Men in the entertainment industry rarely shy away from displaying misogyny towards their female counterparts in the industry. Whether that be harassment or inappropriate comments, misogyny runs rampant in most, if not all entertainment spaces.
Unsurprisingly, we were made to witness inappropriate comments made by men at The 2023 BRIT Awards the past month. One male artist, in particular, received an overwhelmingly negative reaction to an inappropriate joke he made. Whilst presenting the award for Best New Artist with Ellie Goulding, Tom Grennan made an inappropriate comment regarding what Goulding was wearing. On the night, Ellie was wearing a black dress with metallic breastplates attached. Tom commented on her breasts: “They’re your real boobs?” to which she responded: “These are not mine. I wish. Mine are a lot further apart, sadly.” Following the incident on stage, viewers were quick to point out their disgust regarding the uncomfortable comment. One user said,
In response to overwhelmingly negative comments, Grennan took to Twitter to apologise to the singer as well as fans, tweeting,
Despite overwhelming support for the singer, Ellie Goulding responded to the backlash, tweeting that,
While it is good to hear that Ellie took no offence to Grennan’s statement, we must recognise that unwanted comments on women’s bodies, particularly in such a public manner are not something to be downplayed or dismissed. Normalising such comments, even in a light-hearted context, is bound to set a harmful precedent not only for other artists in the industry but also viewers generally.
Public figures with such great influence on young women as well as young girls who, in this modern age are heavily influenced by what is said and done in the media. It is important to spread a positive message on body positivity and encourage positive body image in young women and girls. It is also significant that viewers do not perceive this harmful and suggestive behaviour as something to be followed or normalised in any context.