[ SECRET POST #3122 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3122 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.


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02.
[My Name is Earl]


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03.


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04.


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05.
[Veep]


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06.
[Welcome to Night Vale]


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07.
[Wes Anderson]


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08.
[Felicia Day]


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09.
[Oscar Jarjayes/Rose of Versailles]


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10.
[Holly Madison, Girls Next Door]


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11.
(Game of Thrones)








Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 025 secrets from Secret Submission Post #446.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I feel like there could be grounds to at least investigate what was going on or someone could bring a claim to court. I know there are a lot of super shady things in business practices that are completely legal in the United States but a lot of what Holly was talking about felt super wrong to me.

[(Anonymous)]

I think you're mistaking "unethical" for "illegal". Lots of technically legal things are shady. Assuming there was an official contract to be a girlfriend (the book didn't make it sound very official, i.e. no paperwork), well, every single employer sets their own rules and hours in the workplace. You can argue that being made to work overtime in unpleasant conditions is unethical, but if you try to bring a claim to court, the judge will simply ask you why you don't quit and find a job more to your liking.

So, what kind of claim would they be bringing to court? You can't sue people for doing legal stuff that you don't like.

[(Anonymous)]

But bring unethical labor practices to court is a thing you can do? Just because something is in a contract or common practice in business it does not mean it is free from being challenged. Employers get sued all the time and they even often lose cases when they step over the line.

Like I said I know there are shady business practices that are perfectly legal, I am questioning whether they should go unchallenged or not.

[(Anonymous)]

Well, yes, you can. If it breaks a law or is in violation of some code besides your own personal code of ethics. If it does not break a law, then what grounds do you have? Going to court is expensive, people generally don't want to do it unless they're 1) already rich or 2) pretty sure it'll result in winning money to cover their legal costs. Suing people because of your principles can be noble, I guess, but few people can afford to do that.

All employers are going to set your hours and limit your freedoms, that comes with the territory. While you may feel strongly about the rules Hefner set (and I don't disagree with you that they were awful), that doesn't mean it's a prosecutable offense. You can challenge people about it, sure. But in court and expect anyone to give a shit? Probably not.

[(Anonymous)]

Well yeah I know your first paragraph is true and that's exactly why a lot of business practices are so unethical, because most people who are the victims of them don't have the resources to fight against them.

Someone like Holly and any other successful former girlfriend MIGHT though. I can't really say what exactly they could bring to court without knowing the ins and outs of everything, but it's completely possible a good lawyer could find a lot that would be debatable even in court.

[(Anonymous)]

Anything's possible, but you know... the fact that there have no been NO successful lawsuits is probably a big hint that there isn't anything you could legitimately sue him for. If you agree to take money and perform a shitty job but you could leave the shitty job any time you want, that greatly limits your ability to sue your employer for being shitty.

[(Anonymous)]

I still can't say that's true though, I don't know Hefner's entire legal history but if there's truly NO successful lawsuit that still doesn't mean there aren't legit reasons to bring him to court, it just means he's rich and powerful enough (with a decent legal team) to get away with what he gets away with.

Saying "oh you could leave at any time" could be said for ANY job but that doesn't mean employers are free to do whatever they want.

Hefner also has all the classic tells of an abuser and I think that's a big reason why (in addition to not having the resources he has) more women don't seek damages against him. Abusers can fuck you up for life and make you believe you'll never win against them.

[(Anonymous)]

Somebody suing Hugh Hefner for girlfriend-related stuff will definitely make the news. Now you're right, this is not to say that there are no legitimate reasons for suing him, but... look at the stats. Think about how many girlfriends he's had, many of them very hungry for money and fame. Think about what a litigious society he lives in. What are the odds that there are grounds for a lawsuit and yet nobody's ever tried it? Very slim, I'd say.


"Saying "oh you could leave at any time" could be said for ANY job but that doesn't mean employers are free to do whatever they want."

Well, sure. But if what they do are entirely within the bounds of the law and/or not provable, like saying mean things to your girlfriends with no witnesses around, this isn't something you can sue people for.