Here are some photos of Michelle Rodriguez earlier this week at the LA premiere of Fast & Furious 6. Michelle looked pretty, didn’t she? I get the feeling that she’s trying to be more girly and frilly these days – she’s really been going for more feminine looks for her red carpet appearances. Anyway, Michelle is playing her resurrected character Letty in the film, and she feels very strongly about Letty. Michelle sat down with Vulture to discuss how she put her own “No Sluts” rule onto Letty:
Did she think Fast & Furious would become a thing? “Hell, no. Are you kidding me? First one, I just couldn’t believe there was going to be a movie that had this kind of stuff happening. You just never saw that world — multicultural cast, underground racing. I knew it really well in New York. I was just itching to be a part of it. It’s like being part of one of those little rebellious creatures that snowballs into a massive thing. It’s an audience-member phenomenon because they’re the ones that perpetuate more of these movies being made. It’s not the critics. Critics in Hollywood laugh at the franchise. For them, it’s not deep. But I think as long as the people love it, it’ll keep itself alive. I love being part of it; I don’t care what anyone says.”
Playing a resurrected character: “Well, there’s two things that happen. First you feel this love, this warm, fuzzy feeling in your chest, where you’re like, “Wow, all that hard work I put into making Letty a respectable character, that work was appreciated. Then there’s the second part that happens, and that’s that sense of responsibility and massive amount of pressure. ‘All right, they brought you back, now prove you’re worth it.’ It was a mixture of emotions that I went through when I found out that the people wanted me back and that the studio was receptive to that.”
Michelle’s thoughts on “sluts”: “[The audience] definitely wouldn’t have related to what was on paper for the first one. That character was something else. Originally this girl was a slut. Girls don’t respect girls that are this way, and guys don’t respect girls that are this way. They want to bang them, or they make a good one-night stand, but no man respects a floozy. If you’re an individual within this franchise, the third lead, or the fourth lead, nobody’s going to be paying attention to your story but you. Because you know what, the writers and producers are a little bit busy coming up with all the action and the last thing on their mind is the integrity of the individual character’s story lines. So it’s the people who actually fight for their characters who win in the end.
Sluts Part II, and Angelina Jolie: “Oh my god, I was crying on the set. I was like, ‘Look, dude, I love you guys, I really want to be a part of this, but I can’t play a slut in front of millions of people around the world.’ I’d rather go back to Jersey City, doing my small little indie movies. It’s not until now, post–Angelina Jolie, doing her thing as a woman who can actually bring box office, that you can make money with a woman who’s respectable and kicking ass in a movie. It changes the game for writers. Before there was no incentive for them to take the girl out of being captured or being the girlfriend. That tone was something that was set in the first one by me fighting Rob Cohen, to punch somebody and knock him out. I knew, in the streets, if your tribe was getting in a fight, it doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy, you’re throwing a punch because that’s just the way the streets work.”
Girl Power: “If I ever hear anything demeaning about a chick who’s a part of the family, I stand up and defend. And everyone knows it. I’m really about that girl power, you know, not just about me, but just about anyone who’s in the game repping what we’re repping. You need to bring it. And if you’re a girl who’s not bringing it, it’s kind of pointless to me.”
Let’s talk about the “sluts” thing first. We could debate whether or not Michelle is slut-shaming fictional characters or whether she’s shading the idea of women owning their sexuality, but I think it helps to take a moment to see it from her perspective, especially where she was for the first Fast & Furious movie. She was only 21 years old, a barely-known independent film actress and she was fighting with the directors, writers and producers to make her character more badass and less about her sexuality. I think that part of it is admirable, although I don’t care for her “Girls don’t respect girls that are this way… no man respects a floozy” generalizations/judgments.
As for her shout-out to Angelina Jolie… it’s partly true. Angelina really redefined how many producers and directors thought about having a female action star as the lead of a big-budget franchise. But I would argue that performances like Sigourney Weaver in Alien (and Aliens) paved the way for Angelina. Oh, and I love that Michelle fan-girls Angelina because Michelle has always reminded of a young Angelina.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I don’t really hate what she’s saying. I’m sure people will tear her apart but I get what she was trying to target.
I think she isn’t dissing girls who get some. If she loves Angelina Jolie who is sexual and open about it, she obviously doesn’t mind girls who get theirs. I think she means the characters who are literally an object for sex. No one does respect that ‘person’ in movies.
Agreed. Megan Fox is a perfect example of that kind of acting career.
And I don’t respect the man that uses a floozy or a ‘slut’, if that is a proper term for a woman who is sexual. It depends on how it is defined– someone who is sexual and enjoys it versus a hedon who should be shamed— where do we draw that line, and isnt it often MEN who draw it for us women, and, I always have to play devils advocate and say it takes 2 to be a tramp– thre has to be a guy who takes you up on your offer, so you are never guilty in isolation ie just as much “d*ck bashing” is fully deserved in each scenario. /end bitterness
Edit: yes I also agree with the minimal premise. Everyone should be pulled together at least by a certain age and not play games or be into drama etc. Its called self respect and respect for others, but of course it can coexist alongside a good libido too, but is too often lumped into the ‘trash’ pile for societal stigmas.
Well said. +1
I am so in love with this comment and I have nothing to add because you stated it perfectly. I am practically clapping over here…
OMG do you know the song “Because I’m a Woman” by Dolly Parton? It talks a lot about what you’re discussing here. The world works in a way that men do what they need to in order to get a woman to sleep with them, and then when he ditches her, she’s the one who’s “bad,” and her reputation is ruined.
