The Man Gene, ESPN, and Fatal Attraction

As pretty much everyone knows by now, ESPN sports analyst Steve Phillips (no relation that I know of) has let The Man Gene get the best of him — again. He had an affair with a young woman half his age. Young woman does her impression of Glenn Close. Divorce proceedings are filed. Phillips is put on an extended leave.

Phillips has done this kind of thing several times before. He says he’s sorry for hurting his wife and family. Sorry? His cemented bond with The Man Gene makes it unlikely that he’s sorry. What is he? Helpless. Men in Phillips’ predicament almost always say they’re sorry. Why not tell the truth? They’re helpless. Instead of an expression of sorrow, there should be a cry for help.

Anytime one submits to The Man Gene’s domination, there’s always the chance of a Fatal Attraction scenario. That’s impossible to see at the time, because of The Man Gene’s blinding power. But when that scenario occurs, what the pitiful male victim (ogre, if you prefer) is, most of all, is scared. I still regard Fatal Attraction as one of the scariest movies of all time.

I’ve used clips of the movie in sexual harassment training. As scary as they are, the only thing most of the men remember is the first sex scene in the kitchen between Glenn Close and Michael Douglas. Now, that’s scary.

What’s an employer to do? Issue chastity belts. Administer anti-androgen drugs. One wonders.