Opinion. As a successful female celebrity, the world wants to know: Who are you wearing and who are you dating?

Besides many other roles, Scarlett Johansson plays Black Widow in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. She is thereby not only one of the few female Marvel superheroes taking up important roles on the big screen but has also for a long time been the only female Avenger in the films. Logically, there would be a lot of interesting questions one could ask her… but seemingly no one does.
However, I am just writing for a local newspaper and not interviewing celebrities on the red carpet. So maybe I just don’t understand the journalistic genius behind questions like ‘‘Ehem… Were you able to wear undergarments?’’. According to Johansson, not only one but several journalists have asked her this possibly most relevant question. I am just wondering if they’d ask any of the Spider-Man actors the same question. Or is this only a critical point for female superheroes?

But it’s not just Johansson. Famous singer Ariana Grande was asked to choose between make up and her phone, promptly replying with ‘‘Is this what you think girls have trouble choosing between?’’. The answer: ‘‘Yes, absolutely’’. Actress Rowan Blanchard, being 13 years old at the time, was asked after dieting tips for girls. Singer Taylor Swift was confronted with a complaint that so many of her songs are about her former boyfriends – and quickly stated that Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran wouldn’t be asked the same question. Singer Rihanna was asked what she is looking for in a man and quickly replied that she is, no matter how surprising this might be for anyone, not looking for a man.
There are also the more universal ones for which we do not even need any examples: Who are you wearing today? What is your fitness/diet routine? How have you lost so much weight? Are you in a relationship? Who was this handsome man you were spotted with? Are you going home alone tonight? How are you balancing work and having children?

Don’t mind me, I’m just furiously taking notes to remember to ask female interviewees the really important questions in the future. Outward appearance and relations to men. Got it. Gotta learn from the professionals.             

:Charleena Schweda