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Robin Quivers

Robin Quivers

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Men

Posted: 06/ 7/11 08:39 AM ET

Can anyone tell me why so many famous and powerful men decide not only to take pictures of their private parts but to text, tweet and email them to people?

How many men have to be caught before men actually learn from the guys who have gone before?

This time it's Congressman Anthony Weiner. Here was a successful politician, a rising star in the Democratic Party and a possible candidate for mayor of New York in the next election. He had a really bright future, but there was a camera built into his phone and he just couldn't help himself. He had to strip down and take a few pictures.

Others who have succumbed to this temptation include Tiger Woods, Brett Favre and former Congressman Chris Lee. Lee resigned after his photo -- which was very similar to some of those tweeted by Anthony Weiner -- went public. Weiner has decided to try to ride out the storm and the pundits are busy debating if he can survive.

At least he appeared at his press conference to announce that he has been lying to us for the last 10 days alone. I am thankful there was no dutiful wife standing just off to the side looking as though she had been hit by a truck, still reeling from the news. Weiner apologized to her and then threw her under a bus. He said she knew about his sexcapades. He said he has been doing this for about three years, which means he was indulging his internet fantasies before and during his marriage. Am I really supposed to believe that this was all happening with his wife's knowledge and consent? Puhleeze.

Me thinks that the congressman is still lying. The congressman is a liar; how am I supposed to believe anything this man says? He did not want to go into detail about his relationships with what he says is six different women. He wants us to believe he realizes that what he did was wrong and that he is going back to work and he is going to work on being a better man. He became emotional while referring to his wife and their families.

I think the congressman is upset, embarrassed and remorseful. He is upset that he got caught. He is embarrassed that we now know his dirty little secret and he regrets the loss of the pristine image he had painted, wrapped and sold to us for the last 14 years.

I don't think what Congressman Weiner did was so awful. What makes me angry is being deceived. I hate not trusting the people who represent me and who make our laws. You want that job? Then really stand for something. Don't just offer me lip service. It would be so refreshing at a time like this if this wasn't just another exercise in damage control.

By the way, there is no way we can have a Mayor Weiner at this point in time. Digital pictures on the internet are forever. Sorry.

 
 
 
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05:35 PM on 06/13/2011
No one can control something as natural and powerful as the sexual urge. Those who say otherwise do not really have them anyway. Some people are natural exhibitionist willing to give in to the urge at a moment notice. Those who don't won't admit the urge is there are afraid they might enjoy and lose control. My personal opinion is to punish him since it was not appropriate this to do what he did is not acceptable in a moral society.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
09:23 AM on 06/17/2011
I'm okay with your comment until you get to the "punish" part. And where is this "moral society" you speak of? Surely you don't mean American society. When has American society ever been "moral"?
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captainigor
are we having fun yet??
08:57 PM on 06/12/2011
Breitbart is dirty in this whole mess!! Really!

He will be brought down, one way or another.
10:11 PM on 06/12/2011
So a congressman does the deed, sends the pics, etc. and you blame Breitbart, how quaint. Weiner did it to himself.
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AkiraBergman
07:26 PM on 06/12/2011
"Can anyone tell me why so many famous and powerful men... "

Because good men do not aspire to be famous and powerful.
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Brigette
The history of liberty is the historyof resistance
06:28 PM on 06/12/2011
I agree with you, Robin. I see many comments on this thread about how males just act that way and women should get over it. I'm guessing his defenders have done the same thing themselves (not to mention that this the divorce section and there are many angry people here). There are many good men in this world who don't behave that way. And if it's power and stress that's the excuse, one need look no further than our president, who has been married to the same woman for 17 years, as an example. If there's someone under more stress than he is, I'd love to know who they are. This behavior doesn't make him simply a man, it makes him simply pathetic.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
09:58 AM on 06/17/2011
You miss the point. I don't defend what Weiner did. Weiner has acted at least foolishly and stupidly. But for this "scandal" to have gotten drummed up into a full fledged, 24/7 campaign to oust him from office is indicative of how utterly shallow and sick and mindless is American political discourse and values in this insane country.

