Cate Blanchett was honored at the InStyle Awards earlier this week. It seemed like a pretty down-market awards show for Blanchett, but then I remembered that she’s promoting Thor: Ragnarok, a film with mass-market appeal. She needs InStyle readers, not New York Times Style section readers! I don’t hate that, by the way – some would say that Cate is “selling out” by working on a Marvel movie, but Cate has never talked sh-t about studio films or big-budget films. She’s always moved back and forth between indie films and big budget productions, and her kids are probably at an age where she wanted to do a movie that they could see.
Anyway, Cate gave a speech when she received the “Style Icon” Award. She used that moment to give a lesson in sexual politics and Steve Bannon, saying:
True icons of style, she said, are “women who know how they look is not all of who they are, but just an extension of that. It’s about women who feel free to wear what they want, when they want and how they want to wear it. I mean, you know we all like looking sexy but it doesn’t mean we want to f–k you. No one says to Steve Bannon: ‘You look like a bag of trash, do you want want me to throw you out?’ But the comments that get said about what women wear on the red carpet… I mean, if you troll through those trolls on the Internet – just don’t.”
I’m including the video below. While it may seem like Cate is making an incredibly obvious point, it’s absolutely worth making that point because in Peak 2017, people are still blaming victims. Victims are blamed for what they were wearing, how they were standing, why they were even in the room. There’s also the “not that kind of girl” thing that women attack other women for: dressing “slutty” or not being ashamed of showing off their bodies. It’s worth repeating: many women like to look sexy, and want to be thought of as sexy and beautiful. None of that is an invitation for sexual harassment or assault.
Cate Blanchett at tonight's #InStyleAwards: "We all like looking sexy, but it doesn't mean we want to f—k you." pic.twitter.com/3FKFjJJVzC
— Andrea Mandell (@AndreaMandell) October 24, 2017
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Is dressing sexy to make other women jealous or to get polite compliments from men.
Please someone help me here im a clueless male.
It’s to make men jealous and get compliments from other women. Lol
But seriously, I feel great when a woman says, “that’s a gorgeous skirt”, the same statement coming from a man makes me feel uncomfortable. Why? I suppose because from a woman it’s seems more genuine, and in my opinion their opinion on clothes mean more. The only man I like getting compliments from is my husband. And he knows better than to say, ” great skirt”, he says, “you look gorgeous”. I’ve trained him well.
Did you read what she said? It’s neither.
To like the way we feel about ourselves. It’s not performative.
Usually it’s for ourselves. Not everything is about impressing someone else.
Yep. I dress entirely for myself. I wear what makes me feel good. There is no rhyme or reason to my wardrobe expect that I love everything in my closet.
^^^This.
I just bought a cardigan that goes down to my knees and feels like a blanket. It has a vibrant knit of colors of that remind me of Fruit Stripe Gum. It isn’t for anyone else. I am going to wear it because it brings me joy and reminds me of who I was when i was a kid that ate Fruit Stripe Gum (…until the flavor ran out, which was usually 1 minute after you start chewing!).
Tiffany, I loved and hated that gum!!! Thanks for reminding me!!
“I loved and hated that gum!”
Ha! Yes, I can tell you have truly experienced the culinary delight that is FSG.
What I wear and how I style myself is about expression and has nothing to do with anyone else in the room.
????
What about dressing sexy because one likes it or feel at ease to wear such clothes?
I like to go around with baggy clothes and not wearing any makeup, because I like it. To each her own.
On Cate: she’s been half-cancelled since forever…
Because we want to look sexy. Not trying to make anyone jealous and I’m not fishing for compliments. I know and want it known that hey, I feel good, I look good.
Most women dress for other women, duh. Including my husband, I really don’t care what men think about my clothing choices…it never even enters into my head. I like heels and Birkenstocks and I DGAF what men think about that.
As for Blanchett, pfffft! Worked with Woody, named her son after Polanski and hasn’t come out strong against Weinstein…go away Cate and take the other Kate with you.
