There is a controversy in the United Kingdom where Alexander Carter-Silk, 57, the head of Brown Rudnick’s intellectual property group in Europe, has been accused from scores of critics of being a sexist, misogynistic monster. His offense? Carter-Silk had received a LinkedIn contact for Charlotte Proudman, 27. He responded by writing that he thought her photo was “stunning.” That led Proudman, a human-rights lawyer, to denounce his “unacceptable and misogynistic behavior” for complimenting the picture.
Carer-Silk wrote: “Charlotte, delighted to connect. I appreciate that this is probably horrendously politically incorrect but that is a stunning picture !!! You definitely win the prize for the best LinkedIn picture I have ever seen. Always interested to understand people’s skills and how we might work together.”
Proudman was outraged and responded that it was indeed horrendous: “I find your message offensive. I am on LinkedIn for business purposes, not to be approached about my physical appearance or to be objectified by sexist men. The eroticization of women’s physical appearance is a way of exercising power over women. It silences women’s professional attributes as their physical appearance becomes the subject. Unacceptable and misogynistic behavior. Think twice before sending another woman (half your age) such a sexist message.”
Carter-Silk said that he was actually not commenting on any sexual allure but “professional quality of the presentation on LinkedIn, which was unfortunately misinterpreted.” He explained that “Most people post pretty unprofessional pictures on LinkedIn.” From Proudman’s perspective, the reference to her appearance was both transparent and demeaning.
The controversy reflects growing conflicts over compliments in the workplace that are perceived dramatically differently. Critics raise the question of whether Carter-Silk would have commented on the appearance of a man in a similar photo. The photo after all is not particularly remarkable. Yet, Carter-Silk insists that he was only commenting on a striking image and not conveying any sexist attitude. Even if one was not inclined to accept his explanation, is complimenting a photo as “stunning” prima facie evidence of sexism?
What do you think?
Guys… Keep it in your pants or put it out there on TINDER…
http://www.wwaytv3.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/kim-davis-mugshot-cnn-e1441368674968.jpg
Maybe she should’ve posted a full frontal, like this one? Much pulchritude, lol.
It’s pretty shitty behaviour for a professional venue like LinkedIn. I’m not surprised she went off at him.
Jeez, what a lot of hysteria over this.
“Yet, Carter-Silk insists that he was only commenting on a striking image and not conveying any sexist attitude. ‘
The cropping, the turn of the head, the lighting to model the dimensions of the cheeks all work to present a photo more like an actors head shot or a glamour shot, not a business photo.
It is a striking photo that stands out from the usual fare in business magazines and, likely, on Linkedin as well.
If you want to tell people you are selling expertise use a flatly lit, full frontal photo like the one of Carter-Silk. If you are trying to influence people with a glamour shot why complain when they notice?
Apparently she thinks it is OK to try to influence us with her pulchritude but we should be gentleman enough not to mention it.
This is the just the same old shit moved over to the World Wide Web. Back then, if you held the door open for the wrong woman, oh my God! You’re a sexist ass! Now it’s a perfectly reasonable compliment that was likely offered mainly as an ice breaker. This woman is a shrieking harpy who probably enjoys the Internet because it provides her more opportunities to pounce on imaginary slights. She might be mildly pretty, but there’s nothing attractive about her. Sad thing is, she won’t make life any easier for the 98 percent of women who don’t mind a casual compliment now and then. Who will dare to make one?
Some individuals need a thicker skin…..
In some ways it appears she made, as we used to say, a Career Limiting MoveTM
http://www.legalcheek.com/2015/09/boss-of-top-legal-aid-firm-vows-to-never-instruct-linkedin-message-barrister-charlotte-proudman-again/
Awwww Nick, Thank you… 😀
I wish I was more awake,. I just woke up for a moment, and saw the update,
and through very foggy eyes and brain, I had to comment. 😀
Ash,
you said it perfectly!!!