None of the politicians who have been responsible for warrantless spying on American citizens, illegal invasions and occupation, torture and any number of other outrageous violations of both established law and the Constitution have ever been held accountable for their actions. However, let some Congress critter get stupid about sex (and in this instance there was no sex involved) and the self-involved, self-righteous keepers of the American morals over all things sexual, rises up and insists that nothing less than the Republic is at stake. It's absurd.
05:55 PM on 06/12/2011
First of all, Robin, you're stance is redundant amongst women writing commentaries or guesting on talk shows, on this subject. So, uhm 'yawn', Moving on.

It's hard to for women to understand the pride a guy feels in his privates, cause women don't have the same equipment. Maybe that's another thought you should have before writng such an opinion. You do have shoes, though, right? What's the big fuss about shoes and shoe shopping and oohing and aahing over shoes with other women? I have feet, I wear shoes, but I don't just don't quite get the big deal that women express over shoes. Possibly if you had mens 'private part', maybe you wouldn't be spending so much money shopping for shoes.

There are a lot of similarities of men and women, but then there are obvious differences, too. For you to take on such a commentary, perhaps you should have men's private parts to fully be the expert to write a commentary. Of course this is just a suggestion.
07:14 PM on 06/12/2011
WTF
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ekstatik
Granfalloon-free!
09:51 PM on 06/12/2011
Exactly.
11:13 PM on 06/12/2011
Possibly you don't see my point.
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Katherine Schock
Over the hill,liberal,organic gardener
08:30 PM on 06/12/2011
So what you are saying is that men just cant help but show their "private parts" to the world because they are proud of them? Thanks to Mother Nature for making me a woman! Old joke...little boy says to little girl, look at what I've got here, bet you wish you had one of these! Nope, says the little girl, with what I've got, I can have ALL of those that I want! Thanks for the laugh!
11:13 PM on 06/12/2011
Not really saying that Katherine. That's a blanket statement. Not all men like putting themselves out there for public view. I think most guys will remember their adolescent days at schools after phys ed and the showers, quietly comparing themselves with others. It's natural. But your sense of humor and rational is great.
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spinmas
04:40 PM on 06/12/2011
so men are the only players in this game of showing~~~I don't think so~~nothing thrives in a vacuum~~
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Edward Standley
opinionated jerk
07:46 PM on 06/12/2011
Agree. It's just that some people's (men's and women's) sexuality never progresses past that of an adolescent.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
09:20 AM on 06/17/2011
Most. Most don't progress.... and it isn't just sexuality that is regressive. People stop growing and so end up with pieces of themselves missing. Some have no brains. Some have no heart. Some have no genitals. Parts go missing. We conform. We adapt. We withdraw. It takes enormous amounts of courage to live wholly.

"We're all hopelessly oppressed cowards of some duality." - Joni Mitchell
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Stoopid American
Trooth, justice, and the American way ...
03:58 PM on 06/12/2011
"Can anyone tell me why so many famous and powerful men decide not only to take pictures of their private parts but to text, tweet and email them to people?"

It is not just a behavior of famous/powerful men. It is a behavior of a whole lot of men of all walks of life. I will also point out that it is increasingly something women do as well, though not nearly to the same scale.
nothingchanges
too soon old, too late smart
02:16 PM on 06/12/2011
I hesitate to post this, and it will probably be moderated out, but there is a very old joke that answers the question about why men resort to this kind of behavior.

A young mother is bathing her three year old son when he points to his testicles and asks "Mommy, are these my brains?"

Her reply................................................."Not Yet".

