Hello and welcome to another episode of the Perception Podcast with me your host Caroline Partridge. In today's episode, I'm thrilled to be once again talking to award-winning therapist and trauma specialist Sally Baker. In light of the recent allegations against Russell Brand Sally and I discuss the power of the media in shaping our perceptions of survivor and perpetrator, and how women especially are judged in the public arena. We explore the elevated sense of self that can emerge with celebrity, and look at the acquisition of power as a tool of control.  Please join me as we look a life through a different lens.  KEY TAKEAWAYS The media has considerable power, particularly in perceived facts, as has recently been seen in the trial by media of Russell Brand and Harry and Megan. Frequently the public hold onto the soundbite put out by the media and don't understand or take the time to research the full picture and context. A lot of the time the people who are pulled up on things they have done or said are women and it’s another layer of misogyny, where women can’t speak openly. There are many layers of confinement and injustice for women in the film industry, from the connection of looks with success to the differences in pay. This isn’t where the discrimination stops as Sally talks about why class and race impact a person’s ability to even enter the industry. Those who have survived abuse can be portrayed as unreliable if they can’t relay all facts and also because they have managed to overcome what happened to them. Trauma can impact a person’s memory recall ability, especially for things like dates. There is a myriad of responses to being assaulted and regardless of which one a woman chooses she is often criticised for it. Every time you talk through a memory you reprocess it, this can create a gap between what happened and what you then can recall accurately. There is always some level of shame attached to talking about sexual assault, for this to then be in the media and the backlash that creates must be incredibly difficult and isolating for the victim. When the culture in TV and film is about adapting workplaces to aid the perpetrator, then it clearly demonstrates the sexist and misogynistic attitudes they have, women are suffering in multiple ways including being excluded from workplaces and jobs. People accept poor behaviour from others, especially those in higher roles than them as they want to be able to progress and develop their career. The benchmark for human decency, including personal hygiene, can be very low for famous people as they have a completely different attitude. Regardless of the situation, women are often blamed, society is built to support and therefore believe men. BEST MOMENTS ‘People make decisions based on emotion and any facts, true or false, become immaterial because our emotions are so powerful’ ‘People immediately seize on a soundbite without hearing the whole of the context’ ‘Here we are in 2023 and women are worried about what they’re saying, doesn’t feel like progress’ ‘It’s not only sexist it’s classist and there are layers of discrimination’ ‘They don’t behave like normal civilians like you and I’ 'Wherever we have power imbalances and have people who want to be chosen, they will put up with a lot of stuff' 'Everyone has access to you [with social media] and everyone has their say" 'I refuse to punch down on a woman I don't know and have never met [On Megan Markle] ABOUT THE GUEST  BIO Sally Baker Sally is a highly experienced licensed and accredited therapist, writer and speaker. She sees adults and young people face to face in London and worldwide via Zoom. She is trained to an advanced or master practitioner level in many of the latest therapeutic approaches all of which work rapidly and powerfully to resolve a wide range of presenting issues. Sally has written books on key aspects of therapy published by Hammersmit