Asking for it

de Harry Brod, Sut Jhally

The line between sexual consent and sexual coercion is not always as clear as it seems--and this is exactly why we should approach our sexual interactions with great care. In this lecture, professor Harry Brod offers a unique take on the problem of sexual assault, one that complicates the issue even as it clarifies the bottom-line principle that consent must always be explicitly granted, never simply assumed. This lecture ranges from the meanings of "yes" and "no" to the indeterminacy of silence to the way alcohol affects our ethical responsibilities. Brod proposes a model of sexual interaction that is most erotic precisely when it is most thoughtful and empathetic.