Emily Ratajkowski Says Wanting Attention Has No Gender

Emily Ratajkowski has long been a strong advocated for equal treatment for men and women. She's also not shy about her sexuality. The most famous example is in the "Blurred Lines" video, which she is now embarrassed by, and in which she danced mostly naked and acted like she enjoyed hanging out with Robin Thicke. But since then she's been open the ways in which her sexuality has caused people to react to her. Whether it's penning an essay for LennyLetter about being body shamed as a pre-teen, spitroasting Piers Morgan, teaming with Kim Kardashian for a body-positive message, or tweeting about feminism, Ratajkowski has been an outspoken proponent of women's right to be heard. Often, she takes as her subject the question of attention and the ways men shame women for stepping outside the box into which the patriachy wants to put them. Though many would have been content with the massive fame that attended her debut, Ratajkowski has used her success to express herself creatively and seek out opportunities to advance a progressive message. She tackled the politics of attention in a fascinating essay for Glamour. "After posting a picture of myself at the rally and a video of my speech about Bernie’s positions on equal pay, maternity leave, and economic inequality, I was trolled heavily," Ratajkowski wrote in Glamour. "Commenters said I had 'an excess of beauty and lack of brain' and told me to 'shut up and show us your tits.' But I was also criticized in a very specific way — for seeking attention." Ratajkowski goes on to say that both men and women seek attention, but that women are often the only ones chastised for it publicly. "And if a woman dresses up because she does want attention, male or otherwise, does that make her guilty of something?" Ratajkowski writes. "Or less 'serious'? Our society doesn’t question men’s motivations for taking their shirt off, or shaving, or talking about politics—nor should it. Wanting attention is genderless." She presents a compelling case, including why attention can be fatal on occasion. Read the rest of the piece here.