Emma Watson named the #1 Celebrity Feminist of 2014: good choice?

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We’re in the midst of a lot of end-of-year listicles and Best-of-2014 summaries, some of which are really boring. But I found this one interesting: the Top Celebrity Feminists of 2014. The list was compiled by the Ms. Foundation and Cosmopolitan Magazine, and it was done by online poll. So… I’m actually shocked that Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch weren’t on the top of the list, considering the online presence of the dragonflies and Cumberbitches. But you know who else has a big online presence? Emma Watson’s fans. Thus, Emma was named the top celebrity feminist of 2014, mostly for her UN speech in support of the UN HeForShe campaign, which went viral several months ago. You can see the list of top celebrity feminists here.

Emma Watson was voted the top feminist of 2014 in a Ms. Foundation for Women online poll, conducted in partnership with Cosmopolitan.com, and it’s a well-deserved win. In 2014, the 24-year-old actress gave a rousing speech about gender equality to the United Nations, telling men, “Gender equality is your issue too.” In her role as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, she also helped launch the “He for She” campaign to work with men in ending violence against women. Watson’s speech also made Cosmopolitan.com’s list of the 2014 best moments for women.

“I want men to take up this mantle,” Watson said in her speech, “so their daughters, sisters, and mothers can be free from prejudice, but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too — reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and complete version of themselves.”

Here are the top 10 2014 feminists, according to Ms. Foundation voters:

Emma Watson
Laverne Cox
Rachel Maddow
Beyoncé
Cher
Amy Poehler
Tina Fey
Meryl Streep
Mindy Kaling
Ann Curry

“We celebrate all feminists every day, but today we’re giving a hat tip to celebrities who are helping to promote women’s equality,” Ms. Foundation President and CEO Teresa Younger said in a statement. “Every celebrity on the list has either embraced the term ‘feminist,’ spoken out for women’s equal rights, or battled against sexist oppression.”

[From Cosmo]

You know what? I don’t have a problem with this list at all. And I kind of like that we’re now compiling lists of feminists, you know? Emma’s speech went viral and she really did change the pop culture conversation about feminism. Laverne Cox is amazing and a committed activist for LGBT causes. Rachel Maddow is my girl. Beyonce has to be included or The Hive will burn the place down. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are incredible women. Mindy Kaling is awesome. I enjoyed this list!

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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Thanks to Cele Bitchy