It’s the megalomania that makes the monsters — not the raging hormones, not the alcohol, not even the much\u002Dtalked\u002Dabout \u0027cone of silence\u0027
It’s the megalomania that makes the monsters — not the raging hormones, not the alcohol, not even the much-talked-about “cone of silence” that features prominently in Hockey Canada’s new action plan.
We know from the Harvey Weinsteins and Matt Lauers of the world that, for predators, sexual assault and harassment is often less about bodily gratification than psychological gratification. It satisfies their need for power and dominance — to know they can exert control over another human being and no one will stop them. This is true of solo sexual assaults, let alone group ones that are even more inextricably linked to the desire to subjugate.
Hockey Canada will, of course, be reluctant to acknowledge or act on this. After all, turning young athletes into celebrities sells more tickets and jerseys, and Hockey Canada’s leadership enjoys a halo effect that also bestows celebrity, prestige and power upon them by association. It’s no wonder they’re so reluctant to give up their jobs, even in the face of their obvious failures.
They’ve spent the last month promoting the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, an under-18 tournament, with the line, “Spend your summer with the future stars of the game!” Hockey Canada’s Twitter feed has promoted the social media accounts of the young men currently competing in that event to its 431,000 followers. This goes beyond sharing rosters or game recaps, it’s a branding and PR exercise meant to encourage the celebrification of teen athletes.
Perhaps worse than the systemic corruption of young athletes via a pipeline to fame and untouchable power is the weaponization of that same celebrity against their alleged victims.
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