New accusations of sexual misconduct are popping up almost daily against entertainers and politicians, but University of Denver political science professor Dr. Nancy Wadsworth says it’s not because this is a new thing.
“I think it has long been a problem in our culture,” Wadsworth told Nicole Brady on this weekend’s Politics Unplugged. “I think it’s never not been a problem in our culture.”
Wadsworth says what has changed is how fast and how far the accusations can spread.
“There have been times when women have come forward in light of a particularly visible public accusation against Clarence Thomas or Bill Clinton in the 90s,” she said. “I think the scale of women speaking out is different. Social media, the internet provide new avenues to talk about.”
The professor says the public figures who seem to bounce back the best from these accusations are those who own up.
“We have seen many, many examples of celebrities accused of sexual abuse coming back and not being hurt at all, from the current U.S. President on down,” Wadsworth said. “But I think the consensus may be changing about how easy that is and ready the public is to kinda readmit people.”
Politics Unplugged airs Sundays at 4:30 a.m. and 4pm on Denver7.