Confronting Sexual Assault in Society with Chanel Contos-Ep.22

Jason and Chris interview Chanel Contos, who has recently come to prominence to launch Australia’s me-too movement.

Chanel discusses how discussions with her friends developed into a questionnaire asking others if they had experienced sexual assault and how in 24 hours, hundreds of people said yes. She then goes into some of the cultural elements that foster these experiences--including three things contributing to toxic masculinity.

The three explore the parallels to, and the problems with, the defensive reactions to Chanel’s petition akin to the “all lives matter” responses to the “Black lives matter" movement. Chris asks Chanel how she balances out the stress and strain of processing so many painful stories. She answers that question and discusses some of the research she is currently pursuing before debunking a myth.

The three then explore the question of what can be done to make things better, including exploring the question, “is empathy teachable?” and finish up by identifying how black and white thinking contributes to the problem and how healthy intimacy can be a part of the solution. Chanel closes with a tip on how anyone can make things better.  

Listeners are welcome to read testimonies, add testimonies and sign the petition at https://www.teachusconsent.com/.