Megan Fox’s interview with Jimmy Kimmel in 2009, recently resurfaced on the internet and it is disturbing.
Social media has given rise to a debate regarding the sexualisation of younger women by older men.
In the clip of the interview, Megan Fox starts talking about her experience after working with Michael Bay. She played an extra in Bay’s Bad Boys II. Fox was just 15 years old.
She started out by saying that they were shooting in a club and they brought her in. Fox continues by describing her outfit. “I was wearing a Stars-and-Stripes Bikini and a red cowboy hat. And six-inch heels,” she said.
Megan went on with her story saying Bay’s approved the outfit. Someone from the team told Bay that Megan is only 15, and she can’t be sitting in the bar or given a drink.
Michael Bay’s solution to the problem is highly disturbing. As Megan continues her story, she says his solution was to have her dancing underneath a waterfall, soaking wet.
Megan’s story was disturbing but Kimmel’s reaction to it was even more disgusting. Kimmel laughed and made jokes about it. Michael Bay has been accused of turning the young actress into a “sex symbol” to better market his films.
Megan went on to say on her interview with Kimmel, “that’s the microcosm of how Bay’s mind works,” she said. To which Kimmel responded saying that’s the microcosm of how all our minds work.
The video that went viral, has started a conversation about sexualising of young women by older men of power. This conversation was first started in the #MeToo movement in 2017.
Several women of the industry had come forward to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexually harassing them. The sexualisation of women in the entertainment industry has gone unnoticed in so many places. And this video was one of the examples of how the industry propogates such mysognistic behaviour.
Many people came forward to accuse Bay and Kimmel for normalising objectification of young women.
Kimmel and Bay faced a lot of backlash from people all over. Kimmel has come under fire for a lot this year. The talk show host is taking a break from his show at the moment. Kimmel faced backlash for stereotyping African-Americans in one of his sketches.
He is also accused of body-shaming Oprah Winfrey after wearing a bodysuit to match her shape.
Outraged, a lot of people have started expressing it with the hashtag #CancelJimmyKimmel.
Several other people could not understand how the world was waking up to this just now. Megan’s fans also accused movies like Jennifer’s Body which sexualised by film producers.
After the tremendous amount of support that Megan gained online by a huge number of masses, she herself addressed the issue. Megan clarified that she wasn’t underage when she auditioned for the role.
She took to Instagram to clarify certain things. Megan started out by acknowledging the discussion that has emerged because of a clip that resurfaced.
Although she went on to say she is grateful for all the support, Megan wanted to clarify few details that were missed out while retelling the story.
