A monologue by Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss has gone viral in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard, with thousands applauding him for his message to men on male accountability.
WARNING: Explicit language During the 2019 routine, Sloss admits that he often ignored concerning signs in a male friend's treatment towards women, before that friend raped a woman. He used the anecdote to call on all men to do more to call out toxic behaviour, asking men to not make the same mistake he did.
It comes after a woman called Sarah Everard vanished in London on March 3 while she was walking home from a friend's apartment. A police officer has since been charged with her murder.
Coverage of Everard's disappearance and subsequent news of her death revived discussions in the UK and across the world about violence against women and personal safety.
Sarah Everard vanished on March 3, 2021. A police officer has since been charged with her murder. Image: Metropolitan Police Service.
In Sloss' monologue, he says that if every woman who has experienced sexual assault was to go to police, there's not enough officers or courtrooms in the world to deal with the problem. He went on to say that 97 per cent of rapists will not spend a night in jail. "That is a real statistic," he says. "That is f**king abhorrent." In light of this, Sloss asks: "How do we fix this?"
The 30-year-old says the answer partly lies in men holding each other to account, in order to overturn toxic masculinity. “The only thing I can think of is that it has to involve us. And by us, I mean men," Sloss tells the audience.
"I knew this man for eight years, and he fucking did it. There are monsters amongst us, and they look like us. If you are sick of the narrative that’s currently going on about men, feel free to change it but you have to get involved.
"Don’t make the same mistake I did for years, which was just sitting back and being like: ‘Well I’m not part of the problem, therefore I must be part of the solution’. Cause that’s just not how this f**king s**t works.
"I believe and deep down I know that most men are good. Of course we are. But when one in ten men are s**t and the other nine do nothing, they might as well not f**king be there," Sloss says. He went on to say that change requires active prevention, not just angry reactions. “Being good on the inside counts for absolutely fuck all. You have to actively be good and get involved. Instead of having this f**king hero complex and being like ‘I’m going to beat up a rapist.’ F**king prevent one, stop one, because I know it can be done, because I know how I f**king failed at it.
"Because if I’m being 100 per cent honest with myself, were there signs in my friend’s behaviour over the years toward women that I ignored? The answer is yes. And then he raped my friend and that’s on me until the day I die. "Talk to your f**king boys, get involved."
Watch the video below. WARNING: Explicit language
Video via Mamamia One man shared the video with the message, "There are few things harder than coming to terms with being a part of the problem. But it's time to take some accountability. I don't doubt most of us can think of how we perpetuate this environment directly and indirectly. It's our job to make sure the next round do better."
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