For last week’s feature in Elle magazine, Amy Poehler described her ravenous appetite for her craft, revealing her excitement about her new directing and producing gig on Broad City and her upcoming book, which she lovingly refers to as a self-help/memoir hybrid.
For Poehler and women everywhere, this is an exciting time. Her passion for women’s rights and female empowerment shines through her her every move, from her website Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls to her personal life to her performance as the beloved Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation. As the sitcom bids farewell to core cast member Rashida Jones, Poehler emphasizes the importance of representing loving female friendships in media: “Ann and Leslie are the true love story of the show,” she tells writer Rachael Combe.
And then there’s the f-word. When asked why she thinks stars might shy away from identifying as a “feminist,” she reminds us that the word is “confusing” to fans; although celebrities might “support and live by” feminist ideals, people shy away from the word, and that’s a shame.
What’s one question that gets annoying? The media hurls the question “How do you balance it all?” at women constantly. The condescending question assumes that women have the duty to be supernaturally perfect within both the worlds of work and family. Sadly, our culture puts more and more pressure on women to “do it all.” Inspired by her own mother who “[wore] a sassy scarf [to 1970s feminist meetings,]” Poehler aplaudes Combe’s style, explaining, “By the way, I just want to thank you for not having your first question be ‘How do you balance it all?’” Amy, you’re an inspiration!
Thanks to Elle
Image via Rolling Stone