Yes… just yes to this comment. Love!
I stopped dead at “hedon who should be shamed”. Not only are we bashing people who have too much sex, we’re still bashing people who have sex merely because it’s enjoyable? Well, let me off this train. I see another one I’d far rather be on.
If you stopped there then you missed the ENTIRE point of the comment.
Tee hee was saying that is how *some* members of society (often MEN) choose to paint women who have multiple sex partners.
The comment was not an indictment of hedonistic behavior but rather, an attempt to point out the absurdity of the societal perception of female sexuality.
..or at least that’s how I interpreted it 😉
I hooked up with a man too soon after meeting him and he later justified his horrible treatment of me afterwards because of it. “What kind of girl does that?”-dq. I was floored as I’m definately the biggest prude I know! Apparently it’s still 1952 in some men’s minds and I used my slut-magic to sully his lily-white man parts. LeSigh
same thing has happened to me.
I would argue that there is no such thing as “too soon” if you are both consenting adults who really want to get laid. You did nothing wrong, the man is just an asshole who doesn’t deserve YOUR respect! Or any respect at all.
But I’m laughing hard at >>> “I used my slut-magic to sully his lily-white man parts” <<< Perfect!
So freaking well said. I have nothing more to add.
I want to marry this comment!
But the thing is: Women only make up 30% of the speaking roles in movies. And in 30% of them they are sexualized (50% when the women are/portray teens) – often times than not in a context of female sexual advocacy but as an object that solely exist for the straight male’s pleasure.
I think that is what Michelle’s comment was about: Advocacy VS. objectification. She simply refused to be “Miss Fanservice”. Her wording however was bad.
Ugh, I hate that grown women still use the word slut to shame other women. And I hate that a women enjoying sex and having numerous partners is equated with being weak, desperate and kind of stupid eg. a floozy. Many of the most brilliant and accomplished women I’ve met have had neither the time nor the inclination to cultivate a long-term relationship. Does that mean they should remain celibate lest they be judged unrespectable?
If someone doesn’t respect you solely on the basis that you have a lot of sex, good riddance to that idiot.
You know there are sluts and sluts, I had some slutty period in my life, being very sexually active and having several partners , and I don’t mind using that “term”. But I did not relate to the really sleazy, cheap looking, binge drinking sluts… they are there,they exist and I am sorry, they are not very likable. It is not because you enjoy having sex that you have to show no class.
Why can’t they just be jerks? What does their sex life have to do with their unpleasantness?
My two cents… I don’t understand why people expect a promiscuous lifestyle to be applauded or lauded in film. It’s not slut shaming, it’s more a matter of not being impressed by the one-dimensional portrayal of women. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to portray a character who offers no more depth than an object for the male lead’s “enjoyment”. It seems like a strong feminist stance to me.
First off, yes—Signorney Weaver and Linda Hamilton really defines women in action films. And they did it without the woman being sexualized. Lara Croft was “tough” but she was also extremely male gaze. Jolie had a huge enhanced chest in that movie and it was loaded with shower scenes and seductive poses. That movie was just as exploitive and it was empowering.
Then you face this reality that not all “tough” women in films have to be beating the crap out of people to prove their power. There are alot of different ways that girl power has manifested since the sexual revolution and even prior to that. Women exerting their power and sexuality in cultures that would push them down. It’s just not as simple as she is making it.
I like the actress. But I think there is just more to this convo than she may realize.
I will give props to Sigourney and Linda, but their characters were part of an ensemble. Also, their movies weren’t “Ripley” or “Sarah Connor”, so they weren’t the main
plotline of their stories. They didn’t
have all the stunts as Lara, and that’s why she was seen as the bigger action hero.
And I seem to recall Sigourney stripping down to some skimpy panties and a REALLY risque love scene in T1.
I like the “kick ass” empowering reality much better than the “finding the courage to love again” reality.
The “kick ass” reality means a lot of different things and the first step for many of us is understanding that we aren’t in a position to define it for others.
Honestly, I’ve kind of grown tired of this idea that seems to manifest sometimes that the only way a woman is “kick ass”. Is if she is literally beating the crap out of people.
I have no desire to do that. I don’t aspire to that even in fantasy. But I have a great career and I’m a very strong woman. My “kick ass” fantasy narrative is usually about a working woman bc that’s my kick ass fantasy. Does this mean I’m less empowered? Less kick ass? No. It’s a very big conversation and there is no one way.
I’m agreeing with Kaiser by saying Sigourney Weaver kicked ass in the Aliens franchise. Linda Hamilton kicked but in The Terminator Movies, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill and even Milla Jovivich in the Resident Evil franchise. There’s Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger. If you want to go back to the past look at the films Red Sonja, Bad Girls, Grace Jones in Conan the Destroyer, Bridget Fonda in the Point of no Return and Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight. Let’s not forget Pam Grier in Coffy and the Foxy Brown movies. We can’t say that it’s all becasue of Angelina Jolie that women are getting to play the tough roles. Angie probably owe homage to some of the women I just mentioned. Angie’s talents and looks just made her a hot commodity but there were women who were paving the way long before Angie.
@Evyn The movie might have been called Alien but SW was the main character. As for the Terminator, yes it’s considered an Arnold film but if not for Sarah Conner there would be no plot, therefore Linda Hamilton was very essential to the role. Just becasue the title of the movie doesn’t have the character’s name in it does not mean they are not the lead. Also Angie has shown flesh in her action films as well…”Wanted”
+1, V4Real
Pam Grier….I love her.
