A Pat On The Bum Is Not Assault - Joanna Lumley

23rd April 2014

She's right and as I've said before, we shouldn't go changing the laws of yesteryear.

Joanna Lumley has hit out at the wave of historic sexual assault claims against veteran TV stars, saying being ‘patted on the bottom’ is not assault.


The 67-year-old actress suggested unwanted male advances were often the fault of women who lead them on, adding: ‘It just became what men did.’

Miss Lumley’s career began as a model in the Sixties, when much of the alleged showbusiness abuse was said to have happened.

Miss Lumley began her career as a model in the Sixties, when many of the alleged abuses by showbusiness stars were said to have been carried out.

But while she defended the victims of the most serious assaults, she said many have been blown out of proportion and questioned why victims have taken so long to speak out.


She told the Times: ‘This is not dissing the women who have had their lives wrecked, although why some took 50 years to say it, I don’t know. It’s difficult.

'Of course we want people who have been raped to be treated seriously at the police station, which I don’t think they were [back then], but I think it could have gone quite far now.


‘Being patted on the bottom, no. It’s not assault.’

Miss Lumley said she was taught how to reject the advances of men by a teacher called Sister Elizabeth when she attended St Mary’s Convent School in Sussex when she was a young girl.


She said: 'She had never known a man in the biblical sense, but was tremendously wise and when we were in the fifth or sixth form, she said, "Don’t lead men on because they get to a point when they really can’t stop, and it’s not fair, so don’t do it and don’t be silly. They are different from us in that way."


‘I thought, “What a wise thing.”’


She added: ‘In those days, there used to be men whose hands would linger on your waist. That always went on. As for being insulted, you learn graceful ways to get round it.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2609203/A-pat-bum-not-assault-says-actress-Joanna-Lumley-swipe-wave-sex-claims-BBC.html#ixzz2zf1F5jhz

...mind that when your across at Flap Andy!

But in truth. We just wouldn't dream of slapping a lass on the backside , I'm not so sure they would see that as goofing,in fact it's sleazy and creepy and is a form of sexual assault if it's not wanted chief...

And I'd be fizzing if I heard someone done that to my daughter.

Not all people would appreciate a smack on the bum.

Absolutely, and it's the same kind of mindset that leads some cultures to require women to be covered in cloth from head to toe unless they're at home with their husbands.

Never ceases to amaze me how our friends on the right can decide a celebrity knows what he or she is talking about when the opinion expressed agrees with their own.

Any physical contact can be unwelcome, and just because Lumley is funny doesn't mean she's an expert in this area.

Sounds odd, but this thread actually brought back memories of when I was quite small. My Mum and Dad took my brother and I to the Ideal Homes Exhibition at Olympia. Unbeknown to me, while I was standing next to Mum holding her hand, watching a demonstration, a man had come up behind Mum and started touching her bottom. It was quite quiet, with only the demonstrator talking. My Mum didn't even turn round, but said in the loudest voice she could 'If the gentleman behind me doesn't stop touching my bottom, he is going to get a very hard slap round the chops'. The man shot away and a couple of ladies came up to her and said he had been doing the same thing to them, but they had been too embarrassed to do anything. It was a life's lesson for me, I learned in 5 minutes how not to put up with things and do something about it.

When I was in my twenties I'd say I had a lot of male attention, I never though had someone slap my arse.
Lewd comments, yes, rude comments, yes.

Did those comments bother me? Not particularly. I'm not that sensitive tbf, but if someone did smack my arse they'd have known straight away, that would be the last time - unless I fancied him of course, then I'd have bent over HAHAHAHAHA


As for claiming it was sexual harassment, only if you've asked them to stop, told them to stop, and they carry on anyway.
That's when I'd tell a superior or squeeze his balls too tightly for his own comfort   

My kind of reaction too, but I suppose it depends on the kind of person you are. A timid soul that doesn't like to make a fuss would probably be quite terrified and not know what to do.

Of course men shouldn't go around feeling ladies' bottoms, but I do think that it's something that can be dealt with at the time. I don't think it should be a issue to take someone to court over.

So I take it everyone is going to be more than happy to prosecute women for slapping mens bottoms or for hugging them which is often as much unwanted by the men as the bottom slapping is by the women.

sphinx wrote:So I take it everyone is going to be more than happy to prosecute women for slapping mens bottoms or for hugging them which is often as much unwanted by the men as the bottom slapping is by the women.

Of course ... ???

You maybe Ben - buy many, especially women, have a major problem getting their head around the idea that a woman hugging a man is just as much an invasion as a man smacking a womans bum.

sphinx wrote:You maybe Ben - buy many, especially women, have a major problem getting their head around the idea that a woman hugging a man is just as much an invasion as a man smacking a womans bum.  

