Watch this video

clip from Fox News then come back to this. In summary (for those whose Internet Browser is having trouble displaying it, you might want to just read this partial transcript) the question presented and discussed by a female journalist with a female USC Law Professor was "Is there a double standard (or perceived double standard) between a female teacher having sexual relationships with male students vs. male teachers and female students? And furthermore, is there even another standard when the female teacher is attractive?"

The comments from these ladies is one I would expect: "How can guys ask the question 'where were these ladies when I was in school?'" And they are of course appalled at the act of the statutory rape. And label me pig, but I am one of those guys with his hand in the air asking that exact question. Why? For several reasons.

First, it is a simple truth that the act of sex is very different between men and women. From a purely physical standpoint, a man has to be aroused and women don't (the act of copulation). This implies heavily (even more so in the case of the attractive women) that the idea of sex in these cases was not just a one-way decision. Like it or not, the boys were excited by the prospect and probably had big grins at the time. I don't see these boys as being physically overpowered and forced into a state of arousal (this from a typical male who lived thru the teen years when seriously all it took was a quick breeze before we had our coats or books covering our laps during class). Rape is defined as an act of violence, a point no one contests. In the case of a man raping a woman, there is typically the physical struggle and abuse. When you reverse the roles, where is the violence?

Second, it is pretty well documented that sex is typically physical for men and emotional for women. Billy Crystal said it best - "Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place." Barring the transmittal of a venereal disease, these boys are not going to suffer physically from having sex, whereas girls can suffer severe physical abuse and long term damage. So then the other side of the coin comes into play -- emotional trauma and abuse. Now this I can see being an issue in some of the cases, i.e. the woman promises love and fidelity only to break the young boy's heart (it is called a "crush" for a reason). That can be devastating. But again, for most young men the idea of hooking up with the hot teacher (or older lady) is simply a fantasy dreams are made of. Don't believe me on this? How do you explain these Pop Culture references (none of which fall into the "pornographic" category by any standards I have heard):

"Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" - The Graduate
"I'm Hot For Teacher" - Van Halen
"Stacy's Mom Has Got it Going On" - Fountains of Wayne

It is a common theme in literature, movies, and television: A young man has a crush on his teacher or another older woman. We sit back and say "Aahhh" as she pats him on the cheek at the end and says "You are going be some heartbreaker when you get older." Is it really a surprise then that guys read about beautiful women like Debra LaFavre or Pamela Rogers; women who are physical embodiments of this fantasy, ask themselves "Where were these women when I was a kid?"

Now before I get the onslaught of comments about my apparent lack of social graces, let's be clear:

Do I think these women should be held accountable for their actions? Yes. These women are in a position of authority, and if that authority was abused to get sexual favors then that is wrong. I believe if the "victims" suffer mental anguish as a result then the appropriate penalties should be enforced.

Do I think the charges should be blind to the sex of the parties involved (male vs. female)? NO. I strongly believe more often than not a teenage boy having sex with an older woman is a fantasy come true. I don't believe these women "forced" these boys to have sex. This is something that can be measured and quantified. If the sex was consensual, then terms like "rape" and "sexual battery" are not applicable. I think there should be accountability for bad decision making (an older woman making plays for men too young to really know what they are getting into), and if emotional trauma can be accounted for in the "victims" then let the punishment fit the crime. But rape? No.

I have stated in previous posts my position on bullies. I have a passionate hate for anyone who picks on someone simply because they can. Rape is an act of a bully; physically overpowering someone and forcing them to do something they don't want to. That definition should be kept at the forefront of the debate. That is my opinion.