Gabourey Sidibe gave a speech at the “Ms. Foundation for Women’s Gloria Awards and Gala” all about confidence. Her secret for being so confident? She’s an asshole. Her words, not mine!
Via E!:
I’m an a—hole! Okay? It’s my good time, and my good life, despite what you think of me. I live my life, because I dare. I dare to show up when everyone else might hide their faces and hide their bodies in shame…
I show up because I’m an a—hole, and I want to have a good time.
Want to know why other kids didn’t like her growing up? Guess what, it’s the same reason!
Why didn’t they like me? I was fat, yes. I had darker skin and weird hair, yes. But the truth is; this isn’t a story about bullying, or color, or weight. They hated me because… I was an a—hole!
I was a snob. I thought I was better than the kids in my class, and I let them know it. That’s why they didn’t like me.
Still, she credits them for not liking her because it enabled her to be more confident. She summed up her speech with,
So when you ask me how I’m so confident, I know what you’re really asking me: How could someone like me be confident? Go ask Rihanna, a—hole.
I don’t think I quite get her whole “asshole empowerment” (there’s a phrase I never thought I’d type) angle, but I do love her confidence.
BUT since she brought it up, let’s answer the question: is Gabourey Sidibe an asshole?
I think, based on the quotation, that she is saying other people might find her confidence off putting . She shows up and has a good time, even though she knows her appearance might disgust others ( hello, Hollywood) and might generally prefer she not revel/think she is better than others in what they consider to be offensive and in that sense, she is being an asshole to others.
Well of course she’s an asshole just like Paltrow, Penn, Franco, Kanye, K Stew and oh so many others she’s just fatter but at least she owns it unlike the rest of them.