Anna Kendrick Says 'Feminism' Has Basically 'Become a Curse Word'

Anna Kendrick is playing Cinderella in the film adaptation of Into the Woods, which merges the storylines of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk. Ahead of the movie’s Christmas Day release, Kendrick did an interview with The Daily Beast where she elaborated on Cinderella’s feminist characteristics.

The Cinderella in this film isn’t completely satisfied with her post-Prince life and notes that “getting a man isn’t everything.” Kendrick says Cindy “chooses ‘the unknown’ over the ‘security’ of that situation. And that’s very brave.” When the interviewer mentions Time‘s proposed ban of the word “feminism,” the actress explains:

…That’s a fucking bummer. It’s hard because words confuse me sometimes. There isn’t a word for a member of an ethnic minority who is pro equal rights for all races, but there is a word for gender equality—and that’s feminism. It’s a very female-centric word. I understand that the implication is that “I’m a woman who supports women” and not “I’m a person who supports gender equality.” I feel like the word can be appropriated by the wrong people for that reason and misinterpreted by those people, but you just have to fight back and own that word. It’s practically become a curse word. Somebody says, “Oh, you’re being such a feminist,” and you’re supposed to be like, “No I’m not.” Why are we afraid of that word? It exists and we can’t get rid of it, so let’s fight for it and embrace it.