We’ve reached the end of another long week. But before we clock out for the weekend, we’re giving props where they’re due. Here’s to our winners of the week .
What's that? You think worry, concern, and caution are for scaredy-cats and overprotective moms? False! Having your guard up is smart, reasonable, and for women, absolutely necessary. This week proved why. First, Saoirse Ronan spawned a dozen think pieces after her comment about self-defense on The Graham Norton Show went viral.
Host Norton and certified nice guys Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne were joking about how a phone might be used as a weapon in a fight, which is a perfectly fine thing to find funny, but what was truly hilarious was the stunned silence after Ronan pointed out, “that's what girls have to think about all the time.” Frankly, she was being kind to ask the audience “am I right, ladies?” and let the applause break the tension. (Denzel Washington was also there, but seemed ready to talk about other things.
) If you think she's overreacting or being hyperbolic, first of all, she was just being herself , and second, I urge you to remember that mere months ago, multiple young women reported being randomly punched in the face on the streets of New York City. (FWIW, phones probably aren't super useful weapons, but if you find yourself grabbed from behind, you can employ the classic “SING” strategy made famous by Miss Congeniality —solar plexus, instep, nose, groin—and remember to use y.
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