The English actress, singer and Radio 2 presenter, Elaine Paige made a rather controversial statement in an interview with The Mail's Sunday's Event magazine. She encouraged young women to simply "deal with it“ if a man put his hand on either a woman‘s knee or a bum. She added that life would be dreadful if men were not allowed to even flirt and that she would not want to get onto a stage where men cannot flirt with women. When asked if she had ever been hit on by predatory men, she said "Of course I have! My God!" She also said she would feel very embarrassed if she would never have been the subject of that kind of behaviour.
Does not want a world were men can't flirt
According to Ms Paige, there needs to be some perspective on the MeToo movement. She explained that everyone needed to agree that rape or any sort of assault is completely unacceptable. But minor things like a man putting his hands on a woman‘s knee or bum is something that women just needed to deal with. She jokingly added that she did not care for a world where men would not flirt and even considered having a badge made that she could wear, highlighting that it would not be too late. Ms Paige made her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, then only 16-years-old and rose to stardom four years later, in the 1968 production of "Hair", which marked her West End debut.
She also played a major role in both "Evita" and "Cats" and has been referred to as the First Lady of British Musical Theater. She now hosts "Elaine Paige on Sunday" on Radio 2.
Rejects the idea of being called a diva
In that same interview, Ms Paige said that the issue of equal pay was something she takes very seriously. In her opinion, a woman should, of course, be paid the same as a man, for doing the same job.
In that context, she mentioned a recording of BBC's John Humphrys who belittled the pay gap row at the corporation, which she did not care for one bit. Being in the industry for so long, Ms Paige has gained the reputation of being somewhat difficult. But she strongly rejects the idea of being called a diva, as she views that word as being overused and sexist, saying; "No one would ever call a man a diva.“ Ms Paige is not the first woman to make controversial statements regarding the MeToo movement. According to Business Insider, the iconic French actress Brigitte Bardot called the vast majority of women who came forward since the movement began, "hypocritical and ridiculous.“ CNN reported that French Actress Catherine Deneuve signed an open letter, criticising the movement and warning about a new "puritanism"..“
