Good article about sexual paranoia in academia that applies to all life nowadays I think.
Of course, the residues of the wild old days are everywhere. On my campus, several such “mixed” couples leap to mind, including female professors wed to former students. Not to mention the legions who’ve dated a graduate student or two in their day—plenty of female professors in that category, too—in fact, I’m one of them. Don’t ask for details. It’s one of those things it now behooves one to be reticent about, lest you be branded a predator.
I miss the Wild West of the internet, the more open times of the 80s (though I don’t miss most of those times), and when generally people just weren’t as uptight and afraid as they are now.
Things weren’t perfect, but people weren’t so paranoid and insane about many things as they currently are (also related to how kids aren’t allowed to leave the house anymore — all connected.)
To be clear, I think protecting people from sexual predation is wonderful. However, 95% — if not more — of these codes are about sexual control of people and are related to the same urges religions express/depend on to control sexuality and thus people, and are based in no desire to protect anyone.
Protection is just the excuse, the canard, the, uh, insertion point.
Everyone is so afraid of everything these days. Fuck that. Just fuck that. Living in fear is like death. I pledged not to live my life that way, and I have not.
