A clip of actress Saoirse Ronan has gone viral after the Irish actress shut down an all male panel—Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne and top British chat show host Graham Norton—after they laddishly joked about how unthinkable it would be to have to defend yourself with a mobile phone.
In the clip, which has been shared thousands of times on social media channels, Redmayne, 42, was saying that while prepping for his role in new Peacock show The Day of the Jackal, an upcoming Peacock miniseries, he was taught how to use a phone to defend himself in the event of an attack.
As the men on the show made lunkish impersonations of individuals whipping out phones instead of guns, Ronan seemed to be attempting to say something but was unable to make herself heard over the testosterone-rich horseplay.
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When she was finally able to speak she said: “That’s what girls have to think about all the time.” The men fell into a sudden silence, prompting Ronan to add, “Am I right, ladies?” to wild applause from the audience.
One approving comment on social media read: “Saoirse Ronan is a queen. Men need a reminder what it’s like being a woman so they can appreciate their privilege. The silence after she said that speaks volumes.”
Another said: “The thing that angered me the most is that Saoirse Ronan, the only woman on the panel, had to almost fight to make her point amongst a group of laughing men who didn’t consider her input or the experiences of women. Almost as if that’s the entire f---ing problem isn’t it?”