Pretty well sums it up.
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busterkeaton
02:45 PM on 06/12/2011
Is that why female teachers have sex with their male students on occasion? But I suppose that would be the male students fault? Oh wait. Maybe we're all just too darn human...
03:59 PM on 06/12/2011
Being human means you use your brain in ways that other animals don't.
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Ariel Bonzai
Naked is the best disguise.
09:15 PM on 06/12/2011
It does appear to move both ways now, doesn't it? This is our dysfunctional excuse for equality? Some sexual revolution.
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Katherine Schock
Over the hill,liberal,organic gardener
08:34 PM on 06/12/2011
Fanned for making me laugh so hard I almost fell off my chair!
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bonkin
01:41 PM on 06/12/2011
In the words of Bill Clinton "I did it because I could." All men do as they please, though not always on Twitter, because they can, because they are entitled from birth, because boy babies are always prefered, and powerful men are even more entitled as there are seldom long-term consequences to their actions if they are rich enough. (Poor men - don't try this at home.) David Vitter is still in office, Gary Hart still gainfully practicing law, Ensign, Larry Craig, Bill Clinton traveling the world, Tiger Woods, Arnold, etc. ect. Sex in our society is viewed as sports and entertainment (Sports Illustrated models never "swim" in their lives in those suits) and there is only temporary shame for infidelities. Not saying it is the worst crime in the world, but it is so acceptable as to be common place.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
03:14 PM on 06/12/2011
Oh please, women engage in exactly the same kind of illicit sexual behaviors, if and when given the opportunities. A recent study was conducted in Europe of CEO's who have committed adultery. There was no difference between men and women in the percentage of those who have. It isn't male genetics. It's power.

Women are far, far, fare smarter at hiding what they're doing and much, much more creative at how to avoid getting caught.
08:56 PM on 06/12/2011
I think that was the point. The article is not about adultery, it's about the stupidity of broadcasting it.
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DianaLynn1967
It's a great life if you don't weaken!
10:32 PM on 06/12/2011
Yeah. Doing it isn't the problem. Getting caught is the problem.
01:17 PM on 06/12/2011
I think the answer to this question is actually quite apparent.

We tend to elect the wrong sorts of people to higher office. One thing that most famous and powerful men have in common is an over-developed sense of their own value. They tend to 'buy in' to their press.

Another aspect of this is that it just 'feels' like this happens to everyone. It is still a minority behavior amongst the identified groups.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
03:17 PM on 06/12/2011
So what do you think will happen to the new people you elect to higher office? How can you tell before you vote for them, which one is likely to make bad choices about their sexual activities? Once they're in office, how is the power they now have any different for them than it was for those who you just replaced because they "abused their power"?

People in power, men and women, are prone to acting badly because they have the power and assume they will not be found out.
01:02 AM on 06/13/2011
I don't agree.

I feel that most people aren't very ethical. The people that should be serving are rarely the people who would seek office. Politics tends to reward the very worst sort of people. People who need attention to feel valid are not the people who should be followed. Typically those who don't wish to direct the behavior of others will make the best leaders.

Personally - I would NEVER do those things (the things that we are criticizing politicians for) because I think they are a betrayal of my personal behavioral mores. It doesn't matter if anyone else would find out - I would know. I don't care about sexual behavior AT ALL if it doesn't hurt anyone, but as soon as it involves the betrayal of people whom you profess to love, then your word is meaningless (with the exception of those who have open relationships). As long one is honest, I think anything goes.
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dancinggrandma
Therapist, writer, dancer
02:36 AM on 06/17/2011
Have to disagree with you on this one. Name even one female politician who's ever been
caught up in a sexual scandal, please.
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Ariel Bonzai
Naked is the best disguise.
09:20 PM on 06/12/2011
Only the wrong sorts are attracted to these positions. Sane , decent people are not arrogant enough to believe they can handle power, responsibility and fame that only gets noted when one is exposed. They live in compressed state, so release and esteem building are naturally relived by strange sexual situations. But men do see preoccupied with it at times. Weird. The creature is rather unseemly.
01:05 AM on 06/13/2011
I tend to agree with you, but I do think there are exceptions. Not all people are ethical relativists.

