Have you seen the Emma Watson Speech?

[Sallystyle]

Awesome

www.upworthy.com/her-voice-might-tremble-but-emma-watsons-message-is-strong-and-clear?c=ufb1

I don't know how old it is or anything but it is really good

"It's possible to point out the moral message ("all people are created equal" etc)"

Only if you believe in God!
If you're a scientific atheist, then its apparent that we are neither 'created' nor 'equal'.

The hatred so many men feel for women is frightening and yet we have to reassure them that we don't hate them when talking about equality

Yup.

But despite how very open men are about it, I think Germaine Greer was right. Women are sublimely unaware of how much men hate them.

I totally get where you're coming from Askbasil. Are 'they' not different audiences though? The men that should be welcomed to the debate are not amongst the people (of both sexes) that delight in the online abuse of women. I worry that your comment might be perceived by some as lumping non-feminists into a homogenous lump that should be treated in the same manner.

Aerfen, do you agree or disagree with the actual point, which was that it's possible to point out a moral (ethical, uplifting, abstract, humane, whatever) message at the same time as a self-interest message?

As I said, I love her message. I just think it'll make fuck all difference.

Men have too much to lose from Feminism, as a whole. The suicidal don't give a fuck about any of this. It's all too abstract when the gains from inequality (or the losses from equality) are all too stark, for the majority.

The name is proper shit too.

I don't like the name HeForShe either.

But the idea that feminism is emancipation for men is interesting, in all sorts of ways.

perhaps not on its own, no, but i'm all for more feminist messages and mainstream platforms rather than fewer

Petula, I agree. More feminist stuff out there the better. And I have resisted commenting (honest!).

Why would the average man benefit? If you were to do a cost/benefit analysis, how would it read?

a couple of interesting blog responses:

clementineford.tumblr.com/post/98209303442/its-a-game-changer-folks

elegantgatheringofwhitesnows.com/?p=1982

weird isn't it.

we're all equal now, yadda yadda. Get with it you seventies throw backs. Etc. Yet when a movie star stands up and says it, it makes headlines. People talk about it. (Leaving aside the retribution and threats) It's news. Why is there so much to see here?

usually, the news is when somebody gets racist or anti Semitic.

Just brings home what's mainstream. I knew, of course, but it's very blatant.

We're all equal now is a crock of undergrad shit. None of whom know what unilad and frat houses have to say on the matter. That they'll become rad fems when they have kids matters not much, because by then they'll have lost the voice they thought they had.

Cynical tonight.

I'm pleased Emma Watson made that sort of speech. Gender equality is important when it comes to pay and career. I have to say being an actress never struck me as being particularly liberated. I'm guessing now she has graduated she is looking for an alternative career. I wonder if she got paid the same as Radcliffe and Grint ?

I was very encouraged by the positive response EW had in the media generally and amongst my friends on Facebook etc. I hope that many who had, as EW described, thought feminism was about 'man-hating', might investigate some feminist resources. It's disheartening, however, to see that many of the voices at those resources are taking a negative view of some of the central themes in the speech. They are saying that evolving societal behaviour is not a process in which we can all participate. Well, OK. But doesn't that exclude feminism from the wider RL discourse? This seems like a road to further marginalisation.

Brace yourself, Emma.

" I have to say being an actress never struck me as being particularly liberated."

Why not? I think it's actor now, by the way.

I'd be surprised if Watson and Grint were paid differently; Radcliffe had the title role. Watson has certainly had more mainstream roles than Grint subsequently.

Is she looking for an alternative career? Angelina Jolie combines both.

Estonian, what do you hope will happen as a result of her speech?

I hope that many who had, as EW described, thought feminism was about 'man-hating', might investigate some feminist resources

I do think it's interesting that the idea of women being "man hating" makes men think "I'LL FUCKING RAPE AND KILL THOSE FUCKING BITCHES."

Whereas the idea of men being "woman hating" makes women think "Oh God, what can I do to make them stop hating me? What is wrong with me? How can I change to become less hateworthy?"

Glenda Jackson is my favourite of the actresses-turned-politician actually.

Actor/Actress
Hero/Heroine
Man/Woman

etc

CrotchMaven your post at 21.25 exactly sums it up for me too!

How come the DAily Star can print pictures purporting to be illegally hacked?

Isn't that a crime?

If not, why not?

Its a very common thing a career progression from actress to politician in Bollywood

eg
Hema Malini
Smriti Irani

We'll see how effective her message has been when we see the flurry of male - penned blogs (ooh, and trans, for variety) celebrating her speech and denouncing her detractors.

I await some links, if you see any.

Funnyperson, I know what actress means, but I think the majority of females in the acting profession now refer to themselves as actor.

I don't think Watson should stop at this but she should do some real political work, fight an election and go into government to make a difference for women in the UK.

Anyway, that's somewhat off topic, sorry!