I wish she had chosen better words because I really like this girl.
I think she is referring more to promiscuity and bed-hopping than sex in general. I saw her in an interview where she mentioned she was supposed to have sex with Paul Walker’s character and Vin Diesel’s in the first movie and she didn’t feel that was authentic for her character. I think her comments are slightly out of context without knowing that.
Nina, I agree with you. I get what Michelle is trying to say here, even if her word usage is clumsy.
Anyone in this day and age who uses the word “slut” as an epithet against women, and buys the whole paradigm which allows women to be defined and denigrated that way, deserves to be kidnapped by the Taliban. Or some offshoot freaky LDS cult.
Certainly she does not deserve to have a platform to air such prehistoric opinions ever again.
This. I can’t even believe someone would say something like that. So backwards!!!!! I’m verifying this quote, posting it all over my social media accounts and boycotting that trash, that miserable exuse for an actress, who js painful both on ears and eyes. And so should any self-respecting woman.
Just to be honest and real about it, I think there is a large contingent of young people in the US (male and female) that don’t respect themselves or their bodies and engage in debasing or high risk behavior. I think it is tough sometimes to draw a line between this type of behavior and owning and being comfortable with your sexuality. Not to say that anyone deserves to be “slut shamed,” but in the context of hearing the original plot line for her character in the first movie I can understand where she’s coming from.
THIS. I don’t get why Michelle is gettig a pass here. She’s “all about girl power” and yet uses the word “slut”? Ugh.
You’re taking it too far. Nobody deserves to be kidnapped by the Taliban. What a horrible thing to say.
What a disgusting thing to hope will happen to her, or to even propose as a joke. And you’re a feminist? You don’t need to defend everyone who has a vagina because they’re not all worth it. Same goes for men. Men AND women can be sluttish, and it’s so unnecessary and we can do much better, to quote Chrissy Teigen. It’s a fine line what makes a slut, but they’re out there in both genders. And defending slut-shaming by making such an evilly snarky comment is just as bad.
That comment was disgusting. You don’t need to be a slut to be shamed, shame on you!
“‘Girls don’t respect sluts’ and ‘no man respects a floozy”
Well, damn. Guess its back to the drawing board.
*hangs head and walks away, dragging handcuffs on the floor*
Don’t be sad, Ms Jane. I hate to share, but there’s a new RUSH trailer out with a CHarming shower scene that will surely lift your spirits!
Darling – always thinking of me. I have had that thing on loop for the last 10 hours…
Fanty and I have been warring over our beau’s shower scenes… and who gets to add our Dragonfly King to the mix.
I feel like Cumby & Hiddles in the same shower would make it more of a collaborative effort for whoever is lucky to be in the shower with them. Rather than Hiddles always wanting to massage that CHarming body, getting distracted by that gorgeous smile…
It would be one thing if she just talked about giving her character more depth and dimension, not wanting it to be just a disposable fodder for the male personages. But she is extrapolating it to the womankind in general, and that’s problematic.
Well I don’t respect actors who drink and drive (and get busted for it several times), and hit and run with their cars. That’s WAY worse than this imagined ‘floozy’ or ‘slut’ she’s talking about.
I’m not into slut shaming, but I will drunk driving shame you to filth.
+1
ITA. Rodriguez is just a trashbag with an entitlement complex and a nasty g.d. attitude. I think she’s not an eloquent, deep person in the slightest, but I don’t think she’s so dumb that anyone should exonerate her or assume that she’s speaking strictly of her character.
She should be assessed by her words, and she’s obviously, to me at least, practiced in calling some girls/women sluts and floozies, and only too happy to have those women beneath her (in more ways than one). She radiates a certain kind of aggro anger and this kind of meanness doesn’t help her. I truly don’t get why she has a career, especially post multiple drunk driving incidents.
I’m glad that she’s for girl power but part of that ‘power’ is directly related to how WE embrace our sexuality and define ourselves vs letting others define us.
I don’t really give a damn how men feel about women BUT she has a point about how we view each other.
I get the point she was trying to make but by calling her own character a slut (at least before revisions), she definitely has some antiquated opinions on women’s sexuality, though the comment could be taken out of context.
piss poor choice of words.
just flat out say, “i didn’t want my character to only be a sexualized object because women are MORE than that, and i can’t/don’t/won’t respect that”!!!!!!!!!
I hate the word “slut”. Do people still use that word past highschool? Ugh.
+1
I get what she’s trying to say, and I think it’s great that she stood up against playing a character that is oversexed just because she’s a girl in an action movie pandering to guys, but girls need to stop using the terms slut and whore, because as Tina Fey said, it makes it ok for guys to call us sluts and whores. You can disagree with a person’s choices, even judge, that’s what people do, but those terms are unnecessary. They’re SLURS.
“They want to bang them, or they make a good one-night stand, but no man respects a floozy.”
This is cruel but mostly true, sadly. My friend recently had sex with a guy on their first date. She really liked him but he never called her back. She confronted him and he’s like “I can’t be with someone who has sex on the first date. I don’t ~respect that.” Or something like that. Then why did you have sex with her anyway?! It’s so hypocritical. If you’re so against it, don’t do it then. He also told her that because she did that, he stopped liking her. Bonus: they work together. Now she’s all sad, I’m like… Stop drunk calling him.
Be careful out there ladies. Deep down most guys are conservative scumbags like their grandparents.
