376 réponses à ce sujet

[Korva]

I admit it squicks me out that a situation that is clearly sexual harassment feels like it's meant to be played for laughs and treated as such by many players, too. The gender of the target of this shitty behavior is meaningless -- it's never funny or harmless or okay. Doesn't matter a whit if it's the biggest, burliest qunari warrior guy or the smallest, most pathetically weak elven girl. Yes, the risk of being physically overpowered is not the same, but Cullen's situation clearly shows that blatant physical violence doesn't even play into it much of the time. Social and peer pressure, being outnumbered, being in a situation you can't leave, being targeted by people with more "social clout" or "status", thinking you can't afford to "make waves" or "cause drama" because that will get you smeared as the problem instead of the people targetting you ... They ignore his discomfort, his deflections, his refusals in a way that just made my insides clench.

 

And when one of them grabs his ass? That's not even harassment anymore, that's assault. What the flaming hell.

[Jaron Oberyn]

When did this happen?

[Korva]

Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, part of the main storyline.

[Estelindis]

Yes, it made me uncomfortable, but then I reminded myself that it was most likely intended as a spoof of the Cullenites, and thus not serious in tone for different reasons than "lol, harrassment is funny when it's a guy."

[Jaron Oberyn]

Yeah I know in Halamshiral, but when? I never saw this and I played through the game 5 times.  I heard war table banter about suitors after the winter palace, but that was it. No gluteus grabbings or sexual harassment. 

[Hazegurl]

Is it harassment? Yes. But fact remains is that they are nobles who saw some eye candy and proceeded to do whatever they like because they are used to doing whatever they like to those beneath them.

 

**edit: You have to hang around Cullen a bit more at the ball and you'll see the nobles in action. lol!

[Lucrece]

You know, sometimes flirting is just that, flirting. You don't need to turn every instance of unrequited love into some dreary Lifetime drama film of sexual harassment.

 

They were flirting at him, he's well within his means to tell them no. And it's pretty well understood that Orlesians are outright obsequious when they want to get something.

 

It seems some people define sexual harassment as being flirted by someone you're not attracted to. Stop blowing things out of proportion.

[TheKomandorShepard]

Yes it is horrible we can slain 1000 peoples and make someone tranquil (and that is not even close to d**** you could pull in first game) and you are repulsed because somone grabed cullen ass?

 

Yes DG definitely should apologize cullen in public with tears in his eyes.

[Jaron Oberyn]

Is it on youtube or something? I won't be doing my 6th playthrough anytime soon. 

[Char]

On the one hand I found it realistic, and possibly an introduction to the more awkward side of the Commander that new players, or players who chose not to romance him might not otherwise see much of. On the other hand I did feel very sorry for him and was a bit saddened that my Inquisitor couldn't step in and rescue him the way I normally would for any of my friends or otherwise who were being overwhelmed.
I will confess that at first I was very "oh bless, it's quite cute that he's so out of his depth" but having been in a similar situation and felt trapped and wishing the floor could swallow me up it quickly turned to sympathy.

I don't think there was any intent for it to be seen as terrible harrassment though , more to show how ill at ease he was, and how unprepared for the court he was. It doesn't make it right, but it is the sort of thing you would probably expect to happen- even if it shouldnt be.

[Boomshakalakalakaboom]

It never bothered me. Flirting is flirting, not everyone is going to reciprocate. And they are Orlesian. Isn't that what they do? I did feel a little bad for him though once I talked to Cole and he told me Cullen was scared. A little bad..........after I laughed and awwww'd. 

[Char]

It never bothered me. Flirting is flirting, not everyone is going to reciprocate. And they are Orlesian. Isn't that what they do? I did feel a little bad for him though once I talked to Cole and he told me Cullen was scared. A little bad..........after I laughed and awwww'd. 

There is a bit of a sense of "you survived being tortured by demons and have commanded an army cutting down mages and templars and helped deal with a dragon, and you're scared of the little Orlesian lady who pinched your bum" and it is quite cute that someone can be fearless on the battlefield and petrified in a ballroom. Still think Quizzy should have been able to rescue him though, or at least told him to go stand with Cassandra. No-one's getting away with bum-pinching with Cass around

[Vita Brevis]

There is a bit of a sense of "you survived being tortured by demons and have commanded an army cutting down mages and templars and helped deal with a dragon, and you're scared of the little Orlesian lady who pinched your bum"

I by no means imply anything, but I thought it wasn't the lady. Cause if I remember it right it was "Did you just grab my butt?" and the orlesian replied "I'm a weak man" or something like that.

Or did it happen more than once? 

[Boomshakalakalakaboom]

There is a bit of a sense of "you survived being tortured by demons and have commanded an army cutting down mages and templars and helped deal with a dragon, and you're scared of the little Orlesian lady who pinched your bum" and it is quite cute that someone can be fearless on the battlefield and petrified in a ballroom. Still think Quizzy should have been able to rescue him though, or at least told him to go stand with Cassandra. No-one's getting away with bum-pinching with Cass around

 

Why couldn't she just smack one on him in front of them all? Stake her claim on the man right then and there? Of course, Cullen would act like he hated the public display but we all know he is up for having an audience.   

