Emma Watson Named Most Influential Celebrity
Emma Watson has made good use of her time since the end of her time as Hermione: She graduated from Brown University, starred in several films, and was appointed a UN Women Goodwill ambassador in 2014. Her feminist and humanitarian work have made her an icon beyond her acting career, so the honor of Most Influential Celebrity, which she earned this week, is certainly well deserved!
Emma was chosen by 1,000 teens in a poll commissioned by British youth empowerment program National Citizen Service (NCS) and conducted by Brutush public opinion researcher ICM Research. Both boys and girls selected her from a group of 43 actors, YouTube stars, and musicians that included other huge names like Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, and Zayn Malik. The research also found that 29% of teenage girls valued “feminist” above other traits like “sporty” (10%) or “bookworm” (19%). In fact, many said Emma’s feminist work was why she inspires them so much, as one respondent stated:
She’s a big feminist. She frequently speaks out on sexism and other discrimination issues such as racism and homophobia, and what she says really inspires me.
Even NCS officials agree with the choice, with marketing director Natasha Kizzie citing a new wave of feminism led by Emma’s initiatives as a major influence for teens:
The rise of [I]nternet feminism and increasingly politically engaged youth has brought these issues to the forefront of the news agenda, and the ‘Emma Watson effect’ has done brilliant things for the cause. She inspires young people to never limit their expectations of what they can achieve on the basis on their gender.
Emma’s work has already reached thousands worldwide, and we can’t wait to see what her next endeavor will be! Currently, we don’t know about any new roles, but there’s always Our Shared Shelf! Emma’s feminist book club will be announcing its September book soon, so keep an eye on the Goodreads group for updates. And of course, MuggleNet will be the first to tell you about Emma’s latest projects as soon as they are announced!
