One of our favourite women on the planet, Emma Watson gave us butterflies once again when she posed topless for a risqué Vanity Fair March cover. And in a world where Donald Trump has become the POTUS, the controversy over the Harry Potter star’s latest antic comes with little surprise.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower actress is seen in nothing but a cut-out crochet open top by Burberry and white lace skirt for British fashion photographer Tim Walker. This has invited criticism from a section of the Twitteratti that considers this shoot ‘hypocritical’ given Emma’s staunch feminist image.
New photoshoot of Emma Watson for Vanity Fair magazine pic.twitter.com/S3D7nRDrQG
— ️ (@emmawpics) February 28, 2017
Leading the line among detractors is talkRadio presenter and Telegraph columnist Julia Hartley-Brewer, who questioned how posing topless for a “posh magazine” like Vanity Fair was “empowering” yet doing it page three constituted “exploitation”.
Emma Watson: “Feminism, feminism… gender wage gap… why oh why am I not taken seriously… feminism… oh, and here are my tits!” pic.twitter.com/gb7OvxzRH9
— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) March 1, 2017
Other critics also took swipes at the on-screen Hermoine Gringer for baring her breasts. “Feminist: Page three girls? Topless? Ban them! Emma Watson topless? Brave and Stunning! #doublethink #hypocrisy,”
The First Rule of Feminist Club – burn your bra if you want to. Some poor loves seem a bit confused. @EmmaWatson As you were x 👏🏼💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/YZsyPZDN5U
— Laetitia (@LaetitiaMcP2011) March 1, 2017
But many others, who begged to differ with these views, have rushed to Watson’s defence, arguing that feminism and nudity were in no way “mutually exclusive”.
It’s possible to be a feminist and be proud of your body. Emma Watson doing a revealing photo shoot doesn’t cancel out her feminist activism
— Rud (@TheRuddleKip) March 1, 2017
The Vanity Fair cover shoot comes as a part of Disney’s live action edition of Watson’s latest release Beauty And Beast. The actress says the role has seen her come of age that has been the underlying ‘maturing from Hermione to Belle’ theme of the magazine’s story.
After graduating from Brown University in 2014, Emma Watson went on to become a Global Ambassador for the United Nations in July that year. She helped to launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe which calls on men to advocate gender equality and has taken strong feminist stands on various occasions.
