BlackAdder7 said:

Like "Borat" or "Ali G" getting close to public officials?

ufoclub said:

sorta, but not. yeah...i guess...well..no.

I mean celebrities don't always have it easy. it's like that on camera video of tom cruise where the reporter used a "watergun" microphone and squirted tom in the face. what did tom do to deserve that besides be a scientologist and act crazy on oprah?...

BlackAdder7 said:

See I think the Tom Cruise thing is wrong, but for whatever reason I'm not bugged by the Beckham thing. I guess it's because I respect Tom Cruise as an actor, and despite the neg reaction to his scientology shit, he seems cool in other way. Beckham and his wife (oddly friends of Cruise) seem to be stricly in the mode of marketing an image these days, and a very sexual image, so if you wave a fish in fron of a bear, wouldn't you expect it to come up and take it?

ufoclub said:

I understand what you're saying, but she touched him in a very private area, just for the sake of shock journalism. he was completely exposed. she could have had a knife and stabbed him. that's my point i think..his security people did a bad job.

BlackAdder7 said:

Well that's true, she was wearing big gloves too, right? And pushing in very close. Of course she has the video to back up her intention (humorous entertainment)

On the scientology note I just read this: "Scientologists 'heal' Haiti quake victims using touch"... well at least they're also passing out antibiotics.

ufoclub said:

case in point..
Andy Dick Arrested for Sexual Abuse
Posted Jan 23rd 2010 8:59AM by TMZ Staff

Andy Dick was arrested in West Virginia this morning on two counts felony counts of sexual abuse.

He is currently in custody at the Western Regional Jail. He is due to be arraigned sometime today.

A press release from the Huntington Police Department says: "Based upon statements of two victims and independent witness accounts alleging that he had engaged in unwanted and uninvited groping of the two victims' genital areas, Andrew R. Dick (AKA Andy Dick) of South Pasadena, Calif., was arrested and charged with two counts of Sex Abuse in the First Degree."

The criminal complaint says Dick was talking to a guy when he "unexpectedly and without invitation grabbed the victim's crotch, repeatedly groping then kissing him."

Cops say the guy's girlfriend witnessed the whole thing.

Dick was in town performing at the Funny Bone in Huntington, WV. The manager there tells us he hasn't spoken to Dick yet, but as of now his performance for Saturday is still on.

Dick is currently on probation over an incident at a pizza joint, where he was arrested for sexual assault. He copped a plea to battery in 2008.




Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0dSk1fyu0

BlackAdder7 said:

Well, the context (intention), time spent, and intensity could make this more of an attack than the joking tv woman. What is her show anyway? Does she pull stunts a lot?

ufoclub said:

This is just ridiculous. Selling your body doesn't give people free reign to break the law and assault you. I suppose if a family member of yours was a model, told you they'd been groped, you'd reply with "Well, you had it coming!"

purplesweat said:

Co-sign. It's like saying that it's cool to rape porn stars because they "market" their sexuality. I mean really?

purplesweat said:

Basically, yes. Think about animal nature (and we are animalistic). Think really deep about how laws, culture and such are just ways for us to organize our animal nature into ways that extend our lifespans. Then you might realize that every move to use animal nature to create an advantage is an invite of the primal power of that animal nature. In this case the woman is making a big joke about Beckham's use of animalistic instinct (centered on his body and looks) to make a living and become considered more than just a soccer player but the modern equivalent of "royalty". She is then binging it back down to one of the very ingredients he is using to create an image and cultural effect (his package). I think a lot of people are offended deep down inside because it really illuminates just how animalistic and primitive such details are with no regard to culture/law/respect. And in this case, I don't know if I consider him to be hurt if you put what happened to John Lennon being mortally hurt on the other end of the scale.

The reason celebs have bodyguards is because they know that by becoming celebs they are asking for it from the chaotic animalistic nature of humans. It's a risk, and it's a choice to make a living.

LaSeles said:

So you consider this woman making fun of David Beckham and grabbing him to be "rape"? ?I don't in this case. I do think it's a violation of his personal territory, but we are talking about a male athlete on a team with all the cultural pranks and initiation that must happen in the locker room. I thnk he's been through it all at the HANDS of his teammates and growing up.

On the other hand, if I knew a popular porn star, that was easily recognizable in public, than I would tell them to be wary of fanatics. Strippers need to be walked to their cars after the shift. Prince needed body guards badly back in the 80's. It might not be cool, but it is the truth. But again, I don't consider this to be rape, I consider it to be a Borat/Ali-G type prank for a show.

ufoclub said:

It is not rape, but it is sexual harassment and she should be punished for it.
[Edited 1/24/10 8:11am]

purplesweat said:

True. Not funny by any means. Sue her.

