Olivia Munn criticizes white men who complain about having to watch what they say: 'The rest of us have been doing this forever'
Olivia Munn stopped by The View on Monday and weighed in on the progress she thinks the #MeToo movement has made since it started gaining traction.
“I think the biggest note that has changed since the #MeToo movement has started is that for the first time, there is an entire group of people, usually white men, who have to be aware of their existence,” she said. “If you ask any minority or LGBTQ member or woman who often we’re aware of our existence, it’s like, every day,” she added.
Munn pointed specifically to the backlash she’s heard from some who complain that they must now be more careful about their behavior or the things that they say. “When I go into a meeting and I’m talking, I have to think about three different ways before I say it. How are they going to accept this or take this or will the be pissed off?” she said. “It’s a silly backlash because I think, ‘The rest of us have been doing this forever! Welcome to the world!’”
Co-host Sunny Hostin praised Munn for using her platform to call attention to these issues, particularly the gender pay gap. “I still don’t understand why women don’t get equal pay for equal work,” said Hostin. “Why do you think this is such a difficult thing for people to grasp?” she asked.
“When I’m negotiating my contracts I know that there is somebody in the business affairs for the studio or whoever, and it’s usually a man talking to another man,” said Munn. “It’s just this tendency to give men more money every single time.
“This whole disparity was created by people at the top, and we can’t expect them to change it for us,” she added.
Many viewers on Twitter applauded Munn for using her appearance on the show as a way to speak about important issues, rather than just promoting her new project:
I commend #OliviaMunn for speaking up for #MeToo and people of color though it was difficult to do on #TheView. So often folks look to women like her to just be pretty and she showed that she is not in that box and intends to use whatever platform she has for something greater.
— Ronda Racha Penrice (@rondaracha) June 24, 2019
Watching @oliviamunn break down male privilege on The View should be a national pastime.
Like, some men are really mad they have to think about what or how they say things in the workplace. Welcome to the real world, Joe. We been doing it. 🤷🏽?♀?— Lisa (@gritsandguac) June 24, 2019
@oliviamunn had me in tears when she talked about always having to think about what she says and how she acts, and how white men are only just now having to do so. The struggle has been real, and still is real.
— Jess Hahn (@fionalive) June 24, 2019
Others weren’t thrilled with Munn’s comments or the way she delivered them:
Everyone is aware of their own existence I think it’s past time where people stop blaming “white men” as a whole for every problem that exists. I raised a child who is now a white man and he’s not racist, he’s not homophonic, he’s a veteran, he’s a good human being.
— Julie (@JulieAnn0720) June 24, 2019
omg!! I'm sorry...but watching @oliviamunn is SO PAINFUL. I hope she gains some more confidence and self-assuredness before she tries to speak out on #WomensRights again. Her faltering and hesitancy is not assuring to hear at all. I'm sorry..but it makes me angry! #TheView
— Hikergal333 (@plausible4me) June 24, 2019
Me too = Manhaters.
— donnia Trump2020🇺🇸 (@donnia89) June 24, 2019
A feud is brewing between real housewife Bethenny Frankel and View co-host Sunny Hostin!
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