+1 Whether we agree with it or not, labels people put on us, whether positive or negative, can have an affect on our lives. If someone labels you as dependable, people will come to you more often when they need something done. If they label you as a slut, then you sadly can be disrespected because of it. I don’t have a problem with the term slut because I will call a man a slut in a minute. I am an equal opportunity slurrer if I do such a thing. In my heart of hearts, I despise whoring, but I try not to judge the individual based on the behavior I don’t like. Sadly, women are negatively affected by these labels unlike men. I do not believe the labels will go away anytime soon. I hope we can at least get rid of the double standards.
There is a difference between owning your sexuality, such as admitting to your own interest in handcuffs during sex, then bed hopping. Either way, men normally want to marry a woman like their mother/grandmother. What bothers me the most about the current American dating culture would be these same men expecting to marry the more conservative woman when they have ran around themselves. Sorry, I do not want to marry the guy that has been slept with half the school in his ‘youthful’ years. I would be asking to pick up a STD. Plus, I have noticed cheating go hand in hand with bed hopping in some men.
“What bothers me the most about the current American dating culture would be these same men expecting to marry the more conservative woman when they have ran around themselves. Sorry, I do not want to marry the guy that has been slept with half the school in his ‘youthful’ years. I would be asking to pick up a STD. Plus, I have noticed cheating go hand in hand with bed hopping in some men. ”
that applies to both genders, the more partners you had the more likely it is for you to cheat. obviously, if you dont have a problem being intimate with strangers.
the madonna/wh0re thing also goes both way. the decent men in college are told that the girls will love them when they are 30 while having to watch how they get plowed while black out drunk by a group of jocks on a house party.
guy dont want to marry sluts and women dont want to marry players but both genders play with them before they settle down.
“that applies to both genders, the more partners you had the more likely it is for you to cheat.”
You’re really reaching with that statement.
Wow I feel bad for your friend – the sounds like a douche so, seeing his true colours was a blessing in disquise for her – before she wasted more time on him. Is she in her late twenties/early thirties? Tell her to hold her head high – he is the wanker.
+2. I get what she’s saying and I’m not going to slam her for it. Especially when it comes to what she said about men. You can’t turn a ‘trick into a treat’ as they say.
And +1 to what Docloc said. If I use those terms, it’s for both sexes. I call one of my male best friends a slut all the time.
‘You can’t turn a trick into a treat.’
Wise words, there – after all, ‘they’ say it. Let’s just drop these bon mots here, there, and everywhere, and collectively, shruggingly agree at the innate rightness of these concepts.
‘I’d say the same for men, too’ is just a red herring. Window dressing on something repulsively, sexist and mean.
@Yup: It IS what ‘they’ say (i.e. those in my neighborhood, friends, family, certain media and cultures), and what most men that I’ve come into contact with practice. But did I “shruggingly agree at the innate rightness of these concepts”? No. I didn’t. As for my choice of words when it comes to those close to me? I’ll continue to use it as I see fit.
That dude your friend hooked up with sounds like a massive tool. Your friend’s reaction also reflects exactly why slut shaming is so damaging to women. He’s a horrible, disgusting creep who used her, but she’d rather form a relationship with that waste of space than feel like a slut. Sad.
Also, “you can’t turn a trick into a treat” is one of the most disgusting things I’ve heard in my life.
I’ve either that or ‘you can’t turn a ho into a housewife’/’you can’t turn a player into a husband’ that I’ve heard. Granted, the former is used more.
The male to female comparison doesn’t hold here. Women are overwhelmingly devalued for their sexuality in comparison to men. Women are also overwhelmingly victims of sexual violence in comparison to men. When we tell women that “you can’t turn a trick into a treat” it means that once you’ve been ruined sexually, you’re done. You’ll never be a treat. You’re worthless. That’s garbage. We’re complex human beings who have a lot more to offer the world than access to our ladybits. How are we supposed to ever have equal standing with men when they can take away all of our value with one act?
*high fives Chordy*
PS-I’ve missed you 🙂
Yeah a “player” is basically the same as calling a guy a “stud” or a “chick magnet”, essentially it’s praising his virility/promiscuity. Calling a woman a “trick” is the same as calling her a “whore” and it is NEVER a compliment. As Chordy said above-it is meant to diminish and devalue.
Jenna-you’re reinforcing stereotypes that HURT women and you ARE reinforcing the double-standard that women fight against daily, whether you want to own it or not.
@Yup: Don’t even go there with your quotations around “my culture” And yes that’s what I’ve heard growing up. So don’t put words in my mouth either.
@TheOriginalKitten: If you think that by bringing the terms here that I’ve heard thrown around is reinforcing it, then fine. I’ll own that. But I don’t appreciate the insinuation that I’m reinforcing it in everyday life.
Hi, TOK!! I’ve missed you too! Work has been taking away all my fun time lately lol. I decided my Friday before Memorial Day was going to be a check-out day 😉
Me too Chordy! Sadly, I have done nothing today (as evidenced by my 10,000 posts on C/B)..but I’m getting out of work soon so yay!
@Jenna-Fair enough and I acknowledge the fact that I have no idea how you conduct yourself during your daily life. In C/B, we’re all just strangers yelling at each other 😉
I just hope that you recognize some of the blatant, contradictory standards that are inherent in some of the cliches that you referenced here, that’s all.
@TOK: Oh, I do. And that last part wasn’t directly aimed at you 😉 And when I brought up the term, it wasn’t meant to be read as something that I believe in, or support. It was brought up to mention why I can understand what MR was trying to say, and how some of these statements are being freely (and frequently) used in certain aspects of everyday life. Lines like that are thrown around in movies, films, dialogue etc.
@Chordy- YES! Everything that you’ve said here. So much insightful commentary.
