A man purposefully exposed his penis on the ARIAs red carpet. Why is no one talking about it?

In case you’ve missed it, men – the predatory type – are in trouble.

The string of accusations against prominent men currently flooding our newsfeeds include: showing women their genitals without being asked; masturbating in front of women; groping women; pressuring women into sex; talking about sex in front of women; talking about f*cking that woman in particular; holding women down; raping women.

As victims continue to come forward – led by those who first spoke out against disgraced Hollywood filmmaker Harvey Weinstein – a history of silence in which powerful men have gotten away with sexually harassing women who are less powerful, and oftentimes in their employment, is slowly unravelling.

It’s therefore astounding that Australian musician Kirin J. Callinan thought it might be acceptable to attend the ARIA Music Awards in Sydney last night and stare down reporters while lifting his kilt and exposing his genitals.

The action was purposeful and he did it without anyone’s consent. Has he not seen the news?

Probably, he thought it was hilarious. A prank that would make headlines and maybe even catapult him back into public relevance.

Instead, the act echoed that of too many powerful, successful men who've come before. It was the public equivalent of an unsolicited dick pick.

The thinking:  "I can get away with purposefully flashing a red carpet full of paparazzi my penis in the name of humour..."

Is a close cousin to: "I can get away with groping a woman or asking the size of her vagina because I think it's funny".

Not only were his actions tone-deaf, they were likely illegal.

According to criminal law firm George Sten & Co, indecent exposure in NSW can lead to a fine or six months' imprisonment. Their website reads: "Section five of the Summary Offences Act 1988 (NSW) states that ‘a person shall not, in or within view from a public place or a school, wilfully and obscenely expose his or her person’."

Almost certainly, the intentions behind Callinan's stunt are different from those that fueled Weinstein's actions.

But one element in both scenarios remains the same: A man who thinks something is funny - his 'right', even - has no regard for those subjected to his actions who might find them offensive or a violation.

Then, there is the double standard.

Since the beginning of time, women have been chastised and shamed by the media for showing too much skin on the red carpet.

'Nip slips', 'camel toes', and the 'side vag', are all unintentional malfunctions of a designer wardrobe, but they attract headlines that are as sensational as they are critical.

On the same ARIA red carpet as Callinan last night, there was television presenter Richard Wilkins with his girlfriend Virginia Burmeister. In covering their appearance, News Corp said Burmeister had "no issue flaunting some serious flesh" and that the dress "left little to the imagination".

Last month, at the Dally M awards for NRL players, WAG Tegan Martin was "oozing confidence despite her unusual choice of gown", according to Daily Mail. Why was her choice of gown "unusual"? It had a relatively high thigh split - otherwise referred to as a "sartorial risk".

When Chrissy Teigan accidentally showed too much on the red carpet at last year's American Music Awards, The Sun called it "X-rated" and "too daring". The publication also implied she did it to "make sure all eyes were on her".

None of these women lifted up their kilts to expose naked genitals while staring down a crowd of reporters.

Callinan did and we heard nothing. There was no shaming. No outrage. And no headlines with capital letters saying: "You won't BELIEVE Kirin Callinan's choice of NON-EXISTENT outfit on last night's red carpet".

The audacity of Callinan is one thing. The double standard of everyone else is something else all together.

What a depressing, though extremely accurate, sign of the times.