Thinking about sex is quite different than acting upon it. People have a choice about their behavior. I also want to make clear that this has nothing whatsoever to do with religious beliefs - I have none.
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blondesue
Curious Canadian
12:27 PM on 06/12/2011
With a surname of Weiner, he was most likely ridiculed in school everyday and so now that he is in Congress with a lot of clout and power, he is showing it off, literally. It is his way of saying look at me now, I made something of myself....too bad that something was with probably more ridicule than he ever got in his early life. Like he said in a speech in congress, 'Shame, shame shame.'
06:02 PM on 06/12/2011
That's your own theatre, Sue. Don't project.
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dancinggrandma
Therapist, writer, dancer
02:37 AM on 06/17/2011
I've had that same thought. Having a name like that could certainly manifest in such an odd way.
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Cassandra45
"Let us do our best, even if it gets us nowhere."
11:44 AM on 06/12/2011
With you 100%, Robin. I don't know why so many people are acting like it's no big deal. One poster told me I was "grotesquely naive" to suggest that higher standards should be expected of the people who represent us. As I keep saying, actions have consequences. Why these guys think they won't be the next one to get caught is a mystery.
01:52 PM on 06/12/2011
I fully agree with your statement about higher standards.

It isn't necessary that someone in a powerful position be good-looking or funny, but I certainly expect them to be reasonably intelligent and show good judgement in their decisions. That part was seriously lacking by Rep Weiner.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
03:18 PM on 06/12/2011
Let's put you in office and see how you perform. Let's give you enormous amounts of power and see how you handle it.
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Ariel Bonzai
Naked is the best disguise.
09:21 PM on 06/12/2011
Woody I say you'd probably be all right. You have the first hint of what a leader must confront unless he IS a bully.
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Cassandra45
"Let us do our best, even if it gets us nowhere."
09:31 PM on 06/12/2011
I wouldn't waste everyone's time taking inappropriate pictures of myself, sending them to near strangers, and then lying about it, I can promise you that.
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MamaJoe
Age is a high price to pay for maturity.
09:48 AM on 06/12/2011
As an old lady watching the idiosyncrasies of both sexes, I have come to the conclusion that women like to flaunt their attractions (a) to make men want them and (b) to make other women jealous. Men seem to do it for a vicarious sexual thrill and to get laid if possible.
Just my observations however misguided lol.
01:52 PM on 06/12/2011
No argument there.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
03:20 PM on 06/12/2011
A woman who speaks with honesty about both sexes. You're a smart lady. Which makes you sexy.
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MamaJoe
Age is a high price to pay for maturity.
03:26 PM on 06/12/2011
What a lovely compliment, thank you sir.
09:47 AM on 06/12/2011
Yes, Robin, I can answer your question:

"Can anyone tell me why so many famous and powerful men decide not only to take pictures of their private parts but to text, tweet and email them to people?"

Actually there aren't that many, if you think about it, it is only a small percentage. But when they do it, it is because they are idiots.

There isn't any therapy for being an idiot, and there is no law against it.

But we shouldn't elect known idiots to the US House of Representatives. We have enough problems as it is.
06:07 PM on 06/12/2011
Technology allows it. And you are incorrect saying 'there aren't that many'. Sexting is all over in the teen, twenties and thirties age group, but not limited. Just because you probably don't engage in sexting, doesn't mean it isn't a popular way of hooking up or just playing the game.
So, no you didn't answer Robin's question.
TOOO
Warning: Rabid Monty Python fan!
09:28 AM on 06/12/2011
Isn't it obvious? Power goes to people's heads - either one.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
03:21 PM on 06/12/2011
Apparently, male or female, according to a recent study in Europe of CEOs. No difference between the sexes of those who have had extra-marital affairs.