I mean, what do you think about when you get dressed in the morning? You probably have some vague sense of wanting to look good, and there are probably a lot of subconscious messages you are trying to send – Either “I am rich” or “I am sporty” or “I am cool” or “I am above caring about clothes” or, if you are insecure about you body, you may just be trying to hide it. As women in society, we definitely have been conditioned to think that being attractive is something that is highly valued, so we may be trying to project that, but that doesn’t mean we are actually trying to attract male attention, if that makes sense. And in terms of fashion, some women are more into than others, and it is generally targeted towards bonding/impressing/signaling other women but mostly finding something flattering to your body and being appropriately dressed for whatever specific event (work, dinner date, school pick-up) you are attending.
I’m thinking wow i look so great hence i dress up like a superstar. Or I’m mad about the world and i look like a homeless pencil.
Also, i need 10 minutes to get ready plus shower. It’s not sth i give too much attention. So i dress up how i feel.
Every woman has a different reason. We aren’t a monolith.
But you can bet dollars to donuts that we aren’t doing it to advertise our availability to f*ck every man who likes what he sees.
I like the way I look and feel when I’m dressed up and it has nothing to what men and even other women think. So it’s just about yourself.
Marc, get a clue then. Did it ever occur to you that women wear we want to wear has not a single God damned thing to do with YOU or anyone else and they dress for themselves? Our lives do not revolve around what you think of us yet we must live it ALWAYS being reminded we have to act accordingly to how you want us to. Sorry but like the article said it is 2017 no excuses for thinking this way!!!!
To be fair to Marc*, I think (at least, from my experience of working in a male dominated environment) most heterosexual men generally don’t think like women do when it comes to clothing. They’re not really trying to make a statement or express their personality, they’re just putting on clothes because they need to wear clothes. They don’t tend to explicitly put an effort into their clothing unless they’re trying to get the attention of a special someone. So I think a lot of men thing that women do dress up for men, because that’s their reason for putting in significant effort to look good. I’ve met very few straight men who dressed a certain way because they were into fashion for the art of it.
(*I’m aware that this is one large generalization, and I’m not saying all men are like this. I’m just saying it’s what I’ve noticed from most men I’ve encountered in my day to day; so my sample population is really quite small).
Love your comment, JA!!!
just to feel good or confident! It isn’t about others.
My husband of 35 years has never asked a question like this. Why? Because he’s a brilliant, secure, kind, progressive man. Also, it would never cross his mind because it’s not his business what women wear or why.
Neither it’s to feel good about yourself
It’s for whatever reason she wants, dude. Sometimes it’s to feel sexy. Sometimes it’s so you look good. Sometimes it’s to make others jealous. Sometimes it’s to attract sexual partners. Sometimes it’s a f*ck you to people who think a woman’s body should be covered up. Contrary to popular theory, women are fully capable of being inspired by a number of psychological motivations, some of which can even overlap.
In my case, it’s to make other women jealous and/or get compliments from them.
I tend to put more value in a compliment when I know the person giving it has no sexual interest in me and is therefore more likely to be actually appreciative of things like form, colour and texture in my outfits, and to have noticed those things first instead of my tits, ass or legs .
lady compliments are the best.
I was at my sister in laws wedding, and i’m unsure if my dress is too low cut for a wedding, feeling mildly out of place, and the bride comes up tells me she loves my dress and hair and i feel 8 million times better. If a guy had commented positively on my dress I would have assumed it was too low cut, but from a woman it carries the connotation that you not only look good, but made a good choice for the time, venue and event.
I dress to stop me being cold & naked. & that’s where I’m at now after a lifetime of abuse, harrassment, inappropriate touching, assault, rape. Frankly I’m sick of being a woman at the moment – next time round I’m going to be a bloke.
Pip, I am so sorry but understand how you feel completely.I work at a homeless mens shelter, and there is nothing revealing about my uniform, in fact its too big. Yet a client still decided it would be a good idea to show me a picture of his dick on his phone. He of course waited until the male guard was off the floor and I was sitting down by myself to do it. I don’t understand why anyone would think that’s okay. Maybe I’m making too big a deal out of it, but I know what it feels like to feel, disgusted and violated, just because you’re a woman.
It’s because women are allowed to like the way they look. They dress to like what they see in the mirror. wtf?
