Emma Watson, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, is promoting equality between genders. Her campaign, however, has been met with a threat by 4chan users.
Emma Watson’s name commonly brings up images of the beloved Harry Potter movies, but that identity has recently evolved.
Watson was appointed as the UN Woman Goodwill Ambassador six months ago. “You might be thinking who is this Harry Potter girl? And what is she doing up on stage at the UN,” said Watson in her speech to the UN on September 20, 2014.
In her speech, the former cinematic star announced the campaign “HeforShe” and defined feminism as, “The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” She continued to demystify the reality of feminism and the “unpopular” views surrounding it. Watson then addressed men, claiming that they have a large role in gender equality.
“If we stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by what we are—we can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom.
I want men to take up this mantle. So their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too—reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and complete version of themselves.”
Despite this new image as an ambassador, Watson has been met with contempt. An attempt has been made to curtail her push for feminism. Earlier this week, users of 4chan, an image based bulletin board, threatened Emma Watson in response to her speech to the UN on feminism.
The users have set up a website with a photo of Watson crying, next to a countdown. Reportedly, when the countdown is over, 4chan users will release nude pictures of Watson on the web.
Back in August, 4chan users spread nude photographs of other female celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence and Kim Kardashian. An anonymous 4chan user posted, “Emma you are next.”
CNN reports, “So far there is no evidence that nude pictures of Watson actually exist; the online message board has become known as a place where pranksters have posted hoaxes before.”
4chan has a history of posting false information and media in order to “troll”, or deceive, the public. The threat is considered to be empty.
Members of 4chan themselves have stated that the malicious posts are “not true” and “false flags.”
Feminists have rallied around Watson in response to the threat. “So go ahead and add this response to Watson’s argument for why we need feminism. Misogynists do have a tendency of proving your point for you – they can be helpful like that,” wrote Maya Dusenbery, Executive Director of Feministing.
