IF YOU’RE FAMILIAR with The Guilty Feminist podcast, you’ll know that the hugely successful show taps into perceived hypocrisies feminists have identified in their behaviour.

Its success is built on a fear that so many feminists harbour about falling short of expectation, and during a recent interview on The Andrew Marr Show, Phoebe Waller-Bridge shared her own concerns in this regard.

The writer and star of BBC show, Fleabag, admitted initial concern that her creation might be too large a departure from modern feminist tropes.

Ian West Ian West

“She says in the first series that she’d rather take two years off her life to have a hot body and all that kind of stuff,” Phoebe told Andrew. “You’re not supposed to say those things and those rules apply.”

Interestingly, Phoebe’s highly-acclaimed creation mirrored her own sense of unease about her position as a feminist, as she says she regularly fears that she falls short of expectation.

I thought I want to get this right but I also have ‘bad thoughts’ or I seem to do things that don’t align with the message.

If this is ringing a bell with you, you’re not alone.

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Indeed, the 33-year-old, who also wrote and produced hit show Killing Eve, acknowledged that it’s a widespread concern among many people.

I think it’s a feeling that a lot of women, and probably some men as well, feel like they could fall into a trap of being a bad feminist, which is somebody who doesn’t tick all the boxes of what it is to be a perfect feminist or a perfect spokesperson for the cause.

“There are so many potholes in the road, it’s kind of frightening and you want to be able to say the right things,” she added.

Can you relate to Phoebe’s thoughts on the matter?

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