It’s confidence. There’s power in feeling sexy. Lots of women like to feel that way. That’s why bras and underwear are a thing, for example. That’s why there are plain ones but mostly crazy colors and laces. They aren’t for other people. They are worn under your clothes and seen by you or your partner for maybe a few minutes only. They are for women who want to feel attractive and put together. Everyone wants to be attractive on some level. C’mon. Why is this hard? There are days when you feel sexy and wear a skirt and heels and days when you dgaf and wear a sweatshirt and leggings. It’s just a reflection of life/lifestyle/mood/time available to dress up on that particular day/personal style/what is connecting in your closet/what you’re into. It has zero to do with men or other women.
I like to dress a tad sexy because I’ve lost weight and want to show it off. Get some positive feedback. You want to look nice, right? So do we. Everyone has their own style. Some guys prefer tommy, others more hip hop look. Does either one of those styles mean you want to get laid? Does tommy equal chaste, hip hop not? Of course not. So why does a woman’s style of dress convey sexual readiness to some men? I dress mostly consevative, i wear tight jeans, thats about it. People assume I’m a “good girl.” But in reality, you would probably be shocked if you knew my sexual escapades. Cant judge a book by it’s cover hon
Why does a man enjoy driving an expensive sports car? To make other men jealous? To get compliments from women? Or is it primarily because that’s what they want to drive? And if someone forces themselves into it and drives it away, is that the owner’s fault because they had such an expensive, well-maintained car? It’s not a perfect analogy, but I hope it helps.
Fashion is our armour against the world. There’s competition the moment you open your door so if you feel good about how you look you’ll be able to cope better with the competition. So yes, women dress for other women and not for men.
Eh, go away Cate. I read last night she named her son Roman after Polanski. Just go away now…
Yep. It’s a shame because she is so talented and interesting, but I’m over her too.
gross, I didn’t know that. I think she has a great fashion sense and is one of my favorite actresses, but that is a disturbing thing to do. Like naming your kid after Manson or something.
She’s similar to Winslet. I get the vibe she feels she is above it all, she really doesn’t GAF about anything except what she perceives is her “art”…
I mean in her mind Polanski is a genius because he made a couple good films. Who cares if he abused young girls?? She chooses to look the other way…disgusting!
It is super creepy that she she named her kid after a child rapist. What kind of message does that send?
I’ll never understand people who use the “but he/she is a great _______, and you can’t disregard their artistic contributions!” excuse for overlooking horrid behavior. I’ve heard Hitler enjoyed painting. Perhaps there are dictators who have brilliant singing voices or an archival knowledge of great philosophical works. Tons of terrible people are good at other things besides being terrible.
One specific talent does not rule out abhorrent, deviant, criminal behavior! And when you choose to overlook those things for the sake of one other minor positive quality, you look like a fool.
i’ll keep saying it, her words here are true but I would much rather here from women who dont have a dicey history with supporting roman polanski and woody allen. her words will always ring hollow when her actions contradict her. you cannot support a child rapist and pedophile and expect to be heard as a voice for women’s rights. no thanks
I haven’t seen the interview with Jimmy Kimmel where she said this, but in the same conversation she said her other son was named after Captain Underpants, and there’s a pretty strong suggestion it was a joke that fell flat.
Doesn’t change how I feel about the whole Woody Allen situation, but I hate to think that little boy has to have this thrown at him for the rest of his life.
Gee, I wonder why a joke about naming your child after a child rapist fell flat. 😒
OH GROSS.
Ugh nevermind I’m done with her too. Yikes
Also, her agent is Robyn Gardiner. She is the wife of Robert Hughes, an Australian actor who was convicted of child sexual assault on 7 counts and sentenced to 10 years 6 months in jail. She stood by him and testified in her husband’s honour and called his victims (one of which was his own niece) liars. Blanchett won an award at the time and thanked Robyn, around the same time Hughes trial was on and one of his victims, former child star Sarah Monahan (from “Hey Dad….!” who was abused by him and the one who first came forward) said it felt like Blanchett slapped her in the face by thanking the loyal wife of the man who abused her.
So, as an Australian, I can say there are a lot of Aussies who have little time for Blanchett because of her very long standing support of the wife of a convicted paedophile. As if naming her son Roman wasn’t bad enough.
