Scandalous Sex
Where's the line for public officials? Here's a world of opinion.
TrendWatch
- Separation Anxiety
- Is USA Harper Country?
- Who's for the War in Afghanistan?
- What the World Wants in Leaders
- How Terrified of Terrorists?
- The Americas on Drugs
- Who Trusts Their Media?
- Public Opinion Heats Up
- Sports: How Big Is Too Big?
- Who's for the War in Lebanon?
- Do You Feel Safe?
- Are We Ready for Women in Politics?
- Scandalous Sex
- Headscarf Hoopla
- The Trials of Lord Black (and others)
- Does How You Vote Matter?
- Who's Still for the War in Afghanistan?
- Absolutely Scandalous
- Sex, Race, Religion and America's Next President
Sex, as always, is big news. But lately, it's been bigger than usual. In Vancouver, the trial of a former secondary school teacher accused of a variety sexual escapades with his students has been the biggest story all week. While, in the U.S., the alleged text-message grooming of under-age Congressional pages may just tip the mid-term elections.
But, for the public, all sex scandals are not created equal. Polls show, for example, that people are more tolerant towards infidelity and sexual harassment than they are towards consensual homosexual sex or sex with young people.
Here's what public opinion from around the globe says about sex, politics and the personal lives of politicians:
In the U.S., history has been kind to the only head of state impeached for infidelity. Bill Clinton ranks behind only Ronald Reagan for popularity among the last four presidents. For more info, click here.
Last year, almost half of all Americans disagreed with the final verdict in the Michael Jackson case. For more info, click here.
In New Jersey, governor Jim McGreevey resigned after acknowledging he had an affair with a man. Forty eight per cent of respondents in the Garden State thought he made the right decision. For more info, click here.
Last year, as the Catholic Church began preparations to choose a new pope, 86 per cent of Americans demanded action to address the problem of sexual abuse by priests. For more info, click here.
In Australia, the public turned its back on governor-general Peter Hollingworth after it was revealed that he allowed a priest guilty of child abuse to remain as the Archbishop of Brisbane. He resigned just days after the poll was released. For more info, click here.
Britain has had its share of scandals, both royal and political. A year after Prince Charles tied the knot for a second time, almost two-thirds of respondents still believe Camilla Parker Bowles should not become Queen. For more info, click here.
The affair between British home secretary David Blunkett and an American woman included several embarrassing accusations of influence peddling, but more than half of all Britons believed it was not enough to force his resignation from cabinet. For more info, click here.
In Israel, since August, Israelis have been asking their president, Moshe Katzav, to step down over allegations of sexual harassment and corruption. For more info, click here.
In the Netherlands, the public was shocked when a party promising to decriminalize child pornography was launched. For more info, click here.
South African politician Jacob Zuma was acquitted of a rape charge in May, after claiming that he was "seduced" by the 31-year-old daughter of a friend. But almost two-thirds of respondents are opposed to Zuma becoming president. For more info, click here.
In Canada, political corruption would be the biggest problem for an elected politician, but most voters would forgive a drinking problem. For more info, click here.
This Tyee series shares with you the research conducted by the Angus Reid Global Monitor, the Vancouver-based leaders in public opinion analysis. TrendWatch columns offer quick, concise context for developing stories in B.C. and beyond. ![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
- 'The Kids Are All Right'
- 'Leave Your Shoes On'
- Glaciers, BC Hydro's Melting 'Batteries'
- Frankie Rose Makes Life Tougher for Journalists
- Too Much Energy Used to Mine, Move Bitumen Says BC Firm
- Becoming the Ethical Hunter
- Shadow Workers of the World, Revolt!
- Could SOPA Pervade Canadian Copyright Law?
- Would You Buy a Used Car from These Libs?
- Three Ryan Gosling Pickup Techniques that Don't Work in Real Life
- Shadow Workers of the World, Revolt!
- Economist Calls Gateway Pipeline an Inflationary 'Threat'
- Bill Rees' Last Lecture
- Too Much Energy Used to Mine, Move Bitumen Says BC Firm
- Is Canada Ignoring Signs of a Coming Economic Collapse?
- How First Nations Are Gearing Up for Legal Battle Against Gateway
- Harper in China
- Eleven Oily Questions for Every MP
- Remembering Lloyd Dykk's Wit, Generosity and Superb Prose
- BC Child Care Advocates in Geneva to Complain to UN
- BC, You Love You
- Shadow Workers of the World, Revolt!
