Mel B is the latest female celebrity to reject the feminist label while revealing that she has no clue what the word means. See also: Salma Hayek, Shailene Woodley, Lana del Rey, Meghan Trainor, Evangeline Lily, Kaley Cuoco, et. al. All of those interviews happened last year and were widely ridiculed. It’s become standard to ask female celebrities about feminism so you would think that they would spend 10 minutes trying to figure out what it means. (And many do, I just cited the worst ones.) Not Mel B, she claims she’s not a feminist, she just believes in “girl power” and supporting other women. *headdesk*
In an interview with the London Times, the X Factor judge opened up about her stance on feminism and whether or not she would consider herself one. Spoiler alert: she doesn’t.
“I wouldn’t call myself a feminist,” she told the publication.
Although that’s a surprising enough answer in it of itself, what’s more surprising is her explanation.
“I try to live by the girl-power motto. It’s about believing in yourself, no matter how bad a day you’re having, and lending your support to other women,” she added. “It’s empowering to have that camaraderie with other women.”
Isn’t that what feminism is?! How you confuse us, Mel!
Feminism is about equality for women, it’s not about lording it over men and it’s not about acting like a man. I hate to even bring that up, but several celebrities have made statements confusing feminism with being macho or rejecting men. I don’t have to explain this to 99% percent of you, because you know this. This is something everyone should know, and yet somehow people either don’t understand or the word has become tainted. Technically I shouldn’t care that Mel B is ignorant but when celebrities continue to spread these misconceptions they need to be called out.
Moving on to Mel’s personal life, she’s still with her maybe-abusive husband, Stephen Belafonte, following speculation that they had split around the holidays. She has an interview in the latest issue of Hello! in which she won’t discuss the medical crisis (rumored to have been abuse from her husband, which both of them have denied) that caused her to miss a taping of The X Factor UK last December. Mel won’t address any of that or whether there are problems in her marriage. Hello! reports “this isn’t an issue Mel wants to discuss. As far as she is concerned, the only problem with her marriage is the fact people can’t accept that there is no problem.” Mel later says “Everyone goes through good and bad times and that’s what family life is about. Stephen treats me like a queen and I treat him like a king – but we’re not like that all the time.” Not very convincing, but she doesn’t quite have a way with words, does she?
Photo credit: WENN.com
God, she’s such an idiot.
Has anyone seen The Big Fat Quiz of the Year she was on? She was horrible, the worst guest in years and made it uncomfortable to watch. Poor Micky Flannagan.
Yep, she was truly awful.
I actually wished they had kicked her off it, she brought nothing to it
She has ruined the show. She was so obnoxious and unfunny that it was painful to watch. All the guests were embarassed and she was completely out of her mind. Very disrespectful. She was paid to do it and if she wasn’t in the mood she should have declined and passed the chance to another guest. she was a proper bitch.
It was the first year I didn’t enjoy it at all, they had an anniversary one a few weeks later and it was so much better.
Worst bit of the whole episode, it’s like she couldn’t be bothered to be there!
Everyone else was having a great time and she was being so sour.
Bugger off, Mel.
BFQOTY is the Sixlets’ favourite show ever, ever, ever and Mel certainly managed to ruin it for them. Lindy – I agree, the anniversary one was so much better sans Mel.
Apparently, during the taping, she was aggressively asking Ayoade about his ethnicity and he deflected it but if you watch around halfway through the show, his mood changes and he looks like he’s going to cry. Too bad they didn’t kick her out for being so offensive and ended up just cutting it out of the show.
She is a gorgeous lady but boy when she opens her mouth its just cringe and I am not this just because she is from the North because Mel C is quite the opposite, too rough around the edges.
‘Girl’ power? Grow up.
I prefer “horse power” myself.
The more the better
You can translate her answer into real subtext which means: “Come on, leave me alone with this bullsh**t. Feminism, I don’t mind, I can’t even wear it.”
I used to like her a lot because of her honest and upfront attitude. But after the Xfactor scandal and her friendship with Mrs. Cheryl WhatshernameVersini I had to riconsider. I really despise former Mrs. Cole. How can you not make a statement if your husband is innocent? And how can you make ‘girl power’ your motto if on the contrary your husband is abusive?
Something is very fishy here.
Why don’t you like Cheryl? I’m just just curious because i don’t know any story about her, she’s not popular here. I only know her as the singer(?) with the pretty face and hideous huge tattoo whose footballer husband cheated on her.
Goodness, what an ignorant woman.
I can definitely see why people might be refusing the label feminists. I’ve seen a few proclamations in debates that feminism means supporting this or that or agreeing with particular views. For a crazy example not supporting Miley Cyrus’s right to be sexy is antifeminist. I can see why people might just refuse it altogether.
Of course this is true for most viewpoints being conservative, or whatever. People will insist you aren’t a real whatever unless you support certain things. That combined with lack of education may be an explanation.
