Justice

Amy Schumer's Response to a Sexist Interview Question Will Make Your Day

July 24th 2015

I'm not ashamed to say that I miss Amy Schumer. Her Comedy Central series, "Inside Amy Schumer," changed my life because it consistently calls out sexism in a hilarious, relatable way, so I'm bummed that season three is over and that I no longer have her show to look forward to every week. In a promotional interview for "Trainwreck," the new movie where she plays a woman who slowly falls for a guy she thought was just a one-night stand, Schumer carried herself with grace and poise after a male reporter insinuated that her character is "skanky."

When asked how much of "Trainwreck" is autobiographical, Schumer said:

"A lot. There's a lot of me in this movie. I am not embarrassed to say that. I would say it's me like ten years ago, when I was a sophomore in college. I was in a lot of pain, and I was spreading myself too thin. I was drinking a lot and then I just realized how destructive it was ... I was bartending when I was 15 years old, so by the time I was a freshman in college, I was drinking three martinis before I even went to the bar."

After Schumer said the costume designer for "Trainwreck" wanted to make Schumer's skirts "a little too short," the male reporter asked, "Do you have the word 'skanky' in America?"

"We do have that word," Schumer said. "What made you think about your mom? Why did she just pop in your mind?"

"She didn't wear a skirt all the time, so length wasn't really an issue," he said. "No, come on, that's the character of the movie ['Trainwreck'], I'm not trying to offend you."

"Whatever you're trying to do, you are," Schumer said. "That's a rude question."

The male reporter then said the theme of "Trainwreck" is that "being with a guy eclipses everything else ... in terms of decorum, and dates, and drinking, and partying."

"I just think you're wrong," Schumer said.

"The reason you're a 'Trainwreck' is because drinking and cheap sex is pretty much what drives you until you realize the important things in life," he said. "Isn't that a fair summation?"

"No," Schumer said. "I think that the point is she realizes she's hurting herself and the people around her ... She's having a good time, she doesn't know that she's in pain."

After the female reporter said she loved Schumer's vulnerability in the movie, the male interviewer asked if Schumer plans to do more of this type of work.

"I want to do whatever I have to do to do another interview with you again," Schumer said. "So if that means make another movie, then I'll do that."

The female reporter added that she might interview Schumer alone, without her male colleague next time, to which Schumer responded, "I love that idea."

Schumer has broached the subject of sexism many times in her program. Schumer's "12 Angry Men" sketch was widely applauded for showing how hard it can be for some women to get ahead in the entertainment business. In the episode-long sketch, Paul Giamatti, Jeff Goldblum, and others debate whether or not she’s hot enough to be on TV.

"This girl thinks she deserves to be on camera?" one guy yells. "She's not a 10!"

Schumer's "Last Fuckable Day" sketch highlights how Hollywood mistreats women once they reach a certain age in the industry:

Here is the trailer for "Trainwreck":

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