[Char]

I by no means imply anything, but I thought it wasn't the lady. Cause if I remember it right it was "Did you just grabbed my butt?" and the orlesian replied "I'm a weak man" or something like that.
Or it did happen more than once? 

I thought in my last playthrough it was simply answered with a giggle, but I got that ambient dialogue in a different order each playthrough so it could have been the gentleman.

[Addai]

Not sure if this topic is serious. Cullen is a soldier, I'm sure he can handle a few dropped hankies and an ass grab.

 

I figured the thread was going to be about how it's not likely Orlesian nobles would fawn that much over a Fereldan.

[Korva]

I don't object to the situation being there -- it's bitterly realistic enough, as is his reaction to it. What I don't like is this feeling that it's meant to be, and often seen as, a sort of joke. Estelindis has a point that it was probably intended as a sort of snark towards the more rabid fans, I was wondering about that myself when I saw it play out. But it still touches uncomfortably on the common problematic attitude that harassment is no big deal, especially when aimed at a man. And it is harassment. He does say no. It's not his fault that they flat-out refuse to respect it -- that is entirely on them, as with any harasser.

 

At the very least, I'd have liked to sympathize with him, thank him for his self-control for the sake of the mission. Yes, compared to other dangers and sacrifices, this is nothing in and of itself -- but that doesn't make it right. Having your head chopped off is worse than being punched in the nose, but how many people would happily line up for nose-punching and then shrug it off as a joke?

 

EDIT: Also, don't forget that the Halamshiral ball is a battlefield. The worst sort, where everyone could be an enemy and one wrong word or gesture can bring you, your few allies and your cause to ruin. Cullen's a soldier, common-born at that, and totally out of his element while the people having a go at him know "the Game" by heart. Unlike with demons or undead or fanatical cultists, he can't really do anything in this battle except try to stay quietly out of trouble and wait for a signal to act while the real "players" like Josie and Leliana fight it out for their side. He can't afford to ****** these people off because he can't afford to make a hugely volatile situation even worse. Physically, he's in no danger from these pampered twits -- he could kill them with his bare hands without breaking a sweat. But physical strength is not the only way to create the power imbalance that harassers exploit, and in fact many non-physical ways are more insidious and even more likely to lead to victim-blaming.

[Boomshakalakalakaboom]

Not sure if this topic is serious. Cullen is a soldier, I'm sure he can handle a few dropped panties and an ass grab.

 

I figured the thread was going to be about how it's not likely Orlesian nobles would fawn that much over a Fereldan.

 

There, I fixed that for you. 

[Former_Fiend]

Yes, it made me uncomfortable, but then I reminded myself that it was most likely intended as a spoof of the Cullenites, and thus not serious in tone for different reasons than "lol, harrassment is funny when it's a guy."

 

Yea, that was my interpretation of it, as well.

[Estelindis]

Estelindis has a point that it was probably intended as a sort of snark towards the more rabid fans

To be clear, I was not referring to Cullenites as being "rabid fans."  They're enthusiastic; I wouldn't call them rabid.  That's why I think the pervy nobles are parodies of them, not simple replications.

[Korva]

I know, but some people are so obsessive towards their "favourite LI" that I could definitely see them doing just this or more and not see anything wrong with it. So the nobles can easily be both, parody and reflection.

[Colonelkillabee]

Not sure if this topic is serious. Cullen is a soldier, I'm sure he can handle a few dropped hankies and an ass grab.

 

I figured the thread was going to be about how it's not likely Orlesian nobles would fawn that much over a Fereldan.

This wins the thread, nothing else to say really.

[Colonelkillabee]

There, I fixed that for you. 

Lol na, a lot of his suitors were dudes.

 

Actually, I guess that still works. LOL

[Boomshakalakalakaboom]

Lol na, a lot of his suitors were dudes.

 

Actually, I guess that still works. LOL

 

Yeah, but they are Orlesian dudes. 

[Zombie Chow]

1st, an interesting thing I learned.  I remember from a management course that, in Human Resources (and maybe legal) terms, sexual harassment is NOT based on what was said or even touched, but on the victim's threshold for it.  So if I simply commented on a colleague's attractiveness, and he or she is particularly shy or dislikes me, he or she may have cause to report me.  It's not over-sensitivity or political correctness; it's actually very reasonable IMHO, as all of us have different thresholds or comfort zones about these things.  Don't worry, I never got reported, but maybe it's because I recognize this.

 

I had no idea Cullen was groped.  If I did, I would have protected him.  I'd have put my own booty in front of his own...or behind it, I don't know how that would work logistically, but I'd have been there for him.  The very fact I didn't notice it as I was thinking about finding an assassin, trying to stop a coup...no excuses, I'm clearly a bad manager for failing to look after my own team.

 

That said, I kinda did liked how Leliana, who is this dangerously attractive veteran of the Grand Game, told Cullen to "stand there and look pretty."  I don't think Cullen would report her to HR for that as it seems she totally knew he would take it as a compliment.