I guess Sacha Baron Cohen has had to deal with Lawsuits too in his attempts to make humorous media that makes fun of conventionality, stereotypes, and cultural manners. I'd say he has been even more brutal.

Do you think if another player grabbed Beckham's package in the locker room as a joke it's also grounds for a lawsuit? Or if they pinned him and touched their dick to his face like a frat initiation? I supposed in each case it could be... right?

What in the purple and gold are you talking about? Now you're claiming locker room behavior is the standard or norm???

Cinnie said:

What do you think? Is it norm for a locker room?But that's not what I was asking. I was asking if you think a similar stunt by a teammate in the locker room or at practice would be grounds for a lawsuit.

Grabbing someone's genitals against their will is sexual assault. Period.

ufoclub said:

Well you obviously didn't get the point I was trying to make. You said that Becks sells his "imagine" thus implying it is okay for this woman to touch him the way she did. I compared that anology to porn starts who advertises and sell their sexuality for a living. It would be like saying they deserve to be raped because they sell their sexuality. It just doesn't make sense.

What that woman did is called sexual assault. And just in case you don't know what that is; it is defined as "a form of sexual harassment and can range from fondling someone without their consent to serious acts of physical violence."

Without their consent is the keyword. If Beckman and his teammates play sexual pranks with each other and they are okay with that, then no, it does not constitute sexual harrassment or sexual assault.

LaSeles said:

So the question would then be, does Beckham feel like he was assaulted?

Desire2006 said:

LOL...ouch. You have to admit that was pretty disrespectful of her to do that though.....and childish to yell about how small he was. Must've been a blow to his ego. Dick size is important to a lot of men, so I felt bad for Beckham when she yelled that.

Cinnie said:

LOL.....oh my god, it's stuck in your head now, huh.

ufoclub said:

What the fuck are you talking about? It's assault and that's all there is to it, I don't give a shit if she's the equivalent of a fucking ape and cannot control her ~animalistic urges~. I betcha she'll be able to control them once she's behind bars or has to pay a hefty fine. God, get real.



Yes, it is assault. You keep your damn hands to yourself unless its your partner we're talking about!



A stranger groped him. Duh.

purplesweat said:[quote]

ufoclub said:

This is the reality of what happened: A media oriented "comedian" decided to make fun of David Beckhmam for being a sex symbol and grabbed his crotch with a gloved hand at a public press conference type moment and then demasculated him verbally by saying his penis was small. That already happened and that is reality of the situation. What I'm saying is that while she crossed many lines in people's books (judging by your emotional reaction written here), that seems to be where our humor culture is going, and I am personally not that offended since there was no bodily or material harm. I'm sure she was prepared to pay possible fines. So regardless of whether she gets put in jail, it already happened.

And what I'm then predicting is that this type of backlash "humor" will happen more and more against people who position themselves in a precarious position of pop culture power, because that is where our pop culture balance seems to be going with the likes of Jackass, Borat, etc. I'd say Andy Kaufman was a pioneer, although his stunts were tricks, they were planned by both parties, but the perception/reaction to the outsiders (bystanders and the public viewers of the media) was similar.

So what has happened since? Is there any news about this media stunt?

David Beckham fell victim to a wacky prank on Italian TV when a female presenter wearing yellow rubber gloves tried to grab his 'crown jewels'.

Blonde TV star Elena Di Cioccio carried out the 'assault' on a stunned Beckham, 34, as part of a popular TV show called Le Iene (The Hyenas).

He was in the middle of a television interview when she pounced on the unsuspecting footballer in the street.

Beckham was clearly unamused and was immediately hustled away by his security into a nearby hotel. But not before giving Ms Di Cioccio a filthy look.

Di Cioccio targeted the former Manchester United star - who is now on loan at AC Milan - saying she wanted to see 'how he measured up' after it emerged he had been dropped as a Giorgio Armani underwear model by Cristiano Ronaldo.

During his two years with the Italian fashion house, England midfielder Beckham was thought to have benefited from a spot of airbrushing to accentuate his six pack - and his package.

Shortly after the campaign, in which Beckham was seen wearing a tight white pair of Armani pants, there was suspicion that he had benefited from some computer enhancement in the brief department.

Although at the time his spokesman refused to comment on the reports and Armani also remained tight lipped.

