think its interesting the amount of stuff that has been leaked - someone in Sky Sports must have it in for them.

I don't see the remarks to the girl presenter as a private chat - its a workplace and no matter if it is a TV Studio or a shop floor no-one should be spoken to like that.

JBellingham · 27/01/2011 12:46

I dont know about all the other stuff, sounds reasonable to sack them, but being disciplined for private conversations sounds a bit over the top.

JBellingham · 27/01/2011 12:48

I obviously don't know enough about this so I will shut my gob :)

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