The Anxiety of (Sexual) Influence

Laura Kipnis, author of Against Love: A Polemic, considers the Wolf-Bloom brouhaha and asks, “Are onetime “unwanted advances” really a feminist issue? …unwanted advances often border on the ridiculous. In lieu of these damsel-in-distress narratives, how about laughter? A little ridicule goes a long way. The power actually doesn’t flow in only one direction in these encounters, nor does the vulnerability, even when the professional roles are—gasp!—asymmetrical. Sisters are powerful too, even more so when armed with a sense of humor.” —Slate