WHAT THE BRITISH PAPARAZZI DID TO CELEBRATE EMMA WATSON'S 18TH BIRTHDAY WILL DISTURB YOU
Emma Watson announced the launch of He For She Arts Week, "a celebration of gender equality in the arts," as part of her UN He For She initiative at a press conference in New York. In her speech (via The Huffington Post), Emma spoke about one incident in particular that she felt illustrated how she's been treated differently from her co-stars, and it's very serious:
"I remember when I turned 18, I came out of my birthday party and the photographers were lying on the pavement and they took pictures of my skirt, which were then published in the front of the English newspaper the next morning," Emma said. "If they had posted the photos 24 hours earlier, they would have been illegal, but since he had just turned 18, they were legal." She commented on similar incidents of gender discrimination in the interview accompanying her new Esquire UK cover. "I've been slapped (on my ass) when I left a room. I've felt scared walking home... I don't talk much about these experiences, because coming from me they will sound like a big deal and I don't want this to be about me," he told her. she told the magazine, "but most women I know have experienced it, and what's worse... unfortunately, it is. It's much more general than we acknowledge. It shouldn't be an acceptable fact of life that women They must be afraid."
We all have a duty to confront these behaviors when we see them, Emma argued in both cases, suggesting that men in particular need to look beyond "feminism" as a scary word and gain a greater understanding of the issues at hand. "It doesn't make sense for me to say, 'Everyone needs to stop reading this article and decide they're a feminist,'" Emma told Esquire. "That's useless. The only thing that's going to make a difference is if the men go away and talk to the women in their lives about what they're experiencing." And in an illustration that, well, they're trying but not quite there yet (or at least playing devil's advocate for their readers' sake), Esquire asks why should men care about gender equality? Um, do you see above? However, Emma answered perfectly, perfectly:
It is important to note that this is not about convincing you that gender equality is worth participating in just because there might be something in it for you. Or in it for your sister or your mother. The question is, what's in it for humans? Martin Luther King said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. I really do. And the benefits on top of that? Happier, healthier, more successful children? Being able to take proper paternity leave and see your baby? Being able to talk to someone if you feel bad? Do you actually become yourself? Being invited by a woman? Better sex? A marriage that is a true partnership? More diverse and interesting perspectives on art, culture, business and politics? Crowdsourcing all the innovation and genius in the world, not just half. A very high number of secure, trusting and satisfied people on the planet, particularly women? World peace? Seriously. World peace!
"Now there's a willingness to say, 'Fine. Call me a diva, call me a feminazi, call me difficult, call me a First World feminist, call me whatever you want,'" Emma says later in the piece, discussing the issue of equal pay and sexism in hollywood. "It's not going to stop me from trying to do the right thing and make sure the right thing happens." And that's why she's largely giving up acting this year to focus on HeForShe campaigns (she's enjoying her free time a lot). also, thxvm).