Oooh I’m disappointed by this. Good intentions I’m sure but she definitely falls short here. Slut-shaming is wrong and really doesn’t help further respect for women, which is what she seems to be seeking.
Pfft…if it is the kind of marriages that result in 70% divorce rate, or whatever it is now, then sexual history certainly might play a role in choice of mate. In terms of unions, however, that are made to last, it ends up pretty irrelevant. that whole discourse was just made to control (women and men alike). It is 21st century, and self-respect has very little to do with the number of sexual partners. It has to do more with the quality of your connections, how you treat others, how you set your limits and communicate them etc.
WTH is the definition of a “floozy” and for that matter, a slut?
Is Leonardo DiCaprio a slut? I hear he has lots of sex and isn’t married. Or Johnny Depp? I hear he has lots of sex and is a baby daddy in a long term relationship. That all sounds slutty to me.
She needs to ponder her deep thoughts on acting.
Seriously. The girl’s clearly not too bright.
I dont even think its that she isn’t bright. I think that, sadly, this is the culture we live in. We teach women that this is some weird twisted version of empowerment.
Dude needs to listen to some Alberta Hunter.
Whenever a woman uses the term ‘slut’, it just sounds immature. And no one, male or female, gets a pass for using the term past high school.
Poor choice of words, but I think people are missing the forest for the trees!
Her message is a sound one! Women in action movies can be more than eye-candy and one-dimensional sex objects. In the real world, a person like her character that runs with an underground car racing gang WOULD be fighting alongside the men.
“Slut” and “floozy” may make you cringe, but those words ARE being used in the real world along with “hoes”, “c*mdumpster” etc.. Whereas men are branded as “players” for being sexual promiscuous and given high fives by their boys. It’s a double standard that persists, but Michelle is right that women who are sexual indiscriminate are judged both by other women and men (including the ones that sleep with them!). In the streets, they are not respected and that’s the world the Fast and The Furious movies depict.
Unless you’re writing of garden implements, your pluralization of ‘ho’ doesn’t require an ‘e.’
She’s valorizing sexist, degrading concepts. That’s the forest. Don’t editorialize about people that don’t agree with you. It’s not civil.
My feminist bad-asses don’t tend to be serial drunk drivers who engage in misogynistic smack talk. I’d take a Franka Potente, Noomi Rapace, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hamilton, Gina Carano or even maybe Zoe Saldana (no interviews where ‘androgyny’ would come up) over this charisma void.
Carano is no feminist hero, man. She engaged in her own share of misogynist trash talk in her fighting days as she was caught saying pretty insulting things about a few of the other female fighters. Her drinking and partying was well known. Her plastic surgery was well known. Carano played into the exploitation of women in the male gaze just as much as others do. Maybe even more.
Michelle is a tough nut to crack. Her DUI’s alone make it hard for me to respect her bc the reality is that people lose their lives to this every single day.
I disagree. Saying “I think” qualifies it as an opinion, which we are all entitled to. I don’t see expressing an opinion as being uncivil.
I dunno, I don’t know if people respect a man who is very promiscuous. Personally I think they are creeps.
I don’t know why anyone, male or female, would sleep around nowadays with strains of STIs that are resistant to antibiotics. And there is at least one STI that is spread by skin to skin contact. Condoms are not foolproof.
Not smart.
I agree with you. Personally, I have a low opinion of promiscuous men too. I think it’s gross and a health risk.
Though, in the streets players do get respect amongst their peers. The man who constantly gets chicks is consider “da man”.
Ironic because there has been a study that men/women who sleep around in the same circle are less likely to catch STDs. In addition, most STDs are treatable if caught early only (This is why if you are sexually active, even with one partner, it is important to have regular testing). Those such as Herpes and Genital Warts are not, however with genital warts (the skin-to-skin contact the one you are talking about), men are carriers and rarely do symptoms show. So even if you sleep around or sleep with one partner, you can’t know if that person is a carrier or not (women however do get symptoms).
Also you can get an STD from the first time, even if it’s a long-term partner (assuming it’s not his first time).
I hate slut shaming! I don’t think its fair to call out a woman (or anyone really) for how much sex they are having or however many partners they have. If you have a problem with whatever you are doing, then change it. I have been there….college was ridiculous for me. But you get to a point when you know you want and deserve more, so you stop. It’s a fine line.
I love that she’s hot yet badass and tough. MR will kick ur ass. Don’t mess with her.
I’m sooooo confused! Who the hell is she in the movie????
Sigourney Weaver in Alien is who paved the way for women in action films and then it was Linda Hamilton. Not that Angelina Jolie didn’t have a huge influence, she did. Lets not forget the sci-fi queen here.
Well I have never heard of Linda Hamilton and have never seen Alien.So its possible Michelle hasn’t seen those films.
How can you have not heard of Linda Hamilton?! She kicked total ass in Terminator 2. As an actress, MRod (who I love actually) should be familiar of those who paved the way for action stars and it wasn’t just Angelina.
I actually loved SALT but Jolie doesn’t hold a candle to the bad assery Linda Hamilton served. She was in AMAZING shape too.
Michelle named one actress probably because she is a fan.No different than a basketball fan mentioning Kobe when obviously there were better players that came before him.I just googledLinda Hamilton I haven’t seen any of her films.Although I recognize her face from an episode of Frasier Also didnt know she was married to James Cameron
This chick annoys me to no end…you are no bad ass you play one on tv!
