Several years back, Shailene Woodley would not stop saying dumb sh-t about feminism and how and why she did not call herself a feminist. She thought the word discriminated against people and she thought feminists were, like, out to destroy men. She thought you couldn’t be a feminist if you were in touch with your “masculine side.” There’s a treasury of old, stupid quotes from Shailene about feminism and I hope those quotes are brought up every day of her newly feminist life. Last year, she did talk to the New York Times and finally said she was a feminist, but she couched it in dumb sexist tropes so I didn’t really believe her. Shailene is currently promoting Adrift, and she chatted with Vulture about the movie and politics and other stuff. They asked her about feminism, of course. Shailene 2018: still kind of dumb about feminism, but she’s getting slightly better.
Vulture: That sounds kind of like what you were driving at when you were quoted saying that you weren’t a feminist. Was that quote taken out of context?
Woodley: And that quote was so long ago. It was also in a different time of feminism. You know, feminism has had so many forms over its many, many decades of being around. To me, I say today that I resonate as a feminist. But take that word out of it — a word is a word, a movement is a movement — practice and action are what actually makes a difference. So I can call myself a feminist all day long. Or I can say I’m not a feminist all day long. But if my daily interaction with the world is taking steps to uplift, empower — not only women, but also men in their relationships with women, and women and their relationships with men, and women to women, and improving sisterhood with women, and changing our judicial system to reflect that which society is asking for — that, to me, is where my greatest interest lies. But for the sake of the movement, and also for my beliefs, I think at this point it is important to use that word as a tool just for means of other people understanding who you are.
Again, she was saying really dumb sh-t about feminism in 2014, just four years ago. Even last year, when she was finally claiming to be a feminist, she couched it by saying: “I would today consider myself a feminist. If females start working through the false narrative of jealousy and insecurity fed through a patriarchal society, then not only will we have more women feeling confident in themselves and supportive of one another, but we will start introducing a type of matriarchy…” That was in the summer of 2017. She makes it sound like the feminism of 2014 was radically different than the feminism of 2017, which is radically different than the feminism of 2018. She’s 26 years old now – she was sh-t-talking feminism when she was 22. Part of me thinks that Shailene just needs to stop pretending she knows everything about everything. That would be a good place to start – just come out and say, “God, I was such an idiot four years ago, my bad. I’ll try to do better.” But then she wouldn’t be Shailene Woodley, femsplainer extraordinaire.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
with Shailene, i find myself actively avoiding what she has to write or say. but i do pay attention to her work both on and off screen. i saw a lot of the videos of her taking part in activism and i find her very passionate. her movies aren’t so bad either if she is cast suitably (if she is playing to her strength). but her words and texts otherwise baffles me.
She just seems like she’s trying to not upset feminists or Bros. Like she’s trying to say “I’m here for women, but Im also here for men!” …….
Yeah I just said she’s a Bernie bro, this is a text book reply for some of those bros. They are almost reactionary in their response to feminism and civil right movement all while touting their progressive credentials. It’s incredibly bizarre.
Her response still makes me want to Hulk smash something.
Same.
She’s insufferable because she’s a straight white male on the inside. Next.
“word salad word salad word salad feminism word salad word salad” is basically what I got from what she said.
Most of us go through really f*cking annoying stages in our twenties where we think we’re just so much smarter about the world than everyone else when we don’t have a clue, but part of growing up is that you realize how little you actually know and that learning and refining your views is a lifelong process.
And then you have people like her who are going to be annoying, self righteous, sanctimonious idiots their whole lives. You don’t want to call yourself a feminist? Fine, I guess – that is your right as a human being. But do not go on some pseudo intellectual word journey to try and justify the fact that you’re trying to wriggle out of associating yourself with something that may be unpopular.
I have gripes with the feminist movement myself sometimes, but I’m not going to throw the whole group over the cliff so I look cool.
All of this @grabbyhands! I’m reading her quote like “what the hell is she rambling on about?” She’s trying way too hard to make herself sound so enlightened & insightful. Pseudo-intellectual is the perfect description. Of course people’s views change as they get older and gain more life experience, but she really does come across as thinking she’s got it all figured out. On a positive note, I think she’s a pretty good actress and I enjoyed her work in The Descendants and BLL.
