Famous Men and Sexism

[CKDexterHaven]

Are there any famous men you've irrevocably gone off because of their sexist worldview? Off the top of my head I can think of -

Richard Harris - I'd just started admiring him as an actor when I was a teenager and was watching a montage of his television interviews. He was coming across as incredibly intelligent and eloquent until he talked about how he loved to date beautiful women but lost interest in them completely once they started to speak. He wanted to take beautiful women out to dinner and look at them across the table but if they dared open their mouth to speak it broke the spell and 'ruined' them for him.

Michael Fassbender - I was trying to ignore the domestic violence rumours as he had never been charged but then he appeared on Graham Norton going on about how he wouldn't come out of his trailer unless they played 'Blurred Lines' and it kind of confirmed his sexist dickishness for me.

Marlon Brando - Years ago I was watching a retrospective documentary about him and they showed him during a press conference at the height of his fame. A young female journalist got up to ask him a question and he made her turn around slowly so he and all the other men could get a good look at her before she could ask it. Ugh.

I can never really enjoy anything with these guys in as a result of their misogyny. The same goes for men like Sean Connery and Jack Nicholson. Anyone else feel the same about other famous guys?

I'm dubious of Joss Whedon's inclusion as well Just. He's held up as this great feminist because of Buffy, but, as I think that quote shows, it seems he's merely fetishised 'strong women' instead. I love his shows, but there was a lot in Angel that was problematic from a feminist viewpoint.

YY, I agree, Josh Whedon can be appalling.

There last couple of seasons of Buffy are pretty unpleasant in a feministy way. I love Buffy, but I really can't get past the rape scene. I don't think Whedon gets it - he thinks that all that matters is explaining away Spike's motivation by saying 'oh, but he doesn't have a soul,' while what actually matters is how she might feel.

I dislike it because I think 'rape, but excusable rape' is a really common trope and he should have known better.

I'd like to add Andy Murray to the feminist list. His attitude to women (so far anyway) is exemplary, never mind to his Mum, in having a female coach and saying that one of his favourite tennis players is Radwanska. How many male tennis stars would say that about female players?

Why Samuel West, Darkesteyes? please say it's not true, I'd love a go with him

The problem is so pervasive that if one boycotted everyone and everything that was sexist there'd be hardly any films, music, art or books left to like. It would be like being one of those vegans who only eats fruit and nuts.

Woman Takes Short Half-Hour Break From Being Feminist To Enjoy TV Show

I agree about Joss, some of his stuff is great and some is rubbish - a lot of season six was guided/written by Marti Noxon though, and I am generally not a great fan of hers. Jane Espenson wrote most of my favourite episodes and I am more of a fangirl about her than Joss.

Dollhouse is definitely interesting but extremely questionable from a feminist point of view.

just - YY, exactly.

te - ah, I didn't know that. What else has she done that you're not a fan of? (I'm just curious).

Point pleasant which is a load of a cack.

She's also involved in Private Practice which is the super conservative sanctimonious spin-off of Grey's Anatomy. I don't know why, when Grey's is actually fairly feminist.

OnlyLovers I think youve misunderstood. Samuel West self identifies as a feminist.

Darkest, yes, you're right, I got it the wrong way round. [eejit]

Phew! Can still fancy him with a clear feminist conscience.

I am gutted to read the MF stuff, mainly because my DD (15) is emerging as a proud defender of feminism but she adores him and will be conflicted to read that stuff about him.

Perhaps it will be a lesson in not putting people on pedestals.

Darkest that's great about Samuel West...I remember liking him as a kid when he was in a BBC adaptation of a Chronicles of Narnia story.

It was an interesting article by Robert Webb...the comments at the end by that utter bellend Mike Buchunan made me fume. He really is a puke!

Antony Armstrong and Ben miller are both sexist shits.

Jeremy clarkson and James may are too.

I'm a big fan of John Lennon's work but I find his behaviour towards his first wife and Julian bloody shocking- her book 'John' is an interesting read. He did come to recognise and regret some of his actions (from what I have read) but obviously does not excuse it.

I'm not surprised by eg Clarkson.

i've just changed my and my (sherlock freak) dd1 by googling Martin |Freeman's conments.

That's horrible, totally changed my mind!

I'm disgusted by Freeman. For some reason, I imagined him as quite like Tim, his Office character.

I quite like the idea of a list 'Men Who Have Been Preliminarily Found to be Non-Sexist (Subject to Revision)'

I can't link to it but I remember Sathnam Sanghera (Times journalist, writer) decided to kick off his new business column in the Times a few months back by talking about workplace sexism. It was along the lines of 'if you aren't actively thinking about it and doing something to counter it you are part of the problem,' which is something you very rarely hear men admit, even self-proclaimed feminist men.

Joss Whedon can be OK when he is consciously thinking about what he is doing but unconsciously he has written/been responsible for some very icky stuff including Dollhouse, the Mal and Inara relationship in Firefly (which is just AWFUL) etc etc. There are actually very few unproblematic relationships in his work.

It's utterly revolting that John Lennon is held up as the Second Coming of Jesus when he was such a complete shit to his first wife and son.

And Pharrell Williams should DIE of shame for trying to align himself with feminism after Blurred Lines.

I feel slightly bad about pointing out that Martin Freeman is a misogynistic arse now, sorry.

He is though, but not as bad as that fucking utter cockwomble twatbadger Dr Christian Jessen. I actually feel soiled by reading some of his tweets.

Agree with Dr Christian.

He's not exactly famous but may I add Ally Fogg of The Guardian to the Cockwomble Hall of Shame? He starts off sounding so reasonable and nice guy friend of feminism and then you realise he may as well be wearing a t-shirt with 'What about the menz?' on the front and 'Not all men!' on the back. He fucking well mansplains feminism to all the women commenting below the line as well.