I don’t think all of you understand really why the term “slut” can be so damaging. There’s an attitude that a woman who is called a slut has earned it. Most of the time, a woman is called a slut for having sex at all. This stigma we attach to women’s purity is incredibly dangerous for our sexual and emotional health overall. Once a woman is labeled a “slut,” it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It also adds to the shame of sexual assault, and makes it more difficult for victims to get help, both from herself and others. Elizabeth Smart recently did an amazing talk on how our emphasis on purity damages rape victims. I woud recommend everyone google it. At the end of the day, each individual should be responsible for their own sexual health. Women are also far more than the sum of how many pensises have been inside her. Can we stop defining ourselves by our relationships to men?
Ahhh… thank you chordy. The whole slut thing is exhausting. Sex is such a neurotic topic for a lot of people. I think it’s because of all sorts of fears. And you are right about how slut shaming ties in with not reporting sexual assault.
I would like to see all ends of the spectrum accepted, from the sex enthusiast who’s not raping anyone (that would be the ‘slut’ for a lot of people) to the harmless asexual individual and everything in between. All are normal. Slamming someone for how much they like sex (or not) is like slamming someone because they are black.
The real challenge is to get partnered up with someone who has a similar libido….now that’s frigging hard especially since people’s libidos fluctuate throughout life.
And last time I checked Michelle Rodriguez was a flaming lesbian. Interesting.
@Chordy, I would venture to say that the use of the word “slut” and who it is applied to is dependent on what culture or area you come from. I have never in my life heard a woman referred to as a slut just because she has sex at all, let alone most of the time. All the women I know have had sex and we are certainly not all sluts.
I honestly find it a little disturbing, though, that most commenters here don’t seem to see a difference between people having healthy sexual desires and expressing them in a positive way and habitually and often having one night stands, getting gang banged on the regular, bukake, etc. These are behaviors that I have seen exhibited by men and women and I don’t think it is a good look on anyone regardless of gender.
I get that there is an unfair double standard, but I don’t think you can reclaim being a “slut” as somehow feminist or liberating behavior.
I love “Sluts” and “floozys”… I always defend a woman’s right to f%ck when and where she wants… as many times.. and who she pleases.. God love em.. each and every one with the courage to accept the stereotype and wear it out night after night… lets face it.. sex is a pleasurable act.. only a fool would deny themselves that because of some name calling.. ladies, embrace your inner slut.. get on craigslist and order up some BBC like the rest of the BBW sluts… nobody will know.. till the video is uploaded to xhamster.com…
Gorgeous!! And for the love of God, can we PLEASE stop pretending that women (we’re not talking about men in this particular instance-before anyone even goes there) who run around sleeping with everything that looks their way in an effort to seek out validation (which is what I believe Michele is referring to here) is the same thing as “owning your sexuality.” It is this rampantly spreading mentality of “Sleep with countless men with no thought because it’s EMPOWERING! If anybody dares to tell you that it might not be the best way to carry yourself or live your life then they’re just anti-feminist and sexist!!” projected on young girls these days that really worries me.
Since when did sleeping around become synonymous with self-esteem and “power”? In fact, isn’t that the exact opposite of what we’ve been trying to overcome as women for quite some time?! How is promoting casual sex as a means to become more confident in yourself remotely a healthy thing? Self-esteem and self worth come from within. It is the people who are projecting the idea that being carelessly promiscuous (which is what I associate with the word “slut” in women OR men) as the same thing as being “powerful” in 2013 that are mistaken. It genuinely frightens me that so many think this way and allude to it being some sort of modern day feminism…
I get what you’re saying, and I really agree with certain parts of it in terms of what we’re doing to young girls these days. We’re selling them the idea that they should sell themselves to gain power. No, making yourself an object for male pleasure is NOT empowering. It’s devaluing and degrading, and we need to constantly remind girls that they are so much more than what a man thinks of them.
However, I think we can have this conversation without bringing up promiscuity. We need to teach girls that sex is something a man does WITH you and not TO you. Sex is only good if it’s between two people who are mutually respecting one another as humans. By telling girls that too much sex means they don’t respect themselves, then we’re still making women’s sexuality an external force and not a personal decision.
Patrice, the 2013 message is that what consenting adults do in their bed is their business. Don’t obsess over the act!
@ Nina
You’ve missed her point. She is trying to understand the psychology behind the behavior which is not as libersting as many erroneously believe. Let me make myself clear. I believe that there are some who can have a prolific sex life and it truly is an express of their freedom. With so many neroses and complexes around sex, I believe they are the exception not the rule
No, VictoryGin, I did not misunderstand, just did not have the time to answer properly. We have a number of ways to express attachment and communicate: with out mouth – words, which may indicate our thoughts or feelings, with our hands – our actions, as well as affection – as in hugs, and with our genitals, for purposes of intimacy. The bigger problem is that in our society women are still conditioned to disrespect themselves in order to get (and keep) a man – to compromise too much and sacrifice their freedom or ideas in order to land a husband, to conform to a certain type of looks, which men are supposed to find desirable and to conform to behaviours, which might be unnatural, but are supposed to make them attractive to certain type of men, such as not to bed as many men as they may want. Slut shaming is just milder version of female circumcision or acid attacks and comes from residual inequality and conservatism in society. Focusing on sex only is shallow, but obsession with sex as topic of societal discussion is just as shallow and immature. Teach the girls that they do not need to get married and be attractive to men if they do not want to, that they do not need to conform to archaic norms and concepts of what a “lady” should be and act, give them education and drive and opportunity to make their own path in life, give them love and respect and how them example of family where husband and wife are on equal footing and the danger of women disrespecting their bodies for men will gradually vanish by itself.
