Mayim Bialik Slammed in Wake of Harvey Weinstein Controversy
by EG
It's a dangerous time to say anything about sexual assault in Hollywood. In the wake of the revelations about alleged sexual predator Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood stars have been criticized for failing to speak up in condemnation of Weinstein, and they've been criticized when they've spoken up in condemnation of him. They've been criticized for failing to make jokes about the situation (Saturday Night Live), and they've been criticized for making jokes about it (James Corden).
The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik got a close look at the vitriol currently swirling in Hollywood when she wrote a piece for The New York Times. In it, she wrote that she had made a choice in her Hollywood career to not allow herself to be sexualized. She also made the mistake of suggesting that that choice helped her to avoid sexual abuse. The reaction was fast and fierce, with some actresses citing times that they were assaulted outside of Hollywood and while they were dressed modestly (an argument that Bialik says misses the point about Hollywood's consistent sexualization of women).
One of the most vicious reponses came from model Emily Ratajkowski, who implied that Bialik had been safe from sexual assault because she "was never pretty." Ratajkowski, ironically, is best known for her nude appearance in the video for Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," a song that has been criticized for seeming to condone sexual assault.
Mayim Bialik has come under fire from several of her Hollywood peers after the Big Bang Theory actress wrote an op-ed column titled "Being a Feminist in Harvey Weinstein's World," for the New York Times.
In the piece published on Friday, Bialik, 41, describes coming of age as a "prominent-nosed, awkward, geeky, Jewish 11-year-old," and being aware that she was different from her onscreen contemporaries of the late '80s, who she says were praised for their curves.
"I have always had an uncomfortable relationship with being employed in an industry that profits on the objectification of women," she writes, adding that from an early age she made "wise" personal choices in order to protect herself, including dressing "modestly" and not acting "flirtatiously" with men.
So @missmayim "advice" is: I was never pretty & never tried to be & ladies, take note if you don't want to be harassed? This isn't feminism pic.twitter.com/0Rrx6jrE5K
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) October 15, 2017
"I am entirely aware that these types of choices might feel oppressive to many young feminists," she added. "Women should be able to wear whatever they want. They should be able to flirt however they want with whomever they want."
Despite her concession that it shouldn't be the duty of women "to police our own behavior," the suggestion that her strategies would be helpful in staving off sexual predators enraged many people on social media, including Gabrielle Union, Emily Ratajkowski and Patricia Arquette, who all posted that dressing conservatively is not effective; many also accused Bialik of victim-blaming.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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