Are you a Peeping Tom?

Erin Andrews, an American Sports anchor who also hosts other entertainment shows was just awarded $55 million in a civil lawsuit she filed against a hotel that basically allowed another guest, whom we now know to be a stalker, to secretly film her, naked, during her stay at the hotel. The incident happened in 2008 and the culprit posted the video online which has since been watched by millions. There’re split opinions of course. Some people think that’s a lot of money even for someone whose privacy was violated. Others think it will serve as a deterrent to stalkers and a vital lesson to hotels to prioritize their clients’ privacy. As a woman, I’m happy for Erin. I would be offended too because I don’t want naked pictures or videos of me leaked anywhere. That’s why I don’t get this nude selfie business and sex tapes that some people are happy to make. I would be even more furious if some crazy creep secretly filmed and put my business out there. I do have a confession though. When I was about five or six, I and a couple of other kids snuck up on an outdoor bathroom in our neighbourhood. You know the rental situation with communal bathrooms and all, plenty of peepholes and doors that don’t lock so being the curious kids we were, we would sneak up on people after school. Sounds terrible I know but in our defense, we were young and didn’t know better. Also, I don’t remember the victims’ names or faces so it’s not so bad, right? Anyway, as a grownup myself now, I worry about someone or some people secretly watching me. The world is full of perverts and naughty people and you just never know who might be hiding under your bed or lurking somewhere! That’s why I regularly check undermine just in case! I feel especially uncomfortable when staying at someone’s house. I know my own place well and usually if I close all my windows and doors, they stay locked. That is not always the case in other people’s homes. I feel the same way whenever I have to use public restrooms, especially the ones with doors that don’t go all the way down to the floor. You know them, the kind where you can see the next cubicle occupant’s legs! Modern technology is not helping, with cameras on everything and everywhere. It’s scary. Back to Erin, it’s another of those days I envy Americans because no one on this continent would win that kind of money. First of all, most of us would be too embarrassed to even file the suit and then have people picking our bodies apart. Erin is beautiful and her body is out of this world so she’s probably not getting as many rude body-shaming remarks. For the rest of us, it would probably be easier not to draw any more attention to an already traumatizing situation. Besides, you would probably spend more money on legal fees than you would win in damages, assuming you would be awarded any!

Lifestyle

Are you a Peeping Tom?