Emma Watson Is Being Called A ‘Bad Feminist’ Over A Semi-Topless Photo Shoot

Emma Watson is a force of good, trying to thwart evil (or at least inform the ignorant). The Harry Potter star is attempting to make the world a more welcoming and less misogynistic place by releasing a short film about women’s equality, giving a speech about on-campus sexual assault at the United Nations (where she’s a Women Goodwill Ambassador), focusing on her HeForShe campaign, and literally laughing in the face of a sexist Turkish politician. Plus, if you have anything bad to say, she’ll kick your butt.

In other words, she’s a proud feminist, which is not something she would have called herself a few years ago. Watson told Vanity Fair that “I used to be scared of words like ‘feminism,’ ‘patriarchy,’ ‘imperialist.’ But I’m not anymore.” In that same profile — coincidenced with the release of Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast later this month — Livia Firth, the founder of Eco-Age, a sustainable-fashion consulting firm, praised Watson for her “incredible sense of integrity. You can’t marry activism and then do something in your life that is not in agreement.” Some people would disagree.

Watson is being criticized for posing without a bra in a Vanity Fair photo shoot, prompting debate about what it means to be a feminist. Radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer was the most outspoken critic, tweeting, “Emma Watson: ‘Feminism, feminism… gender wage gap… why oh why am I not taken seriously… feminism… oh, and here are my tits!'”

Others chimed in:

https://twitter.com/hijadepavlov/status/837136232287244289

https://twitter.com/gemmajadeeee/status/837215578486112256

https://twitter.com/supremegrrrl/status/837092619629039616

A writer for the Spectator added, “There’s a real whiff of hypocrisy about Emma Watson’s latest shoot for Vanity Fair, in which she poses semi-nude. Women’s magazines will tell you it’s stunning, artistic, so feminist, and the rest, but the lady doth pose too much, methinks.” For once, though, common sense reigned, and Watson’s critics were outnumbered by those who said she can wear (or not wear!) whatever she damn well pleases.

https://twitter.com/votsiz/status/837257614119460864

https://twitter.com/EvieA_x/status/836898965887004676

https://twitter.com/PollyVBartlett/status/837005672571158543

https://twitter.com/LaetitiaMcP2011/status/836904330083110912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/SingsWithDeers/status/837256611756408832

If anything, this debate proves Watson’s point: we should be discussing feminism now more than ever.

(Via Vanity Fair)