You don’t have to go out of your way to actively support sexual freedom and female bodily autonomy at all. Lack of support is not anti-feminist but slut-shaming, victim-blaming, respectability politics, (which really is another form of victim-blaming if you think about it) and ignoring the agency of women are all anti-feminist. THAT’S the problem that people have. There’s a difference between being told that you have to support something and being asked not to bully, discriminate against, or verbally abuse an individual or group of people (in this case women) for doing it. And there’s a big difference between just not supporting or agreeing with it, v.s making oneself the female sexual modesty/propriety/purity police. As long as you don’t come in like you’re the authority on what is or is not empowering or liberating for another woman and what the motives behind her decisions are instead of the individual woman herself, don’t try to make a ‘rescue project’ out of a woman just because her decision is something you don’t support or doesn’t fit in with your worldview, and your lack of support is not accompanied with sexuality-policing misogynistic tropes about women, most people won’t have a problem with your lack of support.
Generally although I think it’s a thin line and differences of opinion are dismissed as not feminist sometimes which can be frustrating.
I don’t support this current wave of feminism. IMO, this wave is incredibly shallow and does not treat women like grown-ups. It’s not inclusive and ignores the actual practical issues,
What about just supporting your own wave of feminism?
People are ignorant on feminism. The young folks on the Internet have turned it into ‘uncool’. People like this woman aren’t helping. Man-haters aren’t helping.
I once interviewed Mel B and she literally had a pre-planned answer for everything….usually relating back to the Spice Girls in some way. Many of her answers did not match my questions. She’s probably been saying a variation of this for nearly 20 years now.
how long ago was this? there are some people who are too media trained, so much so that you don’t even get a glimpse of any real personality like Beyoncé, Cheryl Cole,Kardashians and then there the Mel B’s.
Probably 18 months ago. It was a very strange experience.
That’s hilarious. It’s like a mad libs game. I think that might be more fun that the typical celebrity interview.
She’s an idiot. That’s all. And her situation with her husband seems fishy at best.
Honestly, Melanie seems determine to have a husband. And the husband is determined to have a wife, who can support them all.
So there they are. The perfect couple in the perfect marriage.
One that mostly likely will end, very badly.
For shame, scary! Harking back to spice girls is great, just back it up and make sure us 90s girls can still proudly love you in public!
people are way too hung up about labels anyway. as if there is one feminism. that question alone shows the stupidity of the person asking it. (and how desperate people are to feel smarter than celebs)
dumbing it down to “are your for equality” is probably one of the dumbest things i have heard in my entire life. thats like asking “are you racist?” guess what even the most racist person will tell you they are not.
you’ll hear the most die hard torture apologist claiming to be for human rights and freedom.
I remember when the Spice Girls were popular. Their idea of girl power were over the top clothes and crazy hairstyles and saying things about backing up your best friends. Women in their 20s! I’d like to say she seems like a strong woman, but she doesn’t.
I think it’s a sad moment for all women when this one word “feminism” devides them better than unites them.
Well said.
Another fool. And he looks like a Rabid Pitbull, no offense to Pitbulls.
Sighhh. SO many people are unaware of what feminism means.
Last week a guy friend of mine was talking about Emma Watson, saying how her only flaw is that she’s a “hardcore feminist.” This guy has a master’s in electrical/computer engineering. Even educated people don’t have a clue sometimes.
Sadly it’s up to people who know what feminism means to inform the masses, since clearly the media won’t do it.
At least we have our marching orders, and are up to the task!
Mel B’s personal life has been a hot mess from day one. Her first marriage ended on grounds of her adultery, she then had a long romantic relationship with a woman, had Eddie Murphy’s baby, and now she’s married to someone who has a history of abusive behaviour. Her own mother went on a twitter rant during Mel’s “disappearance” about his violent behaviour. Clearly something is beyond fishy in their relationship and the way he treats women, but for the sake of her 3 kids GROW UP ALREADY. Don’t mumble some nonsense about “girl power” when asked about feminism because you’re not a shining example of even that, considering the fractured relationships you have with the other former Spices. You’re an enabler of a pretty hideous guy by hiding behind the “everything’s OK in my relationship” wall, and that is not an example of girl power, it’s a sad evasion of an unhappy truth.
Okay. Equal Pay for equal work. Women are just as competent as men. Women are just as capable as men. We are all humans who deserve equal treatment by the law and in the workplace. Dear god, why is this so hard. It shouldn’t be about hating men. It should be about equality of the sexes under the law.
Simply, and totally.
Mel, looks so much younger these days. Her much shorter hair and I guess her makeup have revealed a much fresher-faced, younger, softer-looking Mel. There’s more of a cute look to her.
There are so many different brands of feminism out there. It’s not just as simple as equal pay for women, equal job opportunities for women. And I have yet to come across a brand of it that is inclusive of all women. I think it would be impossible given how society is inherently divisive. Also, what makes on a feminist? Being a celebrity and saying statements here and there about feminism? Simply believing in the ideals of it? I don’t think so. Feminists are actively trying to change laws and regulations that directly affect the lives of women. So in her defence, she is not a feminist and neither are a lot of celebrities people glorify as feminists *cough Beyowolf and Watson*