Actress Emily Ratajkowski Endorses Bernie Sanders, Is Objectified and Underestimated by Internet Jerks

Emily Ratajkowski is an actress and model known for Gone Girl and the Robin Thicke “Blurred Lines” music video. She’s also proudly feelin’ the Bern (sorry), and gave a speech introducing Sanders at a rally last week in which she stated “just to make one thing clear, I’m here to support Bernie Sanders, not for the boys”; a reference to Gloria Steinem’s comment that women are supporting Sanders’ campaign because “that’s where the boys are.”

Ratajkowski shared the video to her various social media accounts, and it didn’t take long before the Internet peanut gallery swooped in to tell her that her job isn’t to have political opinions–she’s just there to provide the scenery.

In addition to men assuring Ratajkowski that they still think she’s beautiful despite her all-caps stupidity, many a douchecanoe also claimed that, by appearing nude in “The Blurred Lines” video and Gone Girl, Ratajkowski forfeited her right to bodily autonomy or to have an opinion on gender politics:

Or, you know, there’s this:

Gross.

The responses Ratajkowski received to her speech are by no means unique–women on both sides of the political divide have faced gender-based harassment for sharing their opinions about the candidates online. But it is upsetting to note how many of the remarks directed at Ratajkowski reference her performances where she’s appeared nude.

I’m not surprised, but it is–let’s say interesting–to see how many people felt that they could use Ratajkowski’s decision to do nude scenes for a role as a kind of “gotcha” to discredit or guilt her. I suspect that some concern trolls might also use the terrible messages about consent in “Blurred Lines” to argue that Ratajkowski isn’t qualified to speak up on gender politics, but just because Ratajkowski appeared in a misogynistic music video several years ago doesn’t mean that she’s disqualified from standing up for female Sanders supporters now. People’s politics evolve with time, and besides, if we’re looking to hold someone responsible for “Blurred Lines,” it’s probably reductive to blame Ratajkowski instead of the men in that video or the entertainment industry’s insistence on objectifying women.

Thankfully, Ratajkowski knows that being attractive and appearing nude for roles doesn’t discredit her political power. She has a Lenny Letter coming out tomorrow, and I couldn’t be more excited to read it.

(via Huffington Post)

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Carolyn Cox