@grabbyhands, word! The mental gymnastics this idiot is doing. That quote made my head hurt. What the f@ck is she saying???? Just acknowledge that yes, there are negative connotations that come with that word but being a feminist does not mean hating men. Yes you can be a feminist and love men. Yes, you can be a feminist and like girly stuff like hair and makeup. Gawd, she is so full of herself. I agree, Kaiser, just f@cking admit that you don’t know sh@t!
Honestly, this sounds like something supposedly-older-and-wiser Meryl Streep could have said. If you grow up in an industry that’s all about not upsetting the men, this is the kind of thing you get.
At least the interviewers are now asking the question from a “do you embrace feminism” rather than “do you renounce feminism” angle; at least they’ve learned and progressed.
Feminism is civil rights for women; it’s about accepting women as equally human as men. No need to dance around identifying with that.
This is another good point. The recent strides women have made have been just that. Recent. People also forget just how many of the actresses that get lauded for their feminist stance today were saying exactly what Shailene Woodley would have said, not that long ago.
What made Shailene stand out was her relative age and the time she said it. She’s not 60 or even 40, she’s 22. She was asked abt feminism at a moment when the movement was turning a corner. I’m very close to her in age, and I remember how even in high school girls would say exactly what she said abt feminism. She was asked abt it right at a time when a lot of her peers were openly stating their changing that mindset and dialogue. Actresses both young and old were saying the word and identifying with it explicitly, in a positive way, in public. And then there was her, talking abt how feminism felt like it discriminated against men. *eyeroll* It was outrageous because there was this huge sense of, “Aren’t we supposed to be past this already? Especially as young people?”
She’s so insufferable. Those quotes! My God! They’re so sexist.
Also, the only people I know who refer to women as females in that context are dudes who know nothing about women and have no real respect for women.
She’s a Bernie bro, they tend to think feminism and civil rights movement is “identity politics” ( as if all politics isn’t fundamentally identity politics .. Eyeroll)..
She sounds like a bro in these quotes.
Yeah those Bernie Bro’s who avoid issues concerning minorities, LGBTQ and women, referring to them derisively as “identity politics”. But they are happy to embrace the “White working class” and steele/manufacturing workers (code for: poor White males). Hypocrisy at its best.
So the White Working class are not a racial group, and male steele workers do not have a gender. LMAO. Bernie Bro’s “don’t see color or gender”. HA!
I could never ever get behind Bernie for this reason. He had zero women in the top tier of his staff and I don’t think he ever met a person of color until recently.
She sounds always so dumb.
Ahhhh, she is the definition of insufferable.
For someone who was at Standing Rock – activism largely lead by women, elders and youth – I’m baffled she doesn’t get this.
She has a point abt actually doing the work to uplift women vs just referring to herself as a feminist without any action to go with it. We see a lot of people in the media who prefer to go through the motions but not do a lot of the actual work involved, and ppl need to understand that feminism is about a lot more than just calling yourself one. I also thought her comments about empowering men in their relationships with women was also really thoughtful and on point.
But yeah, she’s ducking the question here, which is that she was wrong about feminism and said a lot of dumb sh*t abt it in the past. She’s really trying to come off as more enlightened or whatever but it’s like…why? Why not just admit you were wrong? What’s the harm in acknowledging that your views have evolved? God knows, none of us came out of the womb as enlightened, all-knowing beings. I know that I myself have had some really awful opinions abt things. But we all grew, as people do. It’s not something to feel ashamed of, and I feel that if she wants to continue down a path where she can do more activism and be a greater force for good, she should really figure this stuff out, because people who fail to acknowledge their own mistakes make for some of the most condescending, unhelpful activists in the long run.
I tried to read that, but my brain noped out of it and I just had to skim it. Didn’t wanna get mad so early in the morning. It’s early enough that I still believe I have a chance at a good attitude today!
(Narrator: She did not)
Dying!
Yes, this is moment where she is learning. It isn’t about the world changing dramatically around her, it’s about her being more aware.
I kind of like those bangs on her, but that stray hair in front is driving me crazy.
She reminds me so much of this girl I know. Crunchy granola hippy (although last I knew dad was still paying her rent) every post is some body positive/yoga/gluten free something or another, every caption a short novel about growth and transformation and change and listening to your heart chakra blah blah blah. I’m not against any of that! But with some people it feels like the product is more themselves than any philosophy. I ain’t buyin it!
Ugh, and that dress is so ill fitting.
I need google translate to figure out what TF she is saying.