Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard recently made headlines when she wrote a thoughtful essay about intersectional feminism in response to a fan's Tumblr question. Elle caught up with the precocious actress at London Fashion Week to discuss the waves her comments made, and the interview contains another astute observation from the 13-year-old Disney star.
As a young actress, part of Blanchard's job involves attending red-carpet events. Said events, of course, include red-carpet reporters asking inane questions — despite campaigns such as #AskHerMore and #SmartGirlsAsk. Elle writer Faran Krentcil asks Blanchard for the "worst red-carpet question" she's ever received.
"Someone recently asked if I had any dieting tips for other teenage girls," Blanchard responds. She actually has the perfect answer to this question: "I mean, come on. I don't diet! I'm thirteen! Nobody my age should be dieting or trying to change themselves because society says so. And seriously, I'm thirteen! The only 'dieting tip' I have is, like, 'If you don't order fries, you'll probably be mad.'"
So into that tip.
Krentcil then asks Blanchard what she'd like to say to reporters who ask about her weight, which actually had us wondering which reporters have the gall to ask a 13-year-old girl about her weight. Unfortunately, it's happened.
"It's inappropriate on so many levels. That makes other girls hate themselves or have eating disorders. We have to change all this. Girls tweeted me after [the] Christopher Kane [show] being like, 'Rowan, I liked the clothes, but all the models were this one way.' And I have to be like, 'You don't have to be that one way! You be you.' And again, I'm thirteen. The designer, the fashion industry — you're the adults, the ones who can be telling girls, 'You don't have to be one way.' Magazines are starting to address it, which is smart. But we can all do more. I thought we'd see more plus-size models on the runway this season. We didn't. That was a disappointment."
Once again, the 13-year-old star of Girl Meets World has schooled everyone. Rowan Blanchard for president in 2036. (Elle)
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