“But then she is a feminist and a feminist scold and based on her twitter page she clearly believes in utter crap like “rape, prostitution & pornography are problems of male dominance””
Quite frankly, girlfriend could use a session with Mistress Spanks-A-Lot. 😀
She is wound a little too tight.
and Daren, you hit the nail on the head… she sure did show her self, and many people
will NOT be attracted to her: “I hate men, and blame them for women’s shortcomings” type attitude.
It is women like her, who will blame men for women wearing makeup, and wearing high heels
and for the impossible beauty standards that women feel pressure to achieve.
Of course, she is not smart enough to realize, that it is women who put these pressures on one another,
it is in order to compete,
it is in our GENES… it is our nature, just like animals, to have the
best assets so we can attract a partner, so we can mate.
It is women who put these pressures on OTHER WOMEN.
Women find the highly made up stick figure attractive…
Men, in POLL after POLL like curvy women who are natural, not a lot of makeup.
BUT, of course, she blames men for EVERYTHING in the world.
Christ on a Cracker, I hate Feminists like her.
I find it ironic, that she used a sexy photo of herself in her profile.
Lastly, yes, it is a little bit sexist that people always comment on how a women looks
before they comment on what she does or her success, HOWEVER, Alex Carter-Silk, did not deserve that
kind of flogging for his comment.
If I were him, I would have replied with the following:
Dear Miss Full Of Herself,
I am sorry you took offense to what I said, and THOUGHT I was complimenting
your looks. I was in fact, complimenting the photography.
Anybody who can make you look somewhat decent, deserves a medal.
I said THE PHOTO was stunning, NOT YOU.
anyway, sorry for the confusion.
JAG, LOL! You would eat this witch for breakfast!!
Good grief. Much ado over nothing.
This is typical lawyer conduct. The law is written for lawyers and their pocketbooks, and it is they and their self serving laws that have so corrupted humankind. Some day people will wake up to the source of their ills, and lawyers, and their conniving brother politicians, will visit with Madam DeFarge.
That guy must get outside very little. There’s nothing “stunning” about her and/or her image. Compared to my mom at age 27, the attorney looks like burnt dog food.
Is she a pre-op TS?
I read what she wrote to him…
and I quote: “The Eroticisation of women’s physical appearance is a way of
exercising power over women.”
LOL… hahahahahaha… hehehehe… ROTFLMFAO!!!! 😀
When I get done laughing my ars off, and don’t have laugh tears streaming down my face,
I will come back and comment further.
It’s a bit of an over-reaction. Not only that but her actions, while many might consider an appropriate response, are going to in many other people foster the belief that starting a business or employment relationship with Ms. Proudman could be risky, due to this kind of outburst. They might also believe that she could be a liability.
If the intent of utilizing LinkedIn is for professional networking responses such as hers are going to be unsettling to many, many who might consider going to another person that is less controversial.
should’ve said “stunningly professional”
I think:
1. The lawyer’s apology was a lame not-pology
2. Everyone in the software industry at least knows that linked in is for professional wh*reing, and that 99% of contacts are by a**holes who don’t know you trying to get you to change jobs only so they can earn a commission. It’s a worthless network.
3. She contacted him, then when he responded in a way she found she didn’t like she went nuclear on his butt: not just social media shaming him, but apparently she says she will file complaints with I guess their version of the bar or the ethics committee.
4. I think this is gross overkill and I find it appalling anyone would describe her as a human rights lawyer
5. But then she is a feminist and a feminist scold and based on her twitter page she clearly believes in utter crap like “rape, prostitution & pornography are problems of male dominance”
I find it ironic she keeps her last name of “Proudman”, she clearly is a misandrist, a man hater.
In other words, she’s a jerk.
You have to remember that beauty is only skin deep.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Beauty is on the inside.
Must I go on? You get the idea by now.
I think she is a dog’s mother. And, she better hope Trump doesn’t read about this kerfuffle.