Really...People...Really

I never thought that I would have to say this, but obviously things that I take for granted can no longer be considered common sense. It is never ok to tell random people at your standard issue office job, "I just really love d***." What is wrong with you that would make you think that this is ok? In case you were wondering this statement is not ok if you work retail either, unless you work at one of those "specialty" stores.

I bring this up because I have overheard a lot of ridiculously inappropriate things while sitting at my desk. I have had an executive, but not a direct boss tell me that he liked my blue eyes (my bra was blue that day, my eyes are brown every day). This same exec that I will call Blue Eyes in honor of his bra comment, once asked me if I had started to "ignore my husband, yet" since I had a baby. (It was clear from his tone that he wante to know if I was ignoring him sexually.) He was going through divorce to a MUCH younger woman at the time and I guess instead of telling him that he was old and unattractive and that she married him for money she decided to pretend that she was preoccupied with the children and too tired. Still my first thought was, "REALLY, Dude! This is how you are going to come at me." I just responded with a deflection and walked away.

Then there was the time while telling my boss Zeppelin that a man with the last name Long called he replied with, "long...like my 3rd leg." REALLY, people! Is that what we are doing these days. What in the name of Anita Hill is going on here? In case you were wondering, he says that the "leg" comment was made because I never get rattled by anything. He is old, has made no real advances and is not a threat to me, so I don't care enough to report him, but I have to admit that what he said was not only unprompted, but totally out of the realm of normal conversation.

When did people start losing their minds and decide that talking crazy was ok. Maybe that is why we can't keep an HR person. It must be a harassment nightmare for them. Gloria Allred would have a field day in here. We are one Gloria Steinem expose away from being the Playboy Club. You may be asking why nobody brings this to the attention to HR. I will tell you from experience with our HR department that complaints about the men in this office fall on deaf ears. It is kind of like being stuck in an time warp or an episode of PanAm or Mad Men where it is still okay to slap that stewardess or secretary on the butt.  However, I have seen a woman get reprimanded. Hooray for women's lib! They better hope none of us start watching 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton, Lilly Tomlin and Jane Fonda. Their boss did not fare so well at the end of that movie.

I come here 5 times a week and I hear a lot of crap. Most of it just leaves me scratching me head wondering, "Really, people, really?"