Sarah Silverman Noticed Her Provocative Pictures in Mammogram Story Coverage

Sarah Silverman recently underwent a horrible experience at her mammogram check-up. The doctor seemed to do more than just a check-up. He engaged in inappropriate behavior that is definitely not part of the procedure. Since, Sarah Silverman is known to voice her opinion on the injustice of the world, she shared the story to her followers on Instagram:

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I had a shitty time at my mammogram appt today. I have to get an ultrasound after my mammograms because I have dense breasts (insert joke here) and this radiologist — the same man I had last year — I do not like him and here is why: He opened my gown and put gel on my breasts and smeared it around with his bare hands. Then he started talking to me about my chest X-ray (I also got a chest X-Ray) and was pontificating with my boobs just out and covered in gel and cold and finally I said “Hey-can we either talk about this when I’m dressed or WHILE your doing the ultrasound? I’m not comfortable with my breasts out just shooting the shit with you” Okay so — he smears the gel on with his hands and NO GLOVES on and when he glides the ultrasound wand thing over my breasts he drags his fingers on them and it fucking bothers me. Again, AS I TOLD HIM LAST YEAR, I said “Hey! Do you need to be touching me with your fingers?” He said “No”. And he pulled them off of me. Then he added “I do that for balance.” I said “Well I believe in you and I think you can do with without your fingers on me” Look, I truly don’t think he was getting off on it, BUT it is his job to be aware that this is vulnerable for a woman. Wear fucking GLOVES – this isn’t a date. For him to be so arrogant that he didn’t even internalize the problem when I said something to him about it last year is obnoxious and probably a subconscious power thing if we’re getting deep. That was my last mammogram with this dude. Or any dude. Look. I’m a grown woman and I’m fine. But this guy does this with everyone and I know that personally it took many years into adulthood before I spoke up for myself. It’s uncomfortable and too easy to think it’s all in your head. And arrogant fucks like this doctor take advantage of women’s socialized instinct to not speak up. All this to say speak up. Trust that thing in your gut that tells you this shit ain’t right. ♥️

A post shared by Sarah Silverman (@sarahkatesilverman) on Feb 6, 2019 at 3:53pm PST

“Look. I’m a grown woman and I’m fine. But this guy does this with everyone and I know that personally it took many years into adulthood before I spoke up for myself. It’s uncomfortable and too easy to think it’s all in your head. And arrogant fucks like this doctor take advantage of women’s socialized instinct to not speak up. “

A lot of news outlets covered this story, like Bustle, Yahoo, Health, and Mail Online.

But, a few news sites had a weird way of doing it. They had pictures of Sarah Silverman that exposed some area of her breasts.

Surprisingly, people still seem to think that people are more likely to commit sexual misconduct against those who wear provocative dresses.

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A post shared by Sarah Silverman (@sarahkatesilverman) on Feb 11, 2019 at 8:28pm PST

Sarah Silverman Makes a Good Point!

The comedian and actress highlighted the fact that many of the news sites and magazines had provocative pictures of her for an article that’s literally talking about her bad experience with a male doctor overstepping his boundaries. Silverman did not call it abuse or herself a victim, but some might call it that. In any case, the behavior was not appropriate.

However, the age old societal norms that constantly blame the victims of sexual abuse and harassment have been translated into the digital age. Sarah Silverman was right to notice this pattern of patriarchal media coverage.

It’s more than how editors choose the stories. The perspective  from which news sites write them an have a lot of effect too. Conventional as well as digital magazines and newspapers use click bait titles and images to gain more viewership. Unintentionally, it all plays a role in perpetuating harmful stereotypes and views.

Even news media companies choice of pictures can have a profound effect on how the public views the celebrity being talked about. Women celebrities were often just made to be ‘sexy’ and ‘hot’, to simply gauge the interest of the male reader.

Sarah Silverman shared her horrible experience to promote awareness of sexual abuse problems women face everyday. It was to enlighten girls everywhere that they should not stay quiet if they feel that something is going wrong. Instead, the picture chosen in some news stories focused on the provocative way she dresses (even if the entire incident was accurately told alongside it). And hence internet trolls online fell into their old habits of victim shaming.

Additionally, the fact that she easily talks about sex in her stand-up routine does not mean that she deserves inappropriate treatment by the doctor or in fact anyone else.

What’s Sarah Silverman Doing These Days?

Recently, she completed filming Wreck it Ralph’s sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet where she voices Vanellope. For the most part of 2018, Silverman was busy with her Hulu show I Love You, America which focuses on the political divides of the country especially after Trump’s presidency. Sadly, it was cancelled before we could get more seasons for it. Her political activism took birth during the 2016 Presidential election.

She was popularly a writer as well as performer on Saturday Night Live and for the show bearing her own name The Sarah Silverman Program. Other acting roles include Masters of Sex and The Simpsons.

As of now, there are no active projects Sarah Silverman is working on. The comedian just has her hands full dealing with controversies and her relentless political activism.