- Who Pays Huge Power Bills for Clark's Gas Plants?
- Make It the Canadian Webcasting Corporation
- Harper in China
- When the Prize Is a Chance to Toil on BC's Farms
- Three Ryan Gosling Pickup Techniques that Don't Work in Real Life
- Would You Buy a Used Car from These Libs?
- Foreign Trade Zones Eyed for Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Prince George
- Skating into 2012, More Resolutions
11
Login or register to post comments
alive
5 years ago
Comments on "Scandalous Sex"
It appears that my message has to have at least characters, so here is my message:
duh!
Percy
5 years ago
Well, it seems that ordinary folks react badly to violations of personal trust. Good for them, and us!
nightbloom
5 years ago
Canadian politics is embarassingly devoid of sex scandals. Ottawa could use a good olde fashioned sex scandal. It's good for the country.
SharingIsGood
5 years ago
Why wasn't our Premier's tryst included in the mainstream media reports of his drunken Hawaii scandal? He wanted the limelight; now that he is there, why hasn't it always shone on him the way it would have any other celebrity/politician?
nightbloom
5 years ago
Yeah, I'm suspicious of our inability to break a good raunchy scandal. No one 'does' sex scandals like the Brits...especially those breathtakingly bent Tories. There must be a deficiency in our national character that accounts for the paucity...even the Quebecers don't kiss and tell. Maybe we need more coverage of Newfoundland. They get the most action, apparently.
You're right tho - it definitely goes on here, it just doesn't get reported. Except maybe in Frank magazine. It's probably a good thing, otherwise we'd have to face just how sketchy and screwed-up a lot of our political leadership is. It seems to me that a lot of politicians are real losers in the their personal lives. And most we wouldn't want to visualize doing the deed anyway.
Well, except maybe candidate Scott Kleeb of Nebraska http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/10/not_just_the_mi.html
Forget affirmative action - you want a less apathetic electorate, give them something decent to look at. More hot candidates please.
Just kidding.
ripponfalls
5 years ago
There is a simple anatomical explanation why Canadian politicians don't get involved in sex scandals....
Stump
5 years ago
... they're too busy f*cking us?
BC Dude
5 years ago
Why are we wasting precious time on a USA sex scandal?
Canada is being broken up We are being bulled out of OUR SOVERNTYas a SOVERN NATION WE ARE STRONGER against "those trecherous lil people"
S Harper's, G Campbell's, etal for the NWO lead by a psychopathic liar!
I personally think the first thing we have to do is make CanWest accountable to the people of B.C. and also to the Canadian People!
Is to start boycotting their advertisers if we all started this the Corporations behind these advertisers would start feeling the pinch and corporations do not like to lose money and especially their shareholders who don't like losing their God=money.
"Free Speech Is the Basic Foundation of True Democracy" Are you listening CanWest?
A Vancouver Province headlines front page picture last week, woman shows butt where bear bit her, why is this news, especially FrontPage?
What about Bill C-16? Googal search.
Why haven't the court dates been made public in mainstream media about the Verk, Basi, Verk?
The giveaway of our Terasen?
http://www.bcfiberals.com/
http://www.commonground.ca/iss/0610183/stolen_rivers.pdf
http://thetyee.ca/News/2004/12/03/BCContractorMaximus/
We the public have no choice in media coverage of all aspects of our life, Why?
Corporate Influence "We Are Being Dumbed Down" Shame on Us for Allowing This Terrible Injustice to Continue Our Future and Our Children's Future Depends on the Truth!
BC Dude
5 years ago
FYI
http://thetyee.ca/News/2004/12/03/BCContractorMaximus/
BC Dude
5 years ago
This may be an old blog but the money still keeps rolling to this evil corporation who shoved their (maximus) name right into our faces sitting back there laughing all the way to the bank. Shame on us!
pure
5 years ago
Money talks and Sex walks. Good old horse sense plays a roll here. Don't let the little head think for the big head. My Dads' sayings were; turn them upside down and they are all the same! or the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence! One has my money and the other has my heart! You have everything to loose and nothing to gain!
The police, teachers and others in command positions should leave the young people alone regarding sex!