Mayim Bialik Should Apologize for Apologizing

With the Harvey Weinstein scandal all over the news recently, many people have come out on social media to speak on sexual harassment and assault. Obviously, the vast majority of sane humans is against such atrocious behavior. But probably the most important outcome from all this is increased awareness of just how pervasive this behavior is throughout our society, particularly the workplace.

Adding her own two cents and sharing her experiences on this hot-button topic, actress Mayim Bialik penned an opinion piece published in The New York Times. In it, she describes how her "self-protecting and wise" choices and behavior have contributed, along with what she terms her "non-traditional" physical appearance, to her steering clear of the kinds of encounters suffered by women who may dress provocatively and "act flirtatiously."

Naturally, there was a backlash by victims of sexual harassment and assault and their advocates who make the most important point of all: sexual harassment and assault is always the perpetrator's fault and never the victim's fault. That is 100% true. Period. Full stop.

But while asserting that victims are always blameless is certainly a valid point, that doesn't mean that Ms. Bialik's point is not valid. In fact, in her essay, she points out how "women should be free to act however they want" in a "perfect" world. And that's true! In a perfect world, anyone and everyone should be free to act however they want: free to walk down a dark alley in a crime-ridden neighborhood in the middle of the night; free to wear blue in Bloods gang territory; free to pet a rattlesnake. Sure, in a "perfect" world, we should be free to do any of those things. But the fact is, our world is far from perfect, and while a woman does not deserve to be sexually harassed or assaulted no matter how provocatively she dresses or how flirtatiously she acts, engaging in certain behaviors can certainly be misinterpreted by men blinded by hormones, wealth, power, or a lethal combination of all three.

So, in essence, Mayim Bialik should apologize for apologizing. Or rather, she should not have apologized at all, because the points she made in her opinion piece are perfectly valid and appropriate.