Watson Boobs Bared, For Feminism!

Not so much bared, as hinted at: Emma Watson defends her cleavage-baring photo

Emma Watson says there’s nothing wrong with showing a bit of boob.

Good for her!

The “Harry Potter” star fired back over the weekend at critics who have accused her of betraying her feminist values by revealing her cleavage in a recent Vanity Fair photo shoot.

“I really don’t know what my t- -s have to do with it. It’s very confusing,” the 26-year-old British actress and activist told Reuters while promoting her new flick, Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast.”

She appears on the cover of the magazine’s March issue, but it was a shot inside — of her in an open white crocheted bolero jacket with nothing on underneath — that drew criticism.

British journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer suggested the image, taken by fashion photographer Tim Walker, was hypocritical, given Watson’s feminist advocacy.

British journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer suggested the image, taken by fashion photographer Tim Walker, was hypocritical, given Watson’s feminist advocacy.

“Emma Watson: Feminism, feminism . . . gender wage gap . . . why oh why am I not taken seriously . . . feminism . . . oh, and here are my t- -s!” Hartley-Brewer tweeted.

Speaking to Reuters, Watson said her critics were distorting what it means to be a feminist.

“It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is,” she said.

Feminists have a real conundrum when it comes to tits. It's easy to get attention by baring them (or at least coming close), but it makes it harder to be taken seriously. Take Femen for example. They're there for sexual signaling (it's the only rational explanation for adult human women to have permanently swelled breasts). Besides, it angers some feminists when men express interest in them.

As noted by Naomi Schaffer Riley: 

The next time Emma Watson, the United Nations women goodwill ambassador, gives a speech at the UN, I’d like her to try an experiment. Ask the folks gathered there for a show of hands: How many of them would like to see your breasts?

Now, look around. Do you notice that almost all of the hands raised belong to men? Yes, that’s right.

When women decide to remove their shirts, the people who enjoy it most are men. And, by the way, Emma, you might want to wait till the end of your speech to do this. Because, here’s the thing: Once you take off your shirt, men do not pay attention to anything you’re saying.

It is beyond me how any woman can get to the age of 24 without gathering these salient pieces of information, but here we are.

Wombat-socho has "Rule 5 Sunday: The Original Dragon Lady" up and working at The Other McCain.