Jennifer Love Hewitt Once Felt That Female Empowerment Was Taken Too Far
Actor Jennifer Love Hewitt noticed there was a slight change with the way men acted towards women over the years. And she blamed this change on female empowerment perhaps being a bit too extreme at the time.
Jennifer Love Hewitt felt sad for her younger self because of her treatment in the media
Hewitt has been in the business for a long time. She’s remembered for featuring in several projects such as Heartbreakers and I Know What You Did Last Summer. By the time she was in her late teens, she was already one of Hollywood’s most popular names. But earlier in her career, she noticed that the media focused more on her personal life and physique than the movies she starred in. Something Hewitt felt sorry that the younger her had to endure.
“I really now, at 42, have started to look back at some of the things that I did as a kid in the business. Or the things that I was asked to do. And I realize that a lot of sexuality was placed on me before I even knew what it was for myself. And we were in a time of these magazines that you were put on the front of, and crop-tops, and all those things,” she once said in an interview with Extra.
Although it didn’t bother her back then, as she grew older she began to question the motives behind her circumstances. And how much her treatment had to do with her gender.
“At the time, I never felt weird. But looking back, I do think, ‘Why was I asked to do those things at that age?’ I just remember always thinking, ‘Ok, if I have a 40-minute interview, probably 25 minutes of it is going to be about my chest size or who I’m dating. Or what bikini I was wearing wherever,” she added.
Jennifer Love Hewitt once wondered if female empowerment was taken too far
In Hewitt’s younger years, she had a theory that perhaps the idea of female empowerment was taken to extreme lengths. She formed the theory after noticing what she believed were changes in men in her relationships. For example, at the time men weren’t asking Hewitt out on dates as much as she would’ve liked. This usually led to Hewitt making the first move.
“I think guys are really nervous, and I think guys, honestly, maybe somehow in the female empowerment thing we’ve taken a little too far now, and we have allowed guys to think that we don’t want to be girls,” she once said according to Black Film. “There’s a difference between wanting to be respected and being a strong female and being known for being able to do things, but still very much wanting guys to open the door, wanting them to ask us out, still bringing flowers and stuff like that.”
Because of this change in attitude, Hewitt believed that some men were anxious to promote chivalry. If only because they might have considered it an insult to women. But Hewitt asserted this wasn’t the case.
“So I think honestly it’s because guys are at a loss at this point. So I think somehow trying to take a female thing, maybe we took it a little too far, or maybe he misunderstood it, probably they misunderstood it, because they’re men,” she added.
Jennifer Love Hewitt is proud of the direction women are heading in
Despite her opinions when she was younger, Hewitt felt genuine pride towards the progress being made with women. The changes would give her boundless optimism towards the future.
“The great news is we are in a time of change across the board in our world, which makes me feel moved and excited and hopeful for women. For real issues that should be brought up and paid attention to. For my kids and where they’re gonna go and what they’re gonna know their world to be in a few years. I feel like it’s gonna be different, and I’m really excited about that,” Hewitt said.
