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No, You’re Not R. Kelly — But You Still Have Work to Do
Yes, there are monsters out there, and you’re not a monster. But if I’m in danger from a man, that man is more likely to be you than a megarich superstar.
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
Last night, I watched the first two episodes of Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, Lifetime’s latest docuseries about the disgraced R & B icon. What I already knew: He’s a monster. What I learned: He’s a monster far beyond what we could have even believed after last year’s original Surviving R. Kelly. (Allegedly.)
But I don’t want to write about R. Kelly. Yes, he’s in the news again, but I’d rather use this opportunity to think bigger when it comes to protecting women from sexual assault.
Because someone like R. Kelly is actually rare. This is a man with enough money, fame, and enablers to continue engaging his proclivities for decades. When it comes to sexual assault, the true danger for the typical woman (or man) is much, much closer.
The typical person who will commit sexual assault is — you. Yeah, you.
