I’m sure you’ve all seen THAT Saoirse Ronan moment on Graham Norton. If you haven’t, the Oscar-nominated actress went viral after commenting on how using a phone as a weapon is something “girls have to think about all the time.”
Ronan, who is promoting her new film Blitz, appeared on the late-night BBC show alongside Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne, and Denzel Washington on October 25th. Redmayne told host Graham Norton how preparation for his role in the series The Day of the Jackal included self-defence training, which even included how to use a phone as a weapon.
Mescal jokingly questioned to the panel and audience how, while being attacked, one would have time to take out their phone. The men onstage laughed while Ronan knowingly smiled. Ronan replied, “That’s what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?” The audience cheered and clapped for Ronan and since then, this moment has been plastered around social media, with people adding captions like “oh she GAGGED them.” Comments on this video and others praise Ronan for speaking up, even to a seemingly innocent joke. One comment says, “OBSESSED with her speaking up after she tried to talk twice and they talked over her.”
Ronan responded to all the attention the viral moment has been getting in a Virgin Radio UK interview. She said: “The reaction has been wild. It’s definitely not something that I had expected, and I didn’t necessarily set out to sort of make a splash.”
However, she urges anyone watching the clip to take note of the context of the comment. Specifically, that neither Redmayne or Mescal were talking about violence towards women. She adds that she has discussed issues like this with Mescal, a “dear friend,” in the past.
Nevertheless, Ronan points out that “there’s something really telling about the society that we’re in right now and about how open women want to be with the men in their lives.” The viral reaction has sparked many thoughts about women’s safety and men’s ignorance on the subject.
Upon reflection of her own comment, Ronan even shared a personal story as they watched the interview: “myself and a few of my female friends were with my husband and we said, you know, this really reminds me of the fake phone call.” Her husband said: “What, fake phone call? What do you mean?”
Ronan reflected that the phone call that women pretend to make to dissuade others from speaking or harassing them is just one “survival tactic” that women learn “without ever talking to other women about it.”
In just a few words, Saoirse Ronan managed to say a lot. Her candid response highlights how, no matter how brief, we can contribute to important women’s discussions – particularly when engaging with men to bring them into this vital dialogue.