Twitter Lashes out at Angela Lansbury for Controversial Remarks About Sexual Harassment
11/28/2017 02:37 pm EST
Criticism of Lansbury's comments:
Many Twitter users used their voices to blast the elderly actress for her opinion, accusing her of "victim blaming" rather than pointing fingers at predators.
They also tackled head-on the defense that Lansbury — who lived through decades of social progression — was raised in a "different generation."
Others pointed out that Lansbury's role in the 1944 film Gaslight brought the term "gaslighting" into the modern vocabulary.
Gaslighting is known as a form of manipulation that aims to fill others' minds with doubt, leaving them to question their own memory or perception. In this case, critics claim Lansbury is placing blames on victims, which may cause them to wonder if they were, in fact, to blame for any suffering they endured.
Some were afraid to see Lansbury's name trending on Twitter, worried that she'd followed stars like Della Reese in death this year. Instead, they were arguably more upset at what they saw.
'Murder, She Wrote' parallels:
As lead character Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, Lansbury played a mystery author-turned-amateur detective who solved crimes in Maine.
Some users pointed out that the drama, which aired from 1984-1996, would've been much different had Fletcher shared the same views as the actress who portrayed her.
Others used her role as Fletcher to defend her opinion, pulling footage from the show.
And some, who appreciate Lansbury's decades of contributions to the entertainment industry, just want to give the elderly woman a pass.
Defense of Lansbury:
And some, whether they agreed with the actress' opinion or not, came to Lansbury's defense. Many cited her age as a reason to let her comments slide.
Some fans were confused why Lansbury's personal opinion was being questioned at all. They claimed that her 92 years of life experience helped her to form her take on the controversial issue and that others shouldn't try to force her to conform, or slam her for speaking out.
One user pointed out the controversial nature of the questions Lansbury was likely asked to elicit her response. He claimed that the media asked an "old lady" to comment on an issue like the mounting allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding modern culture, only to throw her "under the bus" under the guise of news.
Lansbury has not responded to the criticism she has received following her initial interview.
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