It’s not a secret that discrimination and antiquated sexist views continue to run rampant in Hollywood. Just ask Michael Bay, Pearl Harbor’s director and producer. The talented Kate Beckinsale, who starred in the action-packed movie alongside Ben Affleck and Josh Harnett, recalls the kind of comments Bay made to the media throughout the film’s promotional tour during her interview on The Graham Norton Show.
“When we were promoting the film, Michael was asked why he had chosen Ben and Josh, and he said, ‘I have worked with Ben before and I love him, and Josh is so manly and a wonderful actor.’ Then, when he asked about me, he’d say, ‘Kate wasn’t so attractive that she would alienate the female audience.’ He kept saying it everywhere we went, and we went to a lot of places,” the actress remarked.
This outlook on women isn’t just a one-time thing, either. He said similar things about another Kate—Kate Winslet. “I didn’t want someone who was too beautiful. Women feel disturbed when they see someone’s too pretty,” Bay mansplained in a 2001 interview with Movieline. “I’m not saying Kate’s not pretty. When you look at Titanic, Kate Winslet is pretty, but not overwhelmingly beautiful. That makes it work better for women. Our Kate is very funny, could hang with the guys. She’s not so neurotic about everything, like some actresses. She was solid and I think the three of them had some really nice chemistry.”
In one quote, he manages to both insult Winslet’s appearance, as well as perpetuate the stereotype of women being “neurotic.” Okay. Maybe next time let’s talk about their insane talents instead?