Patrice,
1,000 times YESSSSS!!
I was going to state something to this effect nw there’s no need. The conversation that too many women are talking around but not about is the very tentative relationship between sex and self worth and empowerment. Sex is NOT synnomous with empoerment. Some of the most empowered women I know are either celibate or virgins.
+1. Empowered sexuality means that the woman is in charge of her own sexuality, not just conforming to someone else’s standard.
And I don’t respect slut-shamers. Women can enjoy sex just as much as a man can.
Hell yeah.. women should be comfortable gettin as muck c@ck as she needs, wants or desires.. you are my kind of bitch, some bitch..
She’s not saying that thry can’t but I can understand an actress not wanting be made a sexual commodity for sale on film. That is bondage, not freedom. Just ask Megan Fox.
When do women start being responsible for their own choices in being a sexual commodity though? You can only blame the patriarchy so much, I mean we as women colluded with and also have our dark side that manipulated thing. I used to be a stripper and did the same thing, until I grew up and realized I was selling myself out..
Lots of women sell themselves out and get babied for it and encouraged to blame men, instead of taking responsibility for their own choices. I guess I just don’t get it. Yes on the one hand their is the conditioning, but on the other hand you can get yourself out of it – and when you do, you start realizing men have been conditioned to and it changes your whole outlook on the gender wars. You start realizing people regardless of gender are human beings who have disempowered themselves.
Ah yes, Ripley was a fantastic, strong female character. BUT there was also Linda Hamilton in the Terminator series. I seriously asked my trainer at that time to help me get arms like hers. She was so strong in those films. But Ripley was the best! I absolutely love to see Angelina kick ass in action flicks. But I also enjoyed watching Gina Carano in Haywire. She was so believable in a kick ass LEAD role. And of course her scenes with Michael Fassbender were enormously fun to watch. I had no idea at the time I watched the film that she was a successful MMA fighter. That must have translated into that role. I do love watching Michelle Rodriguez kick some ass on film because she is also believable. I find it annoying when they put a tiny, meek sort of woman in a kick ass role and I don’t find it believable.
I have to disagree somewhat- there are acts that are shameful, and behind called on that is not “slut shaming”. Bedding a married man after having been a guest multiple times in the marital home is shameful, for ex. If you were the wronged spouse in that scenario, you get a pass to use the term “slut”. Fail to see how that sets women back.
Get real… YOUR HUSBAND is the bad guy in your situation… I doubt she tripped and accidentally fell on his d!ck… HE nailed that a$$… she’s just the tool he used to hurt you… Did you leave him?
Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but happy to report it didn’t happen to me-and, yes, she did. Feel better now?
And yes, he got called plenty of names too- but are you suggesting that’s not appropriate either?
Wow, don’t even know what to say @Jouna X, but I had to say something. Glad you are adding to the intelligence, civility and girl power of this discussion. Insert *eye roll*
Wow, don’t even know what to say @Jouna X, but I had to say something. Glad you are adding to the intelligence, civility and girl power of this discussion. *eye roll*
I just can’t with Michelle Rodriguez. She always sounds so phony and contrived talking about her attraction to men, dating men, and relations between men and women who date. She seems GAY, and I wish she’d stop trying so hard. Did she read this out of a 1950’s book about the kind of women men are attracted too? Because it doesn’t sound like it comes from any real life experience. Plenty of men I know love women who like sex and are secure in their sexuality. Not to mention women who are experienced and skillful in bed. She just sounds so freaking phony…I can’t.
I worry about what all this pseudo feminist acceptance of promiscuity means for our daughters and the future of society as a whole.
She was right, no matter if you agree with the words she used or not. Men and women alike do not respect a woman who sleeps around and has no more depth of character than that.
Some questions for you:
1. Where’s the line between sexually active and promiscuous?
2. How can you tell if someone is promiscuous?
3. How does another’s promiscuity affect the quality of your life?
4. Do you think that promiscuous people tend to exhibit other indications of lack of character? eg: lying, stealing, cheating
I’ll bite:
1: When the sex is destructive to themselves and others.
2: If there seems be little or no self-control.
3: It doesn’t but one can possess legitimate concern for others esp. if the person is a close associate.
4: One has nothing to do with the others. My issue is not moral. It’s psychological
3:
Actually, thanks for the bite and thoughtful response! I think what you’re hitting on here is slightly different than what Miss Thang was getting at. You talk about psychology and not morality. For example, hypersexuality is common in victims of sexual trauma. You also make the distinction between concern for a friend, so it’s not just pearl clutching over someone else’s behavior. If you know someone well, you know when someone is having fun or acting out (be it sexually or drinking too much or not eating or overeating, etc) The point is that sexuality is an incredibly personal thing, and it’s not up to others to decide for us what is too much sex. I believe that overemphasis on sexual purity and policing of women’s sexuality is detrimental to women’s psychological and social health, and that women will always struggle to develop healthy sexuality for as long as we are so heavily defined by it.
1. Sexually active means you’re having sex. Promiscuous means you’re having sex with a lot of different people.
2. Promiscuous people often make it known that they are having sex with a lot of different people. I would never assume this of someone.
3. Promiscuity is bad for society as a whole. Spread of disease, breakdown of the family unit (statistically two parent households are better for society in general), and the burden on society that many (not all) children conceived out of stable family units become.
4. I don’t know why a promiscuous person would be more prone to lie, cheat or steal. That makes no sense at all.
Thank you!! This new brand of feminism is unsettling. I don’t care if you’re male or female, promiscuity isn’t healthy.
