‘Disgusting’, ‘gold digger’, ‘lesbian’, ‘man-eater’, ‘plastic, ‘fake’, ‘fat’ - where have we heard these words? Oh right! These were the names given to strong women. These were the insults hurled at them because whether East or West, the world cannot stand fierce and bold women.
Why are we talking about it now? It is because Priyanka Chopra Jonas recently appeared on Alexandra Cooper’s podcast ‘Call Her Daddy’ where she opened up about facing racism when she was studying in America, the first message she received from her husband, Nick Jonas, being cornered in the Hindi film industry and her journey from Bollywood to Hollywood.
Cooper is the same person who in 2020 called the couple ‘unattractive’ and ‘disgusting’. She also labelled Chopra a lesbian. One of her conversations has been circulating on Twitter, which shows how the host body-shamed the global star.
Is it a first-of-a-kind incident? No. Does it happen only in Hollywood? No. No matter which country you pick, trolls and bullies find a way to attack women, especially those who are financially independent, outspoken and strong.
Selena Gomez Trolled For Putting On Weight
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In 2022, Selena Gomez was trolled for putting on weight. Speaking with PEOPLE, the singer said she no longer cares about her weight because people “bitch about it anyway”.
In an interview with the US Weekly, she shared that as soon as she landed at an airport, the 29-year-old singer witnessed people yelling out ‘you are fat’. It affected her mental health, and she started therapy. She added, “Even if I gain weight, I’m fine. That’s what the picture represents.”
Sushmita Sen Called A ‘Gold Digger’
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In 2022, businessman Lalit Modi abruptly changed his bio on social media and mentioned Sushmita Sen as his ‘better-looking partner’. He announced to the whole world that the two of them were together in love.
As soon as the news went viral, trolls became the jury and labelled Sushmita Sen a ‘gold digger’. It was not the first time because even though Priyanka and Nick got together, people in India and abroad said she was doing it for the money, a green card or to get entry into Hollywood.
The two actors are known for their feminist thoughts, independent living and outward opinions. They might not react immediately but often shut off trolls in their own ways.
After the trolling, Sen had shared a post on Instagram and wrote, “I dig deeper than Gold… and I’ve always (famously) preferred Diamonds!! And yes I still buy them myself!!!”
Aishwarya Rai & Katrina Kaif Called ‘Plastic’
Katrina Kaif from being one of the beautiful actress to now after plastic surgery & lip fillers and botox. #KatrinaKaifpic.twitter.com/xIFD6JNCpk
— #𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐚 (@iamAlbela_) October 30, 2022
Film industries across countries have different standards for men and women. While male actors like Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan keep romancing female actors half of their age, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit have often been trolled for showing wrinkles, fine lines or other signs of ageing.
Actors, including Madhuri Dixit, Katrina Kaif, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma have been trolled for plastic surgery. Male celebrities like Karan Johar and Salman have opted for cosmetic procedures, but the world sees it fit to only target female targets. They are either too skinny, fat or have wrinkles. And if they opt to hide wrinkles, they become ‘plastic’.
Taylor Swift Was Called An ‘Emotional Man Eater’
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In 2014, the media in the US was portraying famous singer Taylor Swift as a ‘man eater'. With the release of her songs ‘Blank Space’ and ‘Bad Blood’, people took it to mean that the characters she was playing were a reflection of her personality.
While speaking to RTÉ TEN, she clarified that she wrote ‘Blank Space as a joke. “I’d be writing from an autobiographical perspective, writing these true, confessional feelings and one day I was thinking of how the media has fictionalised my personal life to the point where it’s cartoonish,” she added.
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Emma Watson Labelled Anti-Feminist
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For one of the magazine covers, Harry Potter actor Emma Watson posed in a white, crocheted bolero jacket with no bra underneath. She was mercilessly trolled and labelled as anti-feminist.
She is the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and while speaking for the #HerForShe campaign, the actor said, “It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is.”
She added, “They were saying that I couldn’t be a feminist and have boobs.”
Later, she also clarified the definition of feminism and said, “Feminism is about giving women a choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women. It’s about freedom, it’s about liberation, it’s about equality. I really don’t know why my breasts have to do with it. It’s very confusing.”
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These are just a few instances. Jennifer Lopez, Adele, Sharon Stone, Alia Bhatt, Lady Gaga and Mindy Kaling have all been trolled for one reason or the other. What is common among them apart from trolling is all of them are strong and independent women.
It seems like when people do not have actual reasons to call out someone, they nick-pick petty things like clothing choices, body shape and size, choices of partners and whatnot.
It happens more with women. According to the Observer Research Foundation report of 2020, 41% of women reported facing online sexual harassment. It does not matter which country you go to, if a woman is financially independent and makes choices that do not run parallel with the patriarchal mindset, they will name-call her and troll her to destroy her image.
Why the world cannot stand independent women?
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