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Editor's Note: Holly Thomas is a writer and editor based in London. You can follow her on Twitter at @HolstaT. The opinions expressed in this comment are those of the author.
(CNN) - When it comes to controversies, Emma Watson's personal brand is usually received with a slight objection, such as leaving the mashed potatoes in the shell, or introducing snacks bought in a shop secretly from a movie theater. But the woman who gave us Hermione, Bella and an ominously convincing thief in The Bling Ring has managed to enter the hall of fame for famous phrases at age 29.
“I never fully believed in that of 'I am single and happy,' he told Vogue in an interview published this week. “It took me a long time, but I'm very happy [with being single]. I call it being a couple with myself. ”
Now, anyone can be forgiven for being taken by surprise for the sensation of "conscious separation" from that comment at first sight. In fact, many booed that completely. "Being in a relationship with oneself means that you can't get a man, don't you?" Said the British television host and, we can only assume that the self-styled relationship expert, Piers Morgan. Twitter users declared "what's wrong with being single?"
But isn't that a bit the purpose? If society were friendlier towards single women, and our associations with the word "single" were generally more positive, there would be no need for Watson to create the phrase. In fact, when Piers Morgan made his mocking comments on the "Good Morning Britain" program, the studio played in the background the song most associated with the tragic loneliness of the best known "spinster", Bridget Jones, "All By Myself."
It really is very rare. Emma Watson is as independent and privileged as one can be, without becoming a white man in a similar situation. But not only continues to disclose their insecurities, those insecurities are met with a whirlwind of criticism for being honest. In contrast, this week we saw how 55-year-old Keanu Reeves generated a positive uproar by dating a woman only nine years younger than him. As noted by BBC journalist Louise Ridley on Twitter, “it is very revealing that the film star, winner of the British Academy Film Award, UN ambassador, Brown and Oxbridge graduate Emma Watson says she feels pressure for not having a partner and baby at 30. ”
So, why is the pressure for women to get a partner so widespread? There is little evidence that, for them, being a couple is better than being single in terms of life expectancy, happiness or health. However, it is in the best interest of men that women believe they should get a partner. Studies have repeatedly shown that a man is likely to live longer and enjoy better mental and physical health if he is married to a woman. Not surprisingly, centuries of public relations in a world dominated by men have been dedicated to teaching women who are sad or deficient if they are left alone.
Elizabeth Gilbert, the author with success in sales of "Eat Pray Love" lamented in an interview earlier this year the way he "concluded" the book. The happy and neat ending, which shows how a year of self-discovery and independence passes into the arms of a new couple, implied that a year was more than enough time for realization and personal exploration, before “reliving a life respectable and responsible that has the appearance that a woman is supposed to have. ”
“I had two marriages because I keep trying - in my own way - an imitation of the model presented by them (their female ancestors), which is to be a“ wife, ”she explained. “And do it terribly wrong! And so much of my shame and pain in my life has been because I am terribly bad at doing this. ”
In fact, the same shame machine is so powerful that many people who reacted to the Watson interview - including Piers Morgan - apparently couldn't capture the fact that she explained that she is dating someone, but that she simply chose not to settle with a particular person. When the instinctive reaction to everything that female celebrities say and do is still mocking or finding fault with them, that kind of detail is often overlooked.
Watson is clearly intelligent and self-aware. When speaking with Vogue, he referred to mixed reactions for having "declared" feminist, and "being in therapy" because someone else could have enjoyed his extraordinary fame more.
Knowing that someone is likely to lash out at her no matter what she says, why shouldn't she express herself harmlessly in a way that is comfortable for her? The only way that women, whether famous or not, can get rid of the shame imposed on them is to look it straight in the face and do whatever they choose anyway.
Emma Watson
