Is He On The Island?



This tweet and article are both published by Ann Friedman, one of my favorite commentators on workplace harassment and toxic masculinity. In this article, she talks about code phrases her and her fellow female coworkers came up with to expose the inappropriate men around them. She talks about an island in which all the disgusting and creepy men in her office are now stranded, doomed to only harass each other for eternity. Although obviously just a wishful dream of hers, it's a coping mechanism the women of her office use, not only to let off steam, but to warn other women. If a man is lumped in with the group who routinely harass the women of the office, he is deemed "one of those stuck on the island". This is a great example of how women have adapted to this society shaped by toxic masculinity and rape culture, to protect one another in ways that don't threaten their careers or professional relationships but still allow them to look out for problematic behavior.