Amy Schumer is the latest woman to be featured in the ongoing "Wonder Woman" series on Katie Couric's podcast, and during her recent appearance on the show, Schumer discussed the sexual misconduct allegations against her friend and fellow comedian Aziz Ansari.
"He's been my friend, and I really feel for the woman," she told Couric. "I identify with all the women in these situations. Even if it's my friend, I don't go, 'Oh, but he's a good guy.' I think, 'What would it feel like to have been her?'"
She went on to say that ruining the life or career of the accused shouldn't be the main takeaway from public allegations like those against Ansari.
"I think it's about expressing and showing women that that behaviour is not okay, and not only can you leave, but you need to leave," she said. "Because then the women who come after you, you're leaving a mark for them too."
Schumer extended the conversation beyond the realm of Hollywood, saying that women should be able to speak up if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable.
"If you have a doctor that makes you uncomfortable, or you get a massage, or you have a date with someone and they coerce you in a situation like the Aziz one, I don't think there's any sort of criminal charge, but I think that it's good for everybody to learn that that behaviour's not acceptable," she said. "It's not a crime, but it's not cool. And it can still really mess with a woman."
Schumer also shared her own experiences with sexual assault, revealing that she was raped when she a teenager.
"We've all — every woman I know, every woman in this room — we've all had these experiences," she said. "And in this current climate, it brings these things up and you go, 'God, none of that was okay.'"
Schumer closed on a slightly more optimistic note, saying that the current conversation about sexual misconduct and the #MeToo has started to noticeably shift the culture. "A lot of the men in my life are open to self-reflection and evolving," she said.
Listen to the full podcast episode here. You can also watch a brief video snippet from the show below.
"He's been my friend, and I really feel for the woman," she told Couric. "I identify with all the women in these situations. Even if it's my friend, I don't go, 'Oh, but he's a good guy.' I think, 'What would it feel like to have been her?'"
She went on to say that ruining the life or career of the accused shouldn't be the main takeaway from public allegations like those against Ansari.
"I think it's about expressing and showing women that that behaviour is not okay, and not only can you leave, but you need to leave," she said. "Because then the women who come after you, you're leaving a mark for them too."
Schumer extended the conversation beyond the realm of Hollywood, saying that women should be able to speak up if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable.
"If you have a doctor that makes you uncomfortable, or you get a massage, or you have a date with someone and they coerce you in a situation like the Aziz one, I don't think there's any sort of criminal charge, but I think that it's good for everybody to learn that that behaviour's not acceptable," she said. "It's not a crime, but it's not cool. And it can still really mess with a woman."
Schumer also shared her own experiences with sexual assault, revealing that she was raped when she a teenager.
"We've all — every woman I know, every woman in this room — we've all had these experiences," she said. "And in this current climate, it brings these things up and you go, 'God, none of that was okay.'"
Schumer closed on a slightly more optimistic note, saying that the current conversation about sexual misconduct and the #MeToo has started to noticeably shift the culture. "A lot of the men in my life are open to self-reflection and evolving," she said.
Listen to the full podcast episode here. You can also watch a brief video snippet from the show below.