Jameela Jamil says she's decided to 'adopt straight white male privilege'
Jameela Jamil is not interested in being polite.
The Good Place star pulled up a chair to the Hot Topics table on Thursday’s episode of The View, and moderator Whoopi Goldberg wasted no time in asking the actress and activist about her outspokenness, which has landed her in hot water at times.
“How did you get so strong? What made you decide that it was OK for you to speak your mind?” Goldberg asked.
“Well, white men — straight white men — feel safe to speak their mind all the time, and so I’ve decided to adopt their straight white male privilege and speak out,” replied Jamil to a round of applause from the studio audience.
Jamil has come under fire for speaking her mind on a wide range of topics, including her criticism of Ellen DeGeneres for spending time with former President George W. Bush, her opposition to the image projected by Victoria’s Secret models, and her openness about her own abortion, which she called “the best decision I have ever made.”
The star revealed to the panel that her drive to be direct comes from a very personal place.
“I was really messed up as a teenager,” said Jamil. “I had loads of eating disorders and I was so mentally ill and so messed up by our society. I can’t be in this industry and be complicit in it. I have to use the power and privilege that I have to speak out, and I’ll do anything I can to stop young people from going through what I went through when I was younger.”
Viewers took to Twitter with their reactions to Jamil’s appearance on The View. Some applauded her for not caving to pressure to stay quiet on subjects she’s passionate about:
Watching @jameelajamil on @TheView and I am so incredibly in love with her. She’s amazing. I want her to be my sister my best friend my girlfriend my mom just be in my life cuz you’re absolutely the real deal, Jameela.
— Aneesh Sheth (@aneeshshethacts) January 30, 2020
I just came here to tell you that hearing you say you adopted the white male mentality/psyche to speak your mind is exquisite. I think I’m going to adopt That 2. Hope it opens up more doors for me. ❤️ you. And I ❤️ @WhoopiGoldberg 2
— daNubienne (@theNubienne) January 30, 2020
But others took issue with the comments she made during the interview:
@jameelajamil is a sophomoric idiot. She projects every last fake epiphany that her small brain slithers across onto others. Her ‘profound ideas’ are things I’ve never considered remotely interesting. #Unintelligent #Lame #GetARealJob #ElitestSnob
— Wiscer (@Wiscer) January 30, 2020
@TheView mother and wife to 3 unbiased and considerate men who question why they continued to feel stereotyped as bad as your guest did today because they are both white and men. Please stop! You can hold bad men accountable without verbally lumping all white men together.
— Elizabeth Berry (@SetserE) January 30, 2020
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