Boxing champion Anthony Joshua is facing heavy criticism on Twitter after sharing sexist views on parenting in a magazine