To say there’s a little bit of a sexism problem in Hollywood is like saying David Duke is a little bit racist.
From slut-shaming to body-shaming, from the pay gap to the number of female speaking characters in films (it’s just 29.9 percent), celebrity women are regularly given the short end of the stick compared to their male counterparts.
We’ve got a long way to go, but some celebrities are now speaking out against the injustices women in Tinseltown must deal with on a daily basis.
Taylor Swift
For years, Taylor Swift was called out for writing songs about her exes, but she asked a curious question: why aren’t male artists targeted for doing the same thing?
Scarlett Johansson
During a press conference promoting Avengers with Robert Downey, Jr., Johansson was questioned on how she got in shape for the role while Downey was asked about character development. Her response: “How come you get the really interesting existential question, and I get the like, ‘rabbit food’ question?”
Tom Hardy
Speaking about Mad Max: Fury Road, Tom Hardy had this to say: “The lead of this movie is a female amputee. It’s a total empowerment of women. It’s actually about f**king time.”
Rihanna
When a reporter assumed Rihanna was looking for her “next man,” she shut it down like a total badass.
John Legend
When Chrissy Teigen was mom-shamed for going out a week after giving birth, husband John Legend questioned why he wasn’t targeted. “Funny there’s no dad-shaming,†he wrote on Twitter. “When both of us go out to dinner, shame both of us so Chrissy doesn’t have to take it all. We’ll split it.â€Â
Madonna
Madonna brilliantly points out the sexist and ageist double standard surrounding women dating younger men by comparing herself to Mick Jagger.
Lauren Conrad
When the reality star turned lifestyle guru appeared on a Sirius XM radio show, she was asked by some idiot, “What’s your favorite position?” Her response slayed: “CEO.”
Ariana Grande
The singer expressed her irritation at the media always linking her to a man. “I’m tired of needing to be linked to a guy. I’m not Big Sean’s ex, I’m not Niall’s possible girl,” she said. “I’m Ariana Grande. If that’s not enough, then don’t talk to me!”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt identifies as a feminist and had this to say to Ellen DeGeneres: “My mom brought me up to be a feminist. She would always point out to my brother and me that our culture does often portray women like objects… She wanted me and my brother to be aware of it because we see these images on TV, in the movies and on magazines all the time. And if you don’t stop and think about it, it just sort of seeps into your brain and that becomes the way you perceive reality.â€Â
Melissa McCarthy
Melissa McCarthy is sick of the way women often seem to be “ranked” against one another. “Women are friends. Women are not really competing with each other,” she said. “I think everyone wants to make it seem that way with who wore it better, whose butt is better, whose glasses are crazier. I’ve never had any of those conversations in my life.”
Emilia Clarke
Game of Thrones is rife with female nudity, but its star Emilia Clarke has called for more full frontal male nakedness as well. “Free the penis,” she told Conan O’Brien during an interview.
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari explained why everyone should be a feminist to David Letterman, saying,“You’re feminist if you go to a Jay Z and Beyoncé concert and you’re not, hmm, I feel like Beyoncé should get 23 percent less than Jay Z. Also, I don’t think Beyoncé should have the right to vote, and why is Beyoncé singing and dancing? Shouldn’t she make Jay a steak?â€Â
Patricia Arquette
When Patricia Arquette took home the Oscar for her role in Boyhood in 2015, she gave an impassioned speech about wage equality, both in and out of Hollywood. “To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights, it’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America,†she said.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep obviously agreed wholeheartedly with Arquette, because this was her response. (Looks like J. Lo’s fired up about it, too.)
Jennifer Lawrence
In an essay for Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter, J. Law brings up the criticism women receive when asserting their opinion: “I’m over trying to find the ‘adorable’ way to state my opinion and still be likable! F**k that. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It’s just heard.”
Megan Fox
Exasperated by an interviewer asking if she’d like to see more women in superhero roles, she answered, “Do you think that I would answer anything but ‘yes’ to that question?” She then added, “Do you think I would be like ‘No, it’s not time for women to be in movies, let’s take it back 50 years.”
Alice Eve
When Alice Eve was asked if she was too beautiful to play a scientist in Star Trek, she replied, “I didn’t know that those things were mutually exclusive.”
Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone
While promoting Spiderman, Emma Stone was asked about her hair color. Co-star Andrew Garfield said, “I don’t get asked that,” to which Stone replied, “You get asked interesting, poignant questions because you’re a boy. It’s sexism.”
Keira Knightley
After receiving a Hollywood Film Award for her role in The Imitation Game, a reporter asked Knightley how she balances her career and family life. “Are you going to ask all the men that tonight?” she shot back.
Amy Poehler
When asked about the myth that women aren’t as funny as men, Amy Poehler shared her thoughts by cutting off the reporter with, “Ugh, this question is boring.”
Beyonce
Beyonce totally owns her power, and we love her for it.