In the film Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, now in theaters, Tina Fey and Margot Robbie play female journalists in Afghanistan. With two strong female leads, the film is sure to touch on several feminist topics. Thus, it is no surprise that Fey has a lot to say about feminism during her press tour. She especially expressed frustration toward women who call themselves “humanists” rather than “feminists.”
In an interview with Bustle, Fey and Robbie were asked about different events in pop culture and the news regarding women, to which they responded with either “YAAAS” or “BS.” They answered quite quickly when asked about the investigation into the lack of female directors in Hollywood, but when it came to the topic of asking celebrities if they are feminists, Fey took a moment to give a comprehensive answer.
She approved of asking celebrities if they are feminists as a way of getting them to speak up and bring attention to the feminist movement. However, she called bullshit on female celebrities who refer to themselves as “humanists.” While they may have good intentions and believe in the equality of all humans, Fey said that calling themselves humanists ignores the question at hand. “The question is,” Fey reiterates, “do you want to be paid the same for the same work? Do you want control of your body?” On that note, she called on everyone to retire the phrase “I’m a humanist.”
Fey makes an excellent point, as many female celebrities like Shailene Woodley and Kelly Clarkson have publicly denounced feminism. Their refusal to call themselves feminists, despite sharing the same desire for equality, perpetuates the misconception that feminism is about hating men (i.e. misandry, NOT feminism).
In reality, the feminist movement encompasses all genders. It is called feminism specifically because it works toward remedying gender inequalities that disproportionately affect women, including but not limited to the wage gap and control over one’s body, as Fey referenced. Humanism, on the other hand, upholds the value of all human beings, but it does not address the realities of socioeconomic disparities between men and women.
It seems that some people prefer to call themselves humanists simply for the sake of not calling themselves feminists, without realizing the implications of that label. In order to stop the use of the term “humanist” in this context, as Fey suggests, we need to make efforts to educate self-proclaimed humanists on what the feminist movement is really about and bridge the divide between these two groups that are working toward the same goal: equality.