Last week, Emma Watson gave a moving speech at the United Nations General Assembly that urged university administrators to make their campuses safer for women and minorities. Watson—who is both a UN Goodwill Ambassador and key figure in the HeForShe organization—addressed campus sexual assault head-on, saying that safety is a "right and not a privilege" for vulnerable students. It was one of the UNGA's most powerful moments and was applauded by feminists around the world.
But not everyone enjoyed it, as this sexist news brief by The Sun reporter Rod Liddle demonstrates. The Huffington Post's Louise Ridley tweeted a photo of Liddle's offensive article, which questions the legitimacy of Watson's job at the UN and makes reductive Harry Potter jokes. Read it for yourself, below.
Liddle's article grossly disrespects Watson, starting with the fact that he calls her "Hermione Granger" before her actual name. His assertion that Watson should've discussed magical Harry Potter tropes instead of "whining" about "leftie, PC crap" isbeyond offensive, both to her and victims of sexual assault . (Last time we checked, campus rape isn't just "leftie, PC crap," and it's disgusting that Liddle suggested that.)
But Watson really has the last laugh here. Her HeForShe campaign has led to more than 1 billion gender equality actions—more than enough juice to drown out Liddle's attempt at journalism.
Try harder next time, bro—or, better yet, don't try at all.