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Westworld's Evan Rachel Wood has a badass response to sexist double standards towards Dolores and the Man in Black

Westworld's Evan Rachel Wood has a badass response to sexist double standards towards Dolores and the Man in Black

The actress says the level of hatred towards her character Dolores is a sign of something deeper

Eleanor Bley Griffiths

Published: Thursday, 31 May 2018 at 3:33 pm

To any Westworld viewers feeling sympathy and understanding for The Man in Black while condemning Dolores as an evil bitch, Evan Rachel Wood has a message: "Question the nature of your reality."

It's not that you have to love Dolores and her new-found capacity for violence and cruelty, by any means. But, as the actress explains, it's about the way male and female villains with similar traits are perceived by viewers.

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The Man in Black – a brutal killer (at least of the android hosts that inhabit Westworld) and ruthless businessman – is perceived by some fans of the show as an anti-hero. By contrast, Dolores has been condemned for her behaviour despite her traumatic past.

And in a series of Twitter posts that feel particularly relevant in the context of the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements, Wood shared her feelings about that.

"Funny, some people hate Dolores for fighting back," she wrote. "How soon we forget why she is fighting. Also, no one says anything about the male characters or the mother, almost as if people WANT her to stay the damsel. And now she is a so called 'bitch'. Doesn't that sound familiar??"

"Women have a right to take control of their own destinies, bodies, and fight back just the same as a man would and be called a badass for, without being called a bitch," Wood added.

"So the next time you wanna praise the MIB for being a 'badass' and then turn around and give Dolores a hard time, I would look in the mirror long and hard.. And question the nature of your reality."

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The actress also shared a comment from a fan: "You know there’s a disparity issue when you’ve got men celebrating Walter White and Tyler Durden as complex anti-heroes, but wailing on Dolores for having a multilayered and conflicting – often terrifying – character development."

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Now who's the badass?

Westworld continues on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV

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Authors

Eleanor Bley GriffithsDrama Editor, RadioTimes.com

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