I agree entirely and it’s a shame that only in one particular situation is that behavior condemned. It’s an issue that crosses all boundaries of gender and sexual orientation.
Are you for real or a troll? Quite breathtaking, really.,,,
I don’t understand why people get very pearl-clutchy over promiscuity. I find the rape culture, sexual assaults/abuse, molestation, pedophilia much more bigger problem than a woman who is having one night stands.
Let’s put it that way, if you are a woman and having sex with multiple people, to me that is fine. If you are a woman who is having sex with one partner, that is fine as well. If you are a woman who is not having sex at all and is celibate/virgin, that’s also fine as well. As long as that’s what you want to do in your life and are comfortable with your decision, I’m fine with that.
Obsession with virginity/purity is also very detrimental to society. I should know, I live in a culture who views the woman’s virginity/purity as the honor of the family.
For me the most important lesson I would pass on to girls/boys alike is that your bodies are your own, and no one is allowed to take advantage of it. Similarly, you should not take advantage of anyone else’s. Sex is what happens between two consenting adults (or hey even multiple adults).
I think people respect people who respect themselves, more so than it being a slut shaming issue.
If you are sleeping around, and accepting, loving, and respecting yourself, everyone else is going to too..
But I think many people engage in behaviors they truly don’t respect deep down and try and fake it..
Beautifully stated. Men OR women that sleep around indiscriminately, have no respect for their bodies, other people or other situations, use their bodies to get exactly what they want without caring who they hurt? Those are sluts. It’s hard to give an exact definition because there can be extenuating circumstances in any situation, but as Chrissy Teigen said, we don’t need to automatically defend everyone with a vagina and we can do SO much better. And I am absolutely a feminist and identify as one. This new, weird pseudo feminism is really the attitude of doing whatever you want for the hell of it and then no one is allowed to call you on it. Seriously?? To me, Kris Jenner is a slut. She slept around while married, used her husband’s income to facilitate her lifestyle and the lifestyle of her boytoys, and used her sexuality to gain what she wanted as long as she could. Then she tried teaching that brand of “womanhood” to her daughters. A slut is Leann Rimes, married to Dean Sheremet, sleeping with a married man and then stalking him to continue getting what she wanted; also being sexual in front of children. A slut is Jesse James, trolling for sex while married, getting laid by anyone he could. I’m using famous people because they are people we all know. The point being that not calling someone on terrible choices won’t make you a feminist, any more than sleeping around for gain will.
Oops!
Don’t feel so alone- I hear what you are saying. I think folks are talking at cross-purposes here. Embrace your sexuality, sure- but also don’t engage in sexual conduct you are uncomfortable with in order to make yourself appear mature/wild/free, etc. That’s a message young girls need to hear.
+ 1
I agree with you on that. Sexual acts that a woman feels obligated to perform are not empowering, and we’ve really over-corrected on that in the new millenium. I call it the Paris Hiltonification of America. Convincing women to participate in their own objectification does not mean they’re in control of it. Men still have the power, because they still have the agency, and they’re still the subject being performed to. You’re not a part of the club, you’re the entertainment.
Thank you. I agree with you, but I would take it a step further to say that one also shouldn’t participate in behavior that is unhealthy. Just because there is a physical urge there doesn’t mean you are somehow more liberated by satisfying it. Promiscuity in essence is an overindulgence just as over eating or excessive drug or alcohol abuse is. I believe we should always try to keep a measure of control over these things.
Enjoying sex is great and in healthy circumstances I think women should have as much sex as they want and enjoy it and have a blast (I certainly do!), but promiscuity is not a healthy situation and I think that’s a big difference that is not being acknowledged here.
That’s not true, Michelle. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa ALL love and have set up shop with prostitutes.
I won understand her trying to say something about how characters are written/treated, if she hadn’t resorted to mainstream hate-speak to do it. If she said something like “people have issues with highly sexual women” or simply said something clarifying that the ideas of so-called sluts aren’t her own feelings and clarified that she was talking about perception, then this would be different. But no, she didn’t make any effort not to sound slut-sham-y. She just echoed outdated sexist BS. So no, I’m not giving her a pass on this one.
I get that people are calling her out on the use of the word slut – which I agree with btw. But this is the same website in which you browse through any of the Kstew or January Jones articles that you see the term slut bandied about in the comments section. I agree that we need to change the conversation – but that starts one websites like these where women discuss and analyse other women. Too often we’re the first to shout ‘slut’ or ‘whore’ at another woman when she does something questionable.
“Owning sexuality” is not about sleeping with pretty much everything that moves and walking around half naked, which being slut pretty much is. It’s not sexually repressed or anything such to have only few men/women in one’s life.
This whole “I’m sexyally free, I sleep with everyone and their moms but don’t dare to call me a slut” thing has gone way overboard. I’m glad STDs will take care of that for us one day.
That saying, I totally see what is Michelle’s point here and I agree fully.
Michelle looks gorgeous in that dress. I’ve had a girl crush on her ever since the first Fast and Furious movie. She’s a terrible actress, but I love that she’s bad ass!
I agree with her quote about no one “respects a floozy.” I don’t respect a man who is that way either for the record.
I agree with a lot of what you guys are saying.. but I think the perception that “men have all the power” is wrong. It just seems like they do, they are just as emasculated and hurt by the shit going on and caged.. It’s just their cage looks a little better and more sparkly to women.
If you visit the other side, they feel the same way about us, they think WE have all the power. It’s really strange what’s going on between men and women right now.