I did not know about this. Terrible.
The More You Know: a PSA catchphrase from the 80s on KNBC, a national broadcast channel here in the states, very appropriate here. I didn’t think I could like her less, but, “the more you know”, the lower my opinion of her sinks.
Sallys: Thank you so much for pointing out to posters here about Cate Blanchett and her dogged support for her longtime agent Robin Gardiner, who was historically claimed to enabled her pedophile actor husband. That story about Robin Gardiner’s famous actor husband is horrific – how he abused the children on his set of squeaky clean Full House-style ‘Hey Dad’ show and family members. There’s even a photo published with him with his hand resting on/v.near his little victim’s crotch area. Neighbourhood family members publicly said they told Robin Gardener that her husband was behaving inappropriately kids decades ago. Then there are stories that having being a famous agent and having powerful friends like Blanchett made victims fear her husband more, and possibly give him access and cover to victimise even more little girls/costars. Of course, at the trial, Blanchet’s agent publicly stood with her husband even after he was convicted. Then, directly at that time Blanchett won her OSCAR by working in that film by that other predator WOODYALLEN – and Blanchett thanks her agent, apparently an enabler of a convicted pedophile husband. In Australia the victims wrote articles in mags about how devastating Blanchetts support made them feel. I cancelled Cate after that ;(
On a post yesterday, someone said that wasn’t true. Do you have a link?
Oh dear. Seriously, watch the interview. She clearly didn’t name her son after Roman Polanski.
I love this quote. But again I side eye the women spouting these quotes when they line up to work with a predator like Allen
Just wondering. In my day the bars were filled with -cock tease, your shirt says you’re asking for it, you were dancing like that why are you mad, b*tch you aren’t even that hot, etc.
Is it a bit better? I have no tolerance for being touched unasked, so I don’t go anymore, but I miss dancing like crazy.
The message is fine, the messenger not so much.
I dress to like what I see in the mirror. I dont dress for anyone else but myself. I dont consider myself attractive in any way shape or form, but with the right clothes I feel average enough to have some confidence.
Men need to stop thinking our clothes are messages to them. Its not all about you, dudes, get over it.
And I’ll listen to Cates opinions when she stops working with known predators.
“Detritus says:
October 26, 2017 at 11:23 am
Every woman has a different reason. We aren’t a monolith.
This.
And there might be a different reason on any given day.
Ain’t that the truth.
Dudes, what happened to “don’t tear down other women; let them call out the patriarchy”? I saw so many great, supportive comments here on articles about Weinstein’s victims and it made me feel like the tide was really turning on this site. It seems like folks have forgotten to support fellow women now that we’re talking about other subjects. Just like there is no “perfect” victim, there is no “perfect” feminist. Lets laud Cate for saying something that should be said by more celebrities rather than criticizing her for not being the perfect spokeswoman.
We can applaud Cate while also recognising that she’s guilty of selective shadiness when it suits her. That’s not tearing her down, that’s treating her as a grown up intelligent woman who should be able to handle, in this instance, perfectly valid criticism.
No one’s asking for perfection here, just an appeal for consistency. She has a huge platform so if she’s getting kudos for standing up and talking the talk, it’s not unreasonable to point out where she’s failing to walk the walk.
thank you @skylark for explaining that so eloquently. feminism is not about unconditional acceptance and support of women when their words/actions are problematic. as you said better than me, no one is above criticism and her actions are genuinely problematic. we are not attacking her, we are making valid, reasonable criticisms of her support of convicted sex predators, its not rocket science here. you cannot dangle on the fence when it comes to issues like sexual violence. people like her only criticize when convenient. that is not acceptable or praiseworthy.
Thank you, Maus. I get so tired of reading the constant nit-picking and attacks on female celebrities here. As a successful woman in the legal field, I know all to well that the men are in your way trying to prevent you from getting to the top, but there are many women in your way as well.
Hear, hear, Heather. It’s legitimately exhausting.
