F**k It Friday: Leslie Jones
Who you gonna call? Leslie, obv.
HI THERE. Welcome back to F**k It Friday - a weekly feature from MTV Breaks that’s all about saying a big “f**k yeah” to the most excellent people who’ve said “f**k it” (probably) and taken a leap of faith to make big things happen.
Cos it’s not about just having ideas – it’s about believing in yourself, and making them happen. AMIRIGHT?
So who’s next up in the FIF roll call of honour? Drumroll… it’s LESLIE JONES.
So Leslie (for those who don’t know) is a writer, actor and stand-up comedian who recently starred in the new all-female ‘Ghostbusters’. The film has received a very cringe-worthy backlash from offended anti-women fans of the historic franchise, but Leslie was recently subjected to Twitter troll nastiness that was on a whole other level from her co-stars.
Not only was she subjected to loads of horrendously racist tweets, but fake homophobic tweets about “fags” were manufactured and attributed to her name, even though she had nothing to do with them. It was another LEVEL of victimization.
That much Twitter hate must be intimidating, right? Well, Leslie wasn’t going to be silenced, cos she’s a hero. She said “f**k it” (probably) and tweeted lengthy responses to the hate and racism she was experiencing, replying only with political messages of sadness instead of hate.
She said, “I’m not stupid to know racism exists. And I know it will probably live on way after me. But we have to make people take responsibility.”
Leslie sadly announced she was leaving Twitter after feeling so personally attacked through no fault of her own. But we think anyone with half a brain can see this as an example of how much the world needs to change, and we think Leslie reacted perfectly and rose above all of it.
That’s why we’re crowning her this week. Leslie - you are Queen “F**k It”. And we’ll always have your back.
Women Who Are Rocking Our World Right Now
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J-Law said a big “f**k that” to sexism in Hollywood when she penned a powerful essay for pal Lena Dunham’s newsletter Lenny, talking frankly about her views on industry sexism, wage gaps and being too scared to speak up -
“As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there – there are going to be people along the way that try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments.” -
Ava DuVernay is the first black female director to have her film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, and last year she was chosen as one of Mattel’s ‘Sheroes” and turned into an ACTUAL BARBIE. It sold out in minutesInstagram -
Yes, she makes us lol on the regular, but Amy Schumer’s not afraid to get serious when necessary. In the last year we’ve seen her advocating for stricter gun control laws, and boldly posing nude for the 2016 Pirelli calendar -
From the moment she launched HeForShe at the UN, Emma Watson has been a woman on a mission. She got all of Hollywood talking, and now she’s taking a year off acting to focus on feminism. Check out her brand new Wired cover with Tom Hanks, too -
Where to start? Zendaya took a stand when E! News host Giuliana Rancic made some dodgy comments about her hair. She’s shared un-edited mag shoot pics on her Instagram. "Some people like to say the word bossy. I prefer the word leader, or just boss" -
Mya Taylor made history this year when she became the first transgender performer to win a major film acting award for Best Supporting Female in Tangerine. “There has been a shift,” she said. “Years ago we avoided the topic… it was an age of sexism."Twitter -
Sick of being judged for her dating history and past job as a stripper, Amber Rose fought back. Big time. She led LA’s first SlutWalk to protest sexual injustice, and turned up to the VMAs with BFF Blac Chyna in a bodysuit covered in insults -
Nicki Minaj has proved that feminism doesn’t mean losing your femininity – it’s totally possible to show off your buns (hun) and still be a campaigner for equality. Nicki is also passionate about encouraging her Barbz to stay in school and get educated -
Amandla Stenberg called out Instagram queen Kylie Jenner for misappropriating black culture, she shut down racist trolls who criticized her casting in The Hunger Games, she recently came out as bisexual… Oh, and she’s only 17-years-old -
Not content with being known as a Victoria’s Secret model, Karlie Kloss is also making a huge impact on the tech world. A keen coder, she launched the Kode with Karlie scholarship, offering young women the chance to attend a summer program -
When Viola Davis became the first African American to win a Best Actress Emmy for her role in How To Get Away With Murder she gave an acceptance speech that went straight into the history books: “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there" -
YouTube royalty Tanya Burr is using her immense platform to do some serious good. She’s just announced the #TimeForGirls initiative, which sets out to “make our world more equal, more inclusive and as a result better in every way”. Amazing
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