open than American films in dealing with sexual
matters. The director, who was only twenty-six when
the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival,
treated his characters—with the notable exception
of John—with affection and compassion. He gave
considerable latitude to his actors, who found unex-
pected humor in their characters’ aimlessness and
self-absorption.
Impact The publicity surroundingsex, lies, and vid-
eotapegave the public more awareness of the Sun-
dance Film Festival, then a relatively small venue,
and of independent film in general. The film’s suc-
cess represented a breakthrough for Harvey and
Bob Weinstein’s production company, Miramax
Films, which had previously distributed primarily
foreign-language films. The film launched Soder-
bergh’s career as a major film director. It also
boosted the careers of its stars, all four of whom went
on to significant careers in film, television, or the-
ater. The film won the Sundance Audience Award,
received the Palme d’Or as the best film at the
Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Further Reading
Biskind, Peter.Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax,
Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film. New
York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Palmer, William J.The Films of the Eighties: A Social His-
tor y. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University
Press, 1993.
Smith, Lory.Party in a Box: The Stor y of the Sundance
Film Festival. Salt Lake City: Gibbs-Smith, 1999.
Michael Adams
See also Big Chill, The; Camcorders;Do the Right
Thing; Film in the United States; Generation X.
Sexual harassment
Definition Unwelcome sexual speech or behavior,
engaged in by someone with institutional power
over the recipient
During the 1980’s, the U.S. Supreme Court and many
lower courts ruled that sexual harassment was a form of sex
discrimination. As a result, businesses and academic insti-
tutions became more aware of the issue and sought to edu-
cate students and employees about it.
Sexual harassment was not a new phenomenon in
the 1980’s. However, the behavior did not have a le-
gal name until the late twentieth century. Addi-
tionally, the public became more familiar with the
problem, as the courts established legal definitions
and employers became sensitive to their responsibil-
ity to prevent the conduct.Sex Discrimination The Civil Rights Act of 1964
made it illegal for employers and educational insti-
tutions to discriminate against a person with respect
to “terms, conditions, or privileges of employment
because of such individual’s race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin.” In 1980, the Equal Employ-
ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued
guidelines stating that sexual harassment was a form
of sex discrimination. The rules defined the prohib-
ited activity to include unwanted sexual advances,
requests for sexual favors, and verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature. They stated that sexual
harassment included giving or removing an eco-
nomic quid pro quo.
Quid pro quo harassment is the easiest type to
identify. It generally involves the attempt by an em-
ployer or a supervisor to exchange rewards such as
raises or promotions in return for sexual favors.
Likewise, it may involve punishing an employee who
refuses sexual contact by negative changes to the
terms of his or her employment. The second type of
sexual harassment consists of creating a hostile work
environment. In this situation, there may be no ne-
gotiation for sexual favors, but rather the general
work atmosphere is infiltrated with sexual content
or references, affecting employees’ ability to do their
jobs.Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson In 1986, the Su-
preme Court heard a case brought by Mechelle Vin-
son against her employer, Meritor Savings Bank.
Vinson claimed that over a period of five years she
was continually subjected to fondling, demands for
sexual intercourse, and even rape by her boss, Sid-
ney Taylor. Vinson could not report the harassment
to her supervisor, as he was the assailant. She also tes-
tified that she feared the loss of her job if she told
other bank officials. Taylor and the bank manage-
ment denied any wrongdoing. Taylor claimed the
sexual contact was consensual. The bank asserted
that Vinson had not suffered any economic disad-
vantage.868 Sexual harassment The Eighties in America