Indeed, why were the male guests on The Graham Norton Show so taken aback by Saoirse’s comment: “That’s what girls have to think about all the time”?
In case you have missed the furore that has erupted as a result of Saoirse’s seemingly innocuous intervention in the show’s proceedings, here is the background leading up to the moment: Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne were sitting alongside Saoirse Ronan on the couch as Norton’s guests, all promoting their appearances in recently released films. Redmayne described a scene in his film in which he had to learn self defence from a specialist, including how to use everyday objects such as a phone to defend himself.
“That’s what girls have to think about all the time”
Mescal then remarked, jokingly, that he would not think of using his phone as a weapon, mimicking taking his own out of his pocket. Norton chipped in too with “Who’s actually going to do that though”. When the laughter paused for a moment and with perfect timing from actress Ronan, she landed her “That’s what girls have to think about all the time” hand grenade into the mix of frippery. This exploded, or maybe imploded, with such force that it led to a stunned silence from all those present, but spoke volumes about her comments.
This very awkward moment was only defused when Saoirse added “amirite ladies” to which the women (?!) in the audience applauded loudly in recognition of the significance of her words. Although the show moved on, the reaction to Saoirse’s poignant epithet has run and run on social and in the main media. The awkward silence from the male guests only lasted seconds but seemed an age, as if her words struck a chord which they should have already been tuned in to. These men, after all, are well informed and regarded as ‘progressives’ and have a worldwide women fan base. They should have recognise their faux pas and ought to have apologised immediately for the inappropriateness of their ‘joke’. Perhaps they were trapped in the entertainer’s mindset, where every opportunity has to be taken to see the funny side of things.
This very awkward moment was only defused when Saoirse added “amirite ladies”
Her interjection was a sad reminder of the lived lives of women all over the world who have to be vigilant about their personal safety when going about their daily business. They have to consider the use of keys and yes, even a phone, to defend themselves against a male attacker. “Tell me when you get home” is a common refrain of concern and is surely not referring to the dangers of tripping up on a raised paving stone?
Only in July this year the first national analysis of the scale of violence against women and girls was published by the National Police Chief’s Council. They regarded the situation as so serious that it amounted to, in their words: “A national emergency”. The report documented as many as two million women in England and Wales each year are the victims of violence perpetrated by men, and these crimes account for 20% of all police recorded crime. Offences against women such as stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence were also reported to affect one in twelve women in England and Wales annually. On average, over the last year, three women were killed each week by men.
These facts are alarming and so too is the ignorance with which men appreciate their significance. Can this situation change for the better? More education is a key factor at all levels of society. This magazine has highlighted dangers women face in everyday life; see for instance the article “Safety advice for women runners” and others on the same theme. What would it take for men to educate themselves to read magazines such as this to learn about what is happening to women in the world?
Despite all the publicity will Saoirse’s comments and the subsequent publicity about them change anything?
It is poignant and sadly pathetic that Saoirse had to bring the situation to the attention of the nation via a chat show. Despite all the publicity will Saoirse’s comments and the subsequent publicity about them change anything? Probably not, because the media carrying the message does not attract the attention of men. The message must be conveyed more loudly and persistently for it to be heard by everyone.
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