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AIBU?

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Original poster

John Barrowman put his dick on co-star's shoulder

442 replies

Star555 · 08/05/2021 01:22

John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness has (had?) been my all-time favourite Doctor Who character. I knew JB has a history of indecently exposing himself on set multiple times, but today I learned that he not only exposed his dick repeatedly but also non-consensually touched fellow actors with it -- like Camille Coduri (who played Rose Tyler's mum)!

AIBU to think that he got away with this only because he is gay? If he had been straight, wouldn't non-consensually putting his dick on his female co-star's body from behind have landed him loads of trouble already? I was utterly shocked to watch the video -- I don't know how I should be feeling after learning that my favourite Doctor Who actor behaved in this despicable manner. Shock

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ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere · 08/05/2021 19:42

Torchwood’s fictional morals were all over the shop from day one when one of our heroes was introduced in a nightclub using alien technology to brainwash someone into having sex with them and it was all edgy grown-up fun.

zizl · 08/05/2021 19:43

@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

Torchwood’s fictional morals were all over the shop from day one when one of our heroes was introduced in a nightclub using alien technology to brainwash someone into having sex with them and it was all edgy grown-up fun.
I forgot about that. I used to be obsessed with Torchwood, don't know if I could watch it again now.
LillianGish · 08/05/2021 19:45

I think that Jonathan Ross clip from a few years ago is really interesting (with the anecdote about JB playing the piano with his penis) and tells us quite a lot. JB and JR clearly finding it absolutely hilarious with no indication that anyone might find anything about JB's behaviour amiss. The audience are laughing along - I'm not sure of the date is it pre Jimmy Savile? Andrew Lloyd-Webber not so much and clearly he'd sent JB a letter of complaint at the behest of someone in the cast (possibly the piano player himself), but JB literally doesn't give a toss and quite simply doesn't see anything wrong - he just thinks it's funny. It seems no-one (until now) has ever had the balls (excuse the pun) to tell JB it's not funny and it's curious that there are even people on this thread who have met JB and been so well groomed by him that they can't see anything wrong. Anyone on here hearing about his behaviour for the first time is quite rightly appalled - think about it for a moment, would any of us find it amusing if some bloke stood behind us, whipped out his dick and rested it on our shoulder? The fact that it's JB is neither here nor there - it's just unacceptable however you look at it. It's no different to flashing - indeed I'd say it's a step up from that. Why are people making excuses for this man?

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 08/05/2021 20:22

@longwayoff

Apologies *@TheQueef*, I feel Jarvis Cocker should have had an humanitarian award, or possibly the Turner Prize, for that one act. Bursting so many pomposity bubbles at once. An achievement of the highest order.
Me too. You don't get grounded celebs calling out BS like that anymore.

He got arrested for that stunt IIRC

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Star555 · 08/05/2021 20:30

@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

Torchwood’s fictional morals were all over the shop from day one when one of our heroes was introduced in a nightclub using alien technology to brainwash someone into having sex with them and it was all edgy grown-up fun.
I didn't personally like this either and I don't want to sound like I'm defending it, but do keep in mind that this scene (where Owen uses alien technology to seduce a woman and her boyfriend) was part of a sequence of scenes illustrating each member of the Torchwood team (except Jack, and before Gwen joined) flouting the official code of conduct by taking home a piece of alien tech and doing something wrong with it. Toshiko takes home a book reader thing and uses it on her personal collection. Suzie takes home the glove and resurrects dead flies.

The deliberate message conveyed in this scene sequence was that each person was indeed doing something wrong and unprofessional. So the audience is not supposed to view Owen's actions as "fun" and inoffensive, but rather as a clear transgression of professional duty.

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Star555 · 09/05/2021 00:36

@Star555

Can someone please start a petition to Parliament calling for John Barrowman to be stripped of his MBE? You have to be in the UK to start one (I'm not.) Please share it on Mumsnet!
Somebody in the UK please make a petition! It will send a strong message, if nothing else.
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justawoman76 · 09/05/2021 09:06

I thought Jarvis Cocker was wonderful for doing that TBH. MJ was a complete knob acting like that and JC called him out on it. Can't believe he was arrested for it! Just goes to show the air of invincibility that MJ thought he had (I am your Saviour, worship at my feet, I'm practically Jesus). I'm glad he was made to look like a fool. And I guess JB (or anyone) who is constantly fawned over eventually feels that they can do anything they want and get away with it.
JB comes across as a smarmy and conceited arse. It's a shame if in real life (according to a previous poster) he isn't.

Meltinthemiddle · 09/05/2021 09:19

It's disgusting and I would be disgusted and embarrassed if someone did that to me at work. Gay, straight or whatever its unprofessional in the workplace. He's a attention seeker anyway and now gives me the creeps.

OwlBeThere · 09/05/2021 13:11

I’m excusing nothing...I’m just not assuming anything.

