I know I said before that news of sexual harassment committed by powerful men doesn’t shock me anymore. But truth be told, the most recent one involving the “easy-going,” millennial-favorite former US Vice-President Joe Biden, who’s been branded as Obama’s fun sidekick, and even compared to a puppy due to his general agreeable-ness, genuinely surprised me.
Recently, The Cut published an essay by former Nevada lieutenant governor nominee Lucy Flores, who confessed in the article that she felt “uneasy, gross, and confused” when Biden smelled her hair and kissed the back of her head at a campaign event in 2014. Since then, several more women have come forward to accuse the former vice-president of inappropriately touching them.
Although The Guardian notes, “Not one of his accusers has called his behaviour–clasping their hands, grabbing their shoulders, touching his forehead to theirs–sexual harassment,” and “Everything has been done in full public view–there are no reports of elevator ambushes or furtive gropes,” it’s still a big deal. True, what he did was a far cry from the likes of Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, and Harvey Weinstein. But that doesn’t mean the matter can easily be dismissed.
Moreover, it’s important to note that despite not formally announcing anything yet, Biden is already being recognized as the leading presidential candidate for the upcoming 2020 elections. Everything he does is thus under a microscope and subject to intense scrutiny a hundredfold.
Following the accusations, Biden’s team thought it smart to respond by posting a two-minute video on Twitter to address the issue. In the clip, Biden says that although shaking hands, hugging, and grabbing people by the shoulder is “just who I am,” he acknowledges that “the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it… I’ll be much more mindful.” He further said that he didn’t believe he acted inappropriately during those moments. “I’ve always tried to make a human connection,” he explained. “Life is about connecting to people.”
Where’s the apology, you ask? No, it’s not that he forgot to say it. In fact, he explained later on that, “I’m not sorry for anything that I have ever done.” He insisted, “I’ve never been disrespectful intentionally to a man or a woman—that’s not the reputation I’ve had since I was in high school, for God’s sake.”
Many found it disappointing that he is talking about himself–his reputation–instead of focusing on the women and admitting his mistake. Yes, he is digging himself deeper into his own grave. And that isn’t even the end of it. At a conference of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Biden joked about the whole thing. When Biden hugged IBEW president Lonnie Stephenson as he took the stage to deliver a speech, he jokingly said, “I had permission to hug Lonnie,” to the laughter of the crowd. And at the end of his speech, he did it again. Putting his arm around a young boy and announcing, “By the way, he gave me permission to touch him.”
Okay, cringe. It was so inappropriate. He probably thought the public would find his ability to make light of the situation appealing and endearing. It’s no secret his charm worked before. Like The New Yorker wrote, “Biden’s charisma, for those who see it as such, depends on him being slightly naughty, and then on us discerning his good (or at least harmless) intentions and giving him a pass. It might feel small and cruel not to give him a pass.” But this time, being “slightly maughty” clearly was the wrong move. From “Wacky Uncle Joe,” he has quickly been baptized as “Creepy Joe” by the internet.
The thing that’s so frustrating here is that Biden was previously seen as an ally. Lucy sums it all when she said, “Given the work he has done on behalf of women, Vice-President Biden should be aware of how important it is to take personal responsibility for inappropriate behavior, and yet he hasn’t apologized to the women he made uncomfortable.” One would think, al those acts he did in favor of women, did he genuinely care, or was that all for show? His non-apology shows that he’s just like any other politician, he’s more focused on rather than empathizing with his substituents.
And this is beyond just politics. It’s proof of a deeply ingrained culture of sexism. I’m sure every woman knows a “Creepy Joe.” He’s that man who thinks it’s all fun, and never has a sense of understanding of other people’s personal space; the one who thinks since it’s just “innocent” touching, and because they’re just “naturally touchy,” women have no right to feel offended whatsoever. But like what Speaker Nancy Pelosi said regarding to the issue, “[Biden] has to understand in the world that we’re in now that people’s space is important to them, and what’s important is how they receive it and not necessarily how you intended it.”
Let’s further talk about “the world we’re in now” which Speaker Pelosi mentioned. Going back to the clip Biden posted, he said, “Social norms have begun to change, they’ve shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it.” This statement by the 76-year-old politician is basically akin to: “I get it, you guys are sensitive now. In my time, that behavior was okay.” I know this kind of thinking persists, and it’s infuriating. “But we could do it in our time” isn’t even a valid excuse(!) Lucy explained it best when she said, “Times are changing, yes, but not because once inappropriate behavior is now appropriate, but because women feel empowered to call it what it has always been–a violation of our bodily autonomy by powerful men.” Biden apologists, please take note. Really, it couldn’t be clearer than that.
Art by Marian Hukom
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