Our reaction to Emma Watson's 'sulky' day in bed speaks volumes
As a 26-year-old woman who occasionally has cause to complain about her life - whether the economic climate, the gender pay gap or any number of personal issues - I am part of what has become known as 'Generation Whinge'. Or 'Generation Snowflake'. Or the group referred to as 'Self-Entitled Millennials'.
The roll call of dismissive labels used to describe my peers shows no sign of slowing down.
This week, we moaning millennials welcomed another to our ranks. Emma Watson, one of the most successful 26-year-olds in Britain, has been called a “poor little luvvie” for “harping on” and “bleating” (read: dare to speak honestly) about her life.
In an interview with Elle magazine, the actress-turned-women’s rights campaigner admitted that she was deeply affected by vitriol she received in 2014, after launching the UN Women’s HeForShe gender equality programme.
"There is a level of criticism that comes with being an actress and a public figure, which I expect, but once you take a stance on something like feminism, that's a completely different ball game,” she said.
“There were a couple of days when I just didn't want to come out from under the duvet. At first, I wasn't sure if I should allow myself to be upset by it, but then I realized I needed to give myself 24 hours to sulk, and then move forward.”
Twenty-four hours. One day. That is the time limit that Watson gave herself to “sulk” after being called everything from a “privileged white woman” to a “feminazi” - when her only crime was trying to speak up about equality. And yet she has been pulled apart by tabloids and trolls alike for being a "self-pitying diva".
I am not immune to the idiocies of my generation. Many of us in our twenties - myself included - do whinge too much. We have perfected the art of complaining, turned it into a meme, and racked up thousands of Instagram likes for our efforts. But we must learn to distinguish between the truly gratuitous and the honest.
Watson is not moaning about her own life, or (tiny violin) being worth an estimated £57 million. She knows full well that her fame and wealth open the door to criticism. Her point is that she was shocked by the level of that bile, when she was only trying to do something sincere and use her platform for good. It made her feel glum to the point that she stayed in bed for a day.
As someone who, through my writing about gender equality, has received rape to death threats online, I can relate to a small part of what Watson went through. I know that she doesn't deserve to be called a "luvvie" or mocked for having oh such a hard life as a multi-millionaire. Yes, it is possible to laugh off some of the more ridiculous insults but it can be deeply affecting to be trolled by strangers for something you truly believe in.
She knows it is her responsibility to show girls that, while you might get knocked down, you can get up again - albeit after a duvet day
No matter how strong you are, it is difficult to be immune, particularly when the comments become personal, racist, and plain cruel (the words “look how ugly you are” across a blown-up image of my face , with arrows pointing to my physical ‘flaws’).
“Some of it you just have to not engage with, and you become more robust,” noted Watson. “And, of course, sometimes you just have to laugh at the absurdity of it all.”
Amen to that.
Given Watson’s far more extreme experience, it would have been completely understandable if she had taken longer than 24 hours to move on. She would have been forgiven for seeking professional help or advice, or even stopping back from her campaign altogether. Money is no barrier to issues around mental health and self-esteem.
And, really, what were her other options? To take public offence, engage in social media spats, and end up being called a "humourless feminist"? Or to pull up the emotional drawbridge and seem "too remote".
Instead, she has chosen to be honest and that's something her fans can relate to. Her message, ultimately, is about self-care. She gave herself a day to mope and "toughen up" after being criticised. She took a year of to "work on herself" and she went on a silent retreat after a break-up in 2015. These are words that young women need to hear.
You only have to look back at her past quotes (used by the tabloids this week as examples of her "whinging") to see how far she has come in terms of confidence. She previously spoke about being her “own worst critic”; and her “struggles to keep up with herself.”
Show me another young woman who hasn't felt that way.
Watson’s life is vastly more privileged than most millennials - but underneath it all, she’s just another young woman dealing with criticism over her look and opinions. But she also knows that it is her responsibility to show girls that, while you might get knocked down, you can get up again - albeit after a day under the duvet.
Her public journey from timid teen to confident woman, who speaks up for what she believes in, is inspiring.
As she said last year: "Call me a diva, call me a feminazi, call me difficult, call me a First World feminist. It’s not going to stop me from trying to do the right thing.”
In quotes | Emma Watson on gender and equality