Meltinthemiddle · 09/05/2021 13:36

I would expect that sort humor on a night out maybe depending on the company. I can't say I've had a sudden urge to whip my tits or fanny flaps out at work for a laugh!

Hobnobswantshernameback · 09/05/2021 13:38

If I exposed my genitals in work I would be sacked
If I exposed my genitals in the street I'd be arrested
Have we sunk so low that anyone can justify this as "humour "

TheQueef · 09/05/2021 13:40

I'm glad Jarvis is still OK legend and others find it funny.

I was doing some mental gymnastics there!

longwayoff · 09/05/2021 14:01

I think Jarvis should be offered a stroll through on Doctor Who. He could definitely cast a sardonic eye over the lot of them and might even disrupt the space time continuum. And I bet he could do it without dropping his pants.

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 09/05/2021 14:03

There's never a bad time to tell everyone how much of a fittie Jarvis Cocker still is 😍

John Barrowman put his dick on co-star's shoulder
JemimaJoy · 09/05/2021 14:20

This was a 'thing' for a while when I was a teen/early 20s growing up (I'm only 30 now so not so long ago). A few boys did this to (mostly) each other, sometimes a few of us girls. It was a prank, non-sexual, everyone had a laugh and moved on. Not everything is harrassment/abuse, although everyone seems to say it is these days!

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 09/05/2021 14:22

@JemimaJoy how many times did you get your vulva out and rub it on other women and men?

It's not up to you to decide if someone else finds it harassment. When I was in my early 20's I wasn't as outspoken as I am now, if that happened to me I'd have smiled and gritted my teeth lest I be considered sad or prudish

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 09/05/2021 14:22

But I'd have hated it

flashylamp · 09/05/2021 14:48

This was a 'thing' for a while when I was a teen/early 20s growing up (I'm only 30 now so not so long ago)

'A thing'

Fucking hell.

This is not and never has been a fucking thing. If it was common among your circle of contacts I would suggest that you didn't choose friends wisely.

RickiTarr · 09/05/2021 15:14

@JemimaJoy

This was a 'thing' for a while when I was a teen/early 20s growing up (I'm only 30 now so not so long ago). A few boys did this to (mostly) each other, sometimes a few of us girls. It was a prank, non-sexual, everyone had a laugh and moved on. Not everything is harrassment/abuse, although everyone seems to say it is these days!
I am honestly trying to think of the polite way to say that you clearly haven’t left your adolescence fully behind yet if you think that.

I’m failing.

3scape · 09/05/2021 15:16

It's just a shame that a story about John's flaccid cock won't be enough to damage his career ..... although I see he has made good effort by making a non apology and referred to his behaviour as "Tomfoolery". Yeah. Of course it wasHmm. I'm sure whenever straight men have waved their cocks at me because they thought I needed to see it (They believed me to be gay) they thought it was 'just' a joke too. Hi lar rious

ThatIsMyPotato · 09/05/2021 15:27

@JemimaJoy

This was a 'thing' for a while when I was a teen/early 20s growing up (I'm only 30 now so not so long ago). A few boys did this to (mostly) each other, sometimes a few of us girls. It was a prank, non-sexual, everyone had a laugh and moved on. Not everything is harrassment/abuse, although everyone seems to say it is these days!
Did you all mutually consent to this "thing"?
3scape · 09/05/2021 15:41

It's so key isn't it? Consent. EVEN if this was a private mutually OK joke between Camille and Barrowman suddenly 'performing' this way in front of actors and production crew demonstrates a massive contempt for people's boundaries. Bit I haven't even seen any sort of "oh it was a joke" from Camille. Or did I miss it?

FictionalCharacter · 09/05/2021 16:08

“She doesn’t seem bothered” - this is what women do to survive in some industries and workplaces.

Another man fixated on his dick. Disappointing.

Codgercockles · 09/05/2021 16:12

Two of my close friends worked on Doctor Who and Torchwood. One said at the time that she was disturbed by John Barrowman constantly exposing himself and that he tended to do it to the young, straight men. The other had been asked to check out a funny smell in JB's winnebago. When he entered JB exposed his penis and laughed. There was no smell. My friend turned on his heels and walked out. He didn't complain he said as he was freelance and may not have got booked again. To me, it's flashing in plain sight.

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Star555 · 09/05/2021 16:59

@3scape

It's so key isn't it? Consent. EVEN if this was a private mutually OK joke between Camille and Barrowman suddenly 'performing' this way in front of actors and production crew demonstrates a massive contempt for people's boundaries. Bit I haven't even seen any sort of "oh it was a joke" from Camille. Or did I miss it?
Exactly. JB's behaviour would only be "acceptable" if he explicitly asked for consent -- "Is it ok if I show/touch you with my dick now?" before doing it every time, or had a prior written/verbal blanket agreement with every single cast/crew member to the effect: "I hereby give John Barrowman the unqualified right to expose his dick in my presence and touch me with it, regardless of time, place and the presence of others."

I highly doubt that such a mutual agreement was ever in place.

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