Well, hello Emma Watson

Oh and JK didn't say anything for YEARS about Emma's actions. She's only doing so now because there's maintaining a dignified silence and then there's allowing someone to harm you even when they're an adult and should know better. She's drawing a much needed boundary for a woman who is 35 but behaves like a child (see also: driving laws).

People who 'love' someone don't behave as Emma does.

Emma did what was easy, yes, but she could have just stayed silent on the issue (as many of the HP actors did) which would be slightly more uncomfortable and isn't doing what's right but also isn't throwing women and children under the bus to quite the same enthusiastic Umbridge-like extent.

I've been watching the Goblet of Fire.

At the end Dumbledore says 'soon we must all face the choice between what is right or what is easy' this is a change from the book where JK wrote 'Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory. "

But ultimately Emma and Dan chose what was easy. Not only that, they chose what was easy for them even though they knew that doing so would harm other people they must obviously think of as lesser. The victims of Katie Dolatowski, Karen White, Barbie Kardashian and the list goes on.

It's bizarre to me that they could act in those movies where the central theme is someone standing up and doing what is right against evil and protecting the vulnerable despite the awful difficulties for them personally in doing so and going against what is trendy and fashionable and in the news (the Daily Prophet's smear campaign against Harry and distortion of truth rings some bells) and wonder that JKR has taken the stance that she has. They must be very, very dim not to get it.

Men have 160% the punch power of women, even if they identify as trans. I hope Barbie Kardashian's mother is in hiding.

Wouldn't you get bored. Having everything you want isn't all it's made out to be, we need challenge & purpose to some extent.

Some love acting, and so it even when very old just bc they want to.

Yeah, it was really mean and unecessary. If you start a scale of "worthiness", where do we all stand on it? EW has certainly achieved many more things in life than I have. Does that make her opinions more valid than mine? If you start that game, then expect to be judged yourself.

Totally agree with you! I have just posted on this. The pp really stood out for its meanness. Awful for women to judge each other like that. No wonder EW doesn't want to act anymore and face such awful public scrutiny.

This is a very mean post. You and I know absolutely nothing about Emma Watson's private life - if she has godchildren or nieces and nephews, is loved by her family. The description of her being a "lonely spinster" is vile and demeaning to all single women as though the crowning achievement for women is to have a man and a child.

As for JK having one old school friend at her 60th. I am in touch with many old school friends including some from when I was under 10, but what does that tell you about me? Absolutely nothing.

To compare young Emma Watson with JKR is so awful and I am sure that JKR herself would abhor that (surely?).

And imagining that she went back to school saying look at Meeeee! Even if she did do that as a youngster I would give her a pass on that because of the strange things that stardom does to the minds of the young (I knew a very "nice" girl from school who was a child star who became a drug addict).

Also, many many people can lay claim to having made EW wealthy - the person who cast her in the films, the scriptwriter on the film, the director on the film, the film production companies, her agent, her PR person. Yes, the films are based on JKR's books, but films are collaborations. For JKR to take all credit for them is arrogant beyond belief. In fact, the films added to her wealth and boosted sales. she will never want for money for the rest of her life. She should be grateful for that.

!!!!! @CleopatraSelene Grey Gardens klaxon!

https://archive.ph/1Hz8y

It wasn't presented like that.

It was more like "Look how much JKR had done by that age! Look how little EW had!" which, I think, is an unhealthy and unhelpful way to weigh people's arguments.

I've always wondered with actors, once they've made their first few million, why they bother after that. I think if I had, say, £10m in the bank, I'd give up acting and just enjoy my private swimming pool and holidays in the Bahamas. So, much as I'm not a fan of Emma Watson, I don't blame her for deciding to do a PhD rather than get on with her acting career.

You could probably say the same about JKR - she doesn't need to write, but presumably she keeps on doing it because she enjoys it.

Anyway, this is never a decision I'm going to have to make, disappointingly.

I assumed that was suggesting J K Rowling has had experience of pregnancy and motherhood, which are things which rather hammer home the difficulties of some aspects of being female, and the differences between men and women.

I disagree. The post above mine was pulling EW's life apart, criticising her for her career trajectory, some pure imagination about how she was at school, whether she has friends from her past, etc etc. All totally unecessary when critiqueing her views imo.

For instance:

At 35 JKR had a young child

Does that mean that women who don't have children at that age should be judged?