A source close the footballing superstar told Mail Online: 'It was done in jest and that's how David took it. She didn't actually grab it, it was an attempt. She just got his trouser leg.
Ms Di Cioccio told viewers: 'Off the pitch we have seen fascinating photographs of David Beckham in his underpants and seemingly very well endowed and even his wife says that he is well equipped and calls him Golden Balls.

''Well the image may have slipped slightly as he has been replaced in the Armani campaign by a younger footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, but we wanted to find out if he was as well endowed as the pictures suggest or if they were touched up.'

The programme then cut to the outside of a smart Milan restaurant where Beckham was giving an interview to an American TV network while Ms Di Cioccio could be seen putting on the yellow rubber gloves.

She then worked her way past the camera crew and attempted to touch Beckham's testicles who jumped back with a start and looked at her stony faced before he security guards stepped in and dragged her away.

As she was led away Ms Di Cioccio called out:'I touched it but it's small. David you have conned us all. What did you use cotton wool ? It's all a trick.

Insiders at Le Iene said: 'It was just a joke and we hope that Beckham took it in the spirit it was meant.'

Le Iene is shown on Italia Uno, a TV station owned by AC Milan president and controversial Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Security around Beckham has always been tight but questions will be asked as to how Ms Di Cioccio managed to get so close - and she may well have to watch out for Victoria Beckham next time the former Spice Girl is in Milan.

A spokesman for AC Milan said:'We are aware of the incident and we have spoken to David about it but we have no comment to make.'

Today Beckham was in training with his AC Milan team mates ahead of Sunday's crunch derby with Jose Mourinho's cross city rivals Inter - apparently none the worse following the incident.

ufoclub said:

So now you're backtracking by saying it's done and over and that my reaction, which was the same as everyone else's in here, was "emotional" and therefore unjustified. Whatever

purplesweat said:

read above to the more complete article i found... read the end... for what the "victim" has done or feels as a result of the "assault". So far I haven't found anything that documents she got in trouble, which would indicate that no one including Beckham thought it to be an assault, but merely humor. But keep googling to see if a news item pops up. I'm curious to see how it turns out. Maybe he is mad, and will retaliate and you will be right.

when it happend did anyone yel:

goooooaaaaalllll!?

from google searches:

David Beckham ambushed to see if Armani adverts 'take public for a ride'
David Beckham has become the latest victim of Italy’s best known satirical television show after a female reporter ambushed him in Milan and tweaked his groin.

_____

The Difference Between David Beckham & Andy Dick

This is the tale of two stories. Both involve crotch grabs, but only one involves criminal charges.

Andy Dick was arrested for ’sexual abuse’ in the first degree and tossed into a West Virginia jail. He now faces 1-5 years in prison if convicted. A look a the criminal complaint (PDF) provides some details about the incident in question.

According to the criminal complaint, Dick was talking to a guy when he “unexpectedly and without invitation grabbed the victim’s crotch, repeatedly groping then kissing him.”

Also in the complaint, a security guard at the bar says that Andy Dick “grabbed his crotch and began laughing” when the guard tried to give him an armband.

This is nothing new for Andy Dick; he was arrested after a strikingly similar incident in 2008. for which he is currently on probation. As crass as this may sound, it’s kind of Dick’s shtick to pull stunts like this. And while I won’t argue that he did nothing wrong or vouch for his innocence in this case, I do wonder why a very similar incident this week was treated so differently both by the public and the local authorities.

Soccer star and tabloid magnet David Beckham was involved in a similar incident on Wednesday. Beckham was chatting with gathered press outside a restaurant in Milan, Italy when an Italian reporter pulled an Andy Dick.

She then worked her way past the camera crew and managed to touch Beckham’s testicles who jumped back with a start and looked at her stony faced before he security guards stepped in and dragged her away.

As she was led away Di Cioccio called out: “I touched it but it’s small. David you have conned us all. What did you use cotton wool? It’s all a trick.”

Of course the two celebrities were on opposite sides of the offense here; Andy Dick was the alleged aggressor and Beckham was the unwilling victim. But it’s a bit strange to me that we are able to laugh off the Beckham crotch grab (which was caught on video) and the Italian presenter will face no charges or public backlash, while Andy Dick is sent up the river for a possible 5 year sentence. It would seem to me that an unwanted crotch grab is an unwanted crotch grab, regardless of the sex of the perpetrator. So why the double standard here?

Update: Perhaps a better headline would have been ‘The Difference Between Elena Di Cioccio & Andy Dick’ but I’m not sure anyone outside of Milan knows that first name. I’ll stick with the current headline for now.
[Edited 1/27/10 8:47am]

NOt okay. she should be sued