Her statement was followed by silence in the studio and male actors could only nod in agreement.
Men are often clueless about how many times, a woman has to think about her safety in everyday life. Walking in a dimly lit parking lot or taking public transit late at night might be something normal for men, but for a woman, it's anxiety inducing. While women on the internet often voice out their safety concerns, it takes a renowned personality's voice to attract attention towards the issue. The latest among them is American-Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who recently made an iconic statement expressing what it means to be a woman, on BBC's Graham Norton Show.
On the show, Ronan was accompanied by renowned Hollywood stars Denzel Washington, Eddie Redmayne, and Paul Mescal. As the guests shared details of their upcoming projects, Redmayne spoke about his new series for which he had to learn self-defense, as per The Independent. The "Theory of Everything" actor was taught by his combat trainer to use his mobile phone as a weapon to strike the attacker on the neck and this amused the show's guests. Mescal took a jibe at this defense method and joked how he would not think of using his phone during an attack.
During this exchange among the male co-stars, the "Little Women" actress did not seem to be amused. Responding to Redmayne and Mescal's banter about safety concerns, she said, "That’s what girls have to think about all the time." Ronan's remark might've been too simple but it sure spoke volumes about how women have to think about their safety all the time. An instant silence filled the room after Ronan said this. Her male co-stars were at a loss for words and eventually nodded in agreement. When the Irish actress asked, "Am I right ladies?" the audience broke into an uproarious applause.
The clip featuring Ronan's iconic remark went viral on the internet when Scarlett (@rvdlovess) shared it on X. With nearly 60 million views in less than a week, the video resonated well with many. "The definitive shift after she said that is palpable, actually making them think instead of letting it run as some silly thing with the audience," said @45_mahiya. "Women have been telling y’all that they live very different lives from men and some of y’all just refuse to get it. Good for her!" @caprickhan lauded. "I love how she took their discussion of a fantasy situation and calmly stated, 'That’s just a Tuesday for every woman you’ve ever met.' I love women so much. The only true superheroes," @NahSonGross added.
saoirse ronan gagging men we love to see it pic.twitter.com/Oyu5cdlPBq
— scarlett 🍒 (@rvdlovess) October 26, 2024
Time and again, women on the internet have tried to give people a reality check about what it's like to be a woman. For instance, Brooklyn-based content creator Patrice J. Williams (@patricejwill) highlighted the need for safety hacks for female solo travelers. In a viral video, Williams shared a simple, potentially life-saving hotel safety tip that can protect women from attackers. If a front desk worker offers you your room key by saying the room number out loud, make sure to change the room. Williams pointed out the hospitality would understand our concern that someone might've heard our room number and would oblige for a change of room.