Depends on what your opinions are and what they mean for people who aren't you.

Much as I dislike EW, I am uncomfortable with criticising women for what we perceive them to have "achieved", or not achieved. I'm perfectly comfortable with criticising her for her opinions or actions, but don't think it's right to pick her life apart as though there are points to be scored.

I haven't "achieved" as much as many people, does that make my opinions or beliefs less valid than theirs?!

Seems like she is leading a pretty empty life, a perpetual student but not really a student, cushioned as she is by her millions.
I remember reading an interview with her when she must have been about 14/15 and she talked about how she loved dropping into school when she had the chance, or going back after filming had ended and catching up with everything. At the time I thought "Ah that's nice and normal". Now I wonder if it went with a grand entrance, "Hello everybody, it's MEEEEE, yes it's Meee, I'm back, Meee is here, back to bring you crumbs of heavenly Meee and tell you all about my wonderful life". I wonder how her peers took it.

JKR had at least one old school friend at her 60th birthday party. I wonder how many school friends Emma is still in touch with.
At 35 JKR had a young child, was a published author though not yet super rich, and had various other achievements and life experiences, she had probably met, though not yet married her husband Neil.

Emma has acted in a few films, none since 2018. She doesn't appear to have had any major longstanding relationships and once described herself as being "self-partnered". Sounds so much more trendy than being a lonely spinster.
Possibly she does more philanthropic/charity work than we know about, maybe she keeps it secret. I feel pretty sure JKR also does far more than we know about, quietly supporting a range of individuals and charities via anonymous donations as well as the substantial charitable and philanthropic work that we do know about. Such a shame Emma couldn't look at her as a mentor and someone whom she could learn so much from.

I will lay a sizeable bet that in about 5 years Emma will seal her credentials as a woman who tramples on the rights of other women by having a baby through surrogacy.

archive.ph/5f8Op

It's estimated only about 4% of detransitioners do so for reasons of mistaking their identity. The overwhelming majority do so because they can't handle living with the discrimination or they can't afford the costs involved that are necessary for them to 'pass' & avoid discrimination.

Estimated by whom and on what evidence? What discrimination?

Most of what we have seen is trans identified individuals being protected, celebrated and lauded at the expense of women, while claiming the opposite.

Tbf Drew Barrymore did stretch herself in the 2009 TV movie of Grey Gardens, she was very good there. That seems to be it though.

Can you blame her? I think she could have done much more but after a childhood where she was horribly neglected, smoking and drinking while less than 10, and by many disturbing rumours, sexually abused by various male actors when she was 13(whose names may be revealed one day as Kirk Douglas' was), could you blame her for coasting & doing light-hearted things?

Someone like EW is very different. The worst she got was reviewers talking about her teenage breast developement, horrible but not anywhere near what Drew dealt with.

Do you know who have no choice but to live with discrimination? Women, that's who. We don't get to tell the patriarchy that we'd like to opt out.

It's estimated only about 4% of detransitioners do so for reasons of mistaking their identity. The overwhelming majority do so because they can't handle living with the discrimination or they can't afford the costs involved that are necessary for them to 'pass' & avoid discrimination.

Just because trans people experience mental health problems at a higher rate that the average population doesn't mean their identification as trans was caused by it. Gender dysphoria, discrimination, societal & familial rejection are all risk facts for depression, anxiety etc.

In any case, Im not suggesting a holistic medical approach shouldn't be taken rather there's no need to use dehumanising language to speak on these issues.

Sadly though there are many young trans people who do have mental health problems and really should have had counselling before being encouraged to go along the narrower gender identity route. Hence the stigma and awkward silence on detransitioning - a massive mistake when it goes wrong.

Also collecting driving offences…in her spare time

The truth.

That's maybe what I'm remembering then, thank you.

Drew Barrymore has one thing going for her that's useful for a talk show host. She has the ability to do small talk and be interested in the person opposite her. I don't thank that's one of Watson's great strengths.

Someone earlier in this thread mentioned Drew Barrymore, in reference to her interview with Mulvaney (comparing it to Watson’s interview with Paris whatsisface). I hadn’t seen it before, but there is definitely a seeming lack of desire to be challenged or stretched in both of them wrt the roles they have chosen post childhood. Wonder if Watson will become a talk show host.

I had no idea she directed that . I googled and noticed it was touted as her directorial debut. Obviously the other directorial work will be starting any minute now.