During an E! interview at a red carpet ceremony, the camera operator takes a sweeping toe-to-head shot of Cate Blanchett, when she crouches down to ask, “Do you do that to the guys?” The internet explodes with opinion, and more fuel is added to the increasing fight against the objectification of women in media.

The way I see it, the camera operator was just doing their job. Red carpet ceremonies are events focused on fashion, and Cate Blanchett was wearing a very nice gown that should be seen in its entirety. No, most male guests would not have received the same treatment, because most male guests would be wearing suits or tuxedos and everybody knows what black pants look like.

The real issue here is not the camera operator’s actions. The tragedy is that filming a gown at a fashion event can be taken as an attack, if the gown is being worn by a woman. That’s where sexism in our society has taken us. There is a lot of work to be done in changing attitudes and healing wounds before gender equality has a shot at realization.