Details Magazine Reinforces Sexism in Shia LaBeouf Interview

Shia Lebouf trying his best James Dean.

While I was filtering through the latest celebrity news on Friday, I was overwhelmed with articles about Shia LaBeouf revealing his "hook up" with Megan Fox on the Transformers set. He revealed this information to Details magazine stating, "Look, you're on the set for six months, with someone who's rooting to be attracted to you, and you're rooting to be attracted to them. I never understood the separation of work and life in that situation. But the time I spent with Megan was our own thing, and I think you can see the chemistry onscreen." The article than speculated that Fox cheated on her husband with Shia. 


Here's my message to Shia: Shia, if it was your "own thing" why are you revealing it to the whole world? She's not even in the current Transformers movie, so why discuss her and her business? Also, why is it that Shia reveals his "hook up" with Megan Fox and bashes his directors and is then rewarded with the label of "honest, complex bad boy"?! What a double standard! 


Details magazine sets him up in clothes and scenes comparable to James Dean, and in the introduction to the article, Aaron Gell, writes, "The 25-year-old Transformers star has thrown as many punches as he has parties, he has a rap sheet as long as his filmography, and when he's not pissing off studio heads, he's messing around with another guy's girlfriend. But Shia LaBeouf may also be the most honest—and complex—actor alive. More than meets the eye? Damn right." Shia isn't complex. He's just another entitled man that can get away with speaking his mind and trashing the women he's been with under the guise that he's gifted and deeply sensitive inside.


I'm reminded of Katherine Heigl's love hate relationship with the press. When she speaks her mind, she's labeled an "angry bitch." In an interview with Vanity Fair, Heigl says that Knocked Up is "a little sexist" because "It paints women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as goofy, fun-loving guys. It was hard for me to love the movie." I agree. Knocked Up is sexist, but the real problem here is that Heigl is labeled an "ungrateful, bitch" for sharing her voice. My point is not to silence Shia LaBeouf but to reveal and break down a terrible double standard that is clearly thriving in Details magazine. Details Magazine reinforces a culture where men can speak their minds while women can't.