The textbook definition of ‘sexual opportunism’ is the “pursuit of sexual opportunities to take advantage of certain situations”. Some would call a recent incident on an American reality show, sexual opportunism. A New York Times article reported about an episode on American Idol, where a reality show judge kissed a 19-year-old contestant on the lips. The kiss made the contestant a “tad bit uncomfortable”.
According to the NYT report, when 19-year-old Benjamin Glaze came to audition on the American Idol, he did not want to be kissed by singer-songwriter, Katy Perry. And had she asked before kissing him, he would’ve said “no”, he says.
Here’s What Happened:
A seemingly nervous Benjamin Glaze arrived for his audition on American Idol with hopes of giving a performance worthy of selection. But before that, fellow judge of the reality show, Luke Bryan jokingly asked if “he’d kissed a girl and liked it”, a nod to Perry’s song I Kissed A Girl. “I have never been in a relationship and I can’t kiss a girl without being in a relationship,” said Glaze. And Perry immediately called Glaze over for a kiss. After Glaze gave Perry an awkward peck on the cheek, she kissed him smack on the lips, catching the 19-year-old completely off-guard. So much so, that he fell to the ground. After which, he asked for some water and went on to give a lukewarm performance that did not win him the ticket to the popular show.
Although the audition happened in October, it was only aired in March. A promo of the audition was cut, with this exchange included in it.
Many are calling Perry out for her behaviour towards the male contestant and pointing out how if this situation was reversed, it would constitute sexual harassment.
In fact, it has been. Fairly recently.
Papon Controversy
The Katy Perry incident is resonant of the Papon controversy that rocked the Indian reality television industry in February 2018. Reality show mentor and judge, Papon kissed his female mentee on the mouth and called it “completely innocent” in a video shared on his official page. She was a minor who later categorically also stated that no one should “malign the relationship between a guru and a shishya”.
On 20 Feb 2018, a lawyer filed a complaint against Papon for “inappropriately kissing a minor girl”, a contestant on reality TV show, Voice of India Kids 2018.
The complainant – in a letter addressed to the chairperson of the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights – alleged that a viral video featuring Papon “has objectionable contents violating bodily integrity amounting into sexual assault on a minor girl”.
Following the complaint by the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Guwahati police has registered a case against Papon. He has also been barred from Essel Group.
Papon himself tweeted that following the controversy, he was in "no mental state to fulfill most of my professional obligations" and so he stepped down as the judge of singing reality show The Voice India Kids.
The Other Party
But throughout this process, the parents of the children of The Voice India Kids‘ show stood by Papon. They even released a video declaring the singer’s innocence. In the video, they have gone ahead and called him a “godly” personality, and said “Papon is not wrong”. They ended the 20-minute video with “We love you, Papon sir”.
Similarly, even Glaze clarified that he was not “complaining” against Perry. And his “true intentions are not accurately represented in every article”.
Here’s what Glaze also said:
“I should have picked another song to sing and calmed myself down regardless of the kiss. I should have been able to perform under pressure. I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry and I am thankful for the judges comments and critiques. I was uncomfortable in a sense of how I have never been kissed before and was not expecting it.”
In the era of #MeToo and #TimesUp, Perry’s move does not bode well. And if the Aziz Ansari case teaches us anything, it’s that whatever might have been the “norm”, such acts do not necessarily become okay.
What also differentiates the Papon and Perry incidents is that - in the former’s case - he kissed a minor and that makes the act that much more condemnable.
This is the time when the entertainment industry is realigning what constitutes normal, as well as the grey areas of “consenting adults”. If anything, the Perry incident brings women to the forefront of the debate as well. This is not a step back, but another layer of the nuanced debate that the Harvey Weinstein scandal has opened up.
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