In 2023, a year that has already brought to light so many horrific abuses of women and girls, we’ve now been served yet another reminder that there are still people out there who refuse to treat us with basic respect and dignity.

Following a now-viral on-air misogynistic rant, controversial GB News presenter and political ‘activist’ Laurence Fox has been formally suspended by the channel after he refused to apologise for asking “Who’d want to shag that?” about a female journalist live on air.

Fox made the vile remarks about political correspondent Ava Evans during an episode of Dan Wootton Tonight on Tuesday after Evans had appeared on Monday’s BBC Politics Live. “We’re past the watershed so I can say this… show me a single, self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman… ever… ever,” Fox told host Wootton. “That little woman has been fed… spoon-fed oppression day after day after day, starting with the lie about the gender pay gap.”

Sharing a video of the interaction to X (formerly known as Twitter), Evans wrote: “Laurence Fox just did a whole speech on GB News on why men apparently won’t shag me?” In a follow-up tweet, she added that the footage made her feel “physically sick”. And it’s no wonder.

But just why is it that “I wouldn’t sleep with you” is still considered the ultimate insult for women?

Fox’s comments aren’t just completely reductive. They’re not just unfair, deeply misogynistic or hateful. They prove what we already know: that to some people, no matter what we do, say or accomplish, nothing will ever matter as much as how desirable we are. And when we don’t act ‘nice’ or ‘mild’ or ‘grateful’? We have that sexuality thrown right back in our faces. We’re told being ‘one of those’ feminists is a turn-off, that we have to sit pretty, play along and smile no matter the circumstance. That no one will want us if we speak up.

In a way that so many of us have become all too familiar with, it serves only to reduce women to nothing more than their perceived attractiveness to men. It’s not simply the juvenile retort “I didn’t fancy you anyway” – it’s so much more sinister.

We know that sexual objectification harms women. Hundreds of studies have pointed to the psychological impact of the anxiety, anger, embarrassment and shame caused by unsolicited comments about our bodies. And when 97% of women in the UK say they have been sexually harassed, it’s clear that these comments have become a threat not just to our mental health, but also to our physical safety.

Following his tirade, GB News confirmed that it had formally suspended Fox and launched an internal investigation. Yet unsurprisingly, on his own social media channels, Fox refused to apologise. “I stand by every word of what I said,” he added. “So if you are expecting a grovelling apology, I suggest you don’t hold your breath. I won’t ever apologise to the mob.”

Wootton, however, shared in a statement that he “should have intervened immediately to challenge offensive and misogynistic remarks” during the interview. “Having looked at the footage, I can see how inappropriate my reaction to his totally unacceptable remarks appears to be and want to be clear that I was in no way amused by the comments,” he said.

Following a “number of complaints” about Fox’s outburst, media regulator Ofcom also confirmed that it would be assessing its broadcast rules and would publish the outcome as quickly as possible.

Fox is not the first, nor will he be the last, man to espouse this kind of vitriol. From catcalls in the street to a former US president talking on record about how to “grab ‘em by the pussy”, what will it take to finally change the way talk about and treat women?

Images: Getty