A normal hug does not consist of anyone placing their hand or smacking an area such as the genitals or any other sexual area Sphinx...

To start giving that sort of behaviour the ok would only encourage perverts.

If a woman wishes to be smacked in the arse, I'm sure she will say do, people shouldn't just assume that is ok.

I take it none of you have ever been to an office Christmas do?

feelthelove wrote:I take it none of you have ever been to an office Christmas do?

I have        but can I take the 5ft,this it an American site after all.  ::smthg::

Stephenmarra wrote:

feelthelove wrote:I take it none of you have ever been to an office Christmas do?

I have        but can I take the 5ft,this it an American site after all.  ::smthg::

Do you mean the 5th???? I reckon I could have a law suit a year   Much more value taking the P tbh, 12 months of squirming for some  ::D::  

feelthelove wrote:

Stephenmarra wrote:
I have        but can I take the 5ft,this it an American site after all.  ::smthg::

Do you mean the 5th???? I reckon I could have a law suit a year   Much more value taking the P tbh, 12 months of squirming for some  ::D::  

Aye that's the one  !  Also agree with taking "P" for the 12 months , walking  on egg shells  is an understatement.   

Stephenmarra wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Do you mean the 5th???? I reckon I could have a law suit a year   Much more value taking the P tbh, 12 months of squirming for some  ::D::  

Aye that's the one  !  Also agree with taking "P" for the 12 months , walking  on egg shells  is an understatement.   

Oh dear, I dread to think. Can't  be as bad as one of my colleagues last year, he's ours to play with until next time He'd better hope for his sake someone else makes an even bigger fool of themselves     

feelthelove wrote:I take it none of you have ever been to an office Christmas do?

I've not FTL, but I wouldn't feel the need to do that to have a laugh , it's quite sleazy tbh.

I think if people are single and all know each other and are happy to do that then it's fine, but not for married people though   

Joy Division wrote:

feelthelove wrote:I take it none of you have ever been to an office Christmas do?

I've not FTL, but I wouldn't feel the need to do that to have a laugh , it's quite sleazy tbh.

I think if people are single and all know each other and are happy to do that then it's fine, but not for married people though   

It's not about having a laugh JD, it's people having too much to drink and forgetting themselves.  There is nothing in it, no sexual intention.  If there was it would be a different matter entirely  

feelthelove wrote:

Stephenmarra wrote:





Aye that's the one  !  Also agree with taking "P" for the 12 months , walking  on egg shells  is an understatement.   

Oh dear, I dread to think. Can't  be as bad as one of my colleagues last year, he's ours to play with until next time He'd better hope for his sake someone else makes an even bigger fool of themselves     

I hate to say this FTL but it's usually the lassies that regret there actions at the office do  but c'est la vie.  ::smthg::

Stephenmarra wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Oh dear, I dread to think. Can't  be as bad as one of my colleagues last year, he's ours to play with until next time He'd better hope for his sake someone else makes an even bigger fool of themselves     

I hate to say this FTL but it's usually the lassies that regret there actions at the office do  but c'est la vie.  ::smthg::

REALLY??? Not in our office, pray tell don't incriminate yourself obviously  ::D::

Joy Division wrote:

sphinx wrote:You maybe Ben - buy many, especially women, have a major problem getting their head around the idea that a woman hugging a man is just as much an invasion as a man smacking a womans bum.  

A normal hug does not consist of anyone placing their hand or smacking an area such as the genitals or any other sexual area Sphinx...

To start giving that sort of behaviour the ok would only encourage perverts.

If a woman wishes to be smacked in the arse, I'm sure she will say do, people shouldn't just assume that is ok.

Assault does not have to be sexual JD.

Just because it does not involve genitals does not mean contact is wanted or acceptable. Some people (male and female) find being hugged just as intrusive or more than being patted on the butt - do you want to stand there and tell them that their feeling of intrusion doesnt count because genitals were not involved?

Ladies

Are you all saying you have never been a judge for the " Pertyist botty award " If not you have missed some serious fun

 ::dedhrs::  ::happ::  ::ftlcheer::  :asbluras:

gerber wrote:Ladies

Are you all saying you have never been a judge for the " Pertyist botty award "  If not you have missed some serious fun

 ::dedhrs::  ::happ::  ::ftlcheer::  :asbluras:

No, I haven't Gorgeous Gerber    Damn my sheltered life

feelthelove wrote:

gerber wrote:Ladies

Are you all saying you have never been a judge for the " Pertyist botty award "  If not you have missed some serious fun

 ::dedhrs::  ::happ::  ::ftlcheer::  :asbluras:

No, I haven't Gorgeous Gerber    Damn my sheltered life

Huge fun.......................... ::happ::