Thanks, Heather! I’m also successful woman in a boy’s club (the tech world). I deal with crap constantly as well. Not going to spread it to other women. @Skylark, no matter what others protest, they *are* criticizing her and tearing down the message by pointing out her inconsistencies instead of discussing her message. Like teacakes said, it’s exhausting and it’s the same crap that got in Hillary Clinton’s way. Asking for universal consistency from flawed humans before they’re allowed to speak out for what’s right is, in fact, too much. People are complex. It’s a rare great person in history who stood up for civil rights who didn’t have some skeletons in their closet. Let’s stop nitpicking!
You don’t understand.
Blanchett is an enabler of sexual abuse. Her agent is Robyn Gardiner. She is the wife of Robert Hughes, an Australian actor who was convicted of child sexual assault on 7 counts and sentenced to 10 years 6 months in jail. She stood by him and testified in her husband’s honour and called his victims (one of which was his own niece) liars. Blanchett won an award at the time and thanked Robyn, around the same time Hughes trial was on and one of his victims, former child star Sarah Monahan (from “Hey Dad….!” who was abused by him and the one who first came forward) said it felt like Blanchett slapped her in the face by thanking the loyal wife of the man who abused her.
So, as an Australian, I can say there are a lot of Aussies who have little time for Blanchett because of her very long standing support of the wife of a convicted paedophile. As if naming her son Roman wasn’t bad enough.
Edit: There have been more than enough women in the industry coming out and supporting the sisterhood – HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean that *every*one of them are pure of heart and not hypocrites. Cate Blanchett has done ENORMOUS harm to victims and even laughed the off a few years back when her agent’s husband was sentenced to jail for child molestation and abuse.
Supporting the sisterhood does not mean you have to support ALL women regardless. Some like Cate, have a cheek to even speak on this issue. There have been more than enough genuine good women who have spoken on this and deserve being lauded. It just so happens that Cate Blanchett is not one of them.
THANK YOU @SALLYS you nailed it! if we have any hope of dismantling the currently system culturally/socially/legally that enables and tolerates sexual predators, we have to have the tough conversations and call out those that are part of the problem. its dirty business but it has to be done on ALL levels. you cannot pick and choose what to condemn and supporting vocally and otherwise a known sex predator IS DISGUSTING there is no excuse for it. bottom line.
I’m not saying let’s support all women, no matter what, for the sisterhood. I’m saying our knee-jerk reactions to criticize imperfect women when they are using their platforms to discuss important issues is wrong. We should take advantage of the fact that they’re shining a light on something important rather than bringing up other things we don’t like that weren’t under discussion.
I could respond directly to what you’re saying, but then I would be guilty of the same thing. We’d be spending the whole thread talking about Cate and what we don’t like about her, instead about the fact that women should be able to dress how they like without men expecting they’re asking for them to screw them.
Hmmm. Today I dressed in black slacks and a cool turquoise shirt because I wanted to look professional yet approachable for the class I taught this morning as well as the patients I have this afternoon. Yesterday I dressed in yoga pants and a t-shirt because I had a paperwork day. Tonight I will dress in a little black dress and heels because I want to look pretty, a little sexy, and because my husband likes the dress I’m planning to wear and we are going to a small cocktail party. Tomorrow, I will dress like a hippie because I’m going to help out at a Halloween party for disabled people (I do psych evals there on a per diem basis). This weekend, I will be in shorts and a swimsuit because I am Bahama bound. I dress for all different reasons, sometimes for the impression my dress gives, sometimes for the occasion, and mostly because I just want to feel good about myself.
But she’s not wrong about Steve Bannon looking like a bag of trash, tho.
That was a funny line. Also he seems to wear a double layer of shirts and it’s not like he needs to bulk up.
A bag of toxic trash, she should have said. He looks like someone you should only approach wearing a full biohazard suit.
I seriously don’t understand why this woman gets a pass for working with and defending all the famous child rapists in Hollywood. She seems like a more cynical, more PR-cunning, more souless version of Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lawrence to me. Unlike Winslet and Lawrence, she doesn’t even bother to explain, however lame, her behavior. The ends justify the means seems the motto of her Machiavellian career.
She is very love by people so she can do no wrong everything she dose and wears is perfect. That’s why she doesn’t have to explain herself, because she knows she doesn’t have to.
Cate you worked for Woody Allen in the movie Blue Jasmine a few years ago.