Amy Schumer Explains Feminism at SXSW

Comedian Amy Schumer speaking into a microphone

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 17 March 15

Amy Schumer is not at all afraid to say she's a feminist. And she doesn't understand why you would be, either. In a panel at SXSW—where she discussed her newest movie Trainwreck—the comedian and actress got real about the movement.

"I don't think people know what the word feminism means: a social and political equality for women. I think if you're against that, you're a crazy person, or you don't know what it means, and that we don't actually have it is a bummer," she said, according to Indiewire (opens in new tab). "It feels like we should be further along. That's why it was so exciting to see Patricia Arquette shout out to equal pay (opens in new tab) because it's insane it's still an issue. People are afraid for some reason. Some cultures are completely based on the fear of women."

But that's not the only insightful comment Schumer shared with the audience. When talking about her comedy, she explained her issue with being labeled a "sex comic."

"When I brought [stand up special Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff] to Comedy Central they said, 'It's mostly sex stuff.' And I said, 'Well let's just call it Mostly Sex Stuff.' They said, 'Okay!'" she explained. "Sex sells...and I'm a sexual person so I like talking about it. But there's a double standard. Some of my favorite male comics talk about sex a lot and they don't get labeled that. The double standard of that bothers me."

All we can say is: #AmyforPresident.

You should also check out:

Patricia Arquette on Aging: Men Are Not Having These Conversations (opens in new tab)

Amy Schumer Is One of the Best Comedians Out There, and This Set Is Proof (opens in new tab)

Vanessa Bayer Hilariously Explains Feminism to Sleater-Kinney, Gets it All Wrong (opens in new tab)

Samantha Leal

Samantha Leal is the Deputy Editor at Well+Good, where she spends most of her day thinking of new ideas across platforms, bringing on new writers, overseeing the day-to-day of the website, and working with the awesome team to produce the best stories and packages. Before W+G, she was the Senior Web Editor for Marie Claire and the Deputy Editor for Latina.com, with bylines all over the internet. Graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with a minor in African history, she’s written everything from travel guides to political op-eds to wine explainers (currently enrolled in the WSET program) to celebrity profiles. Find her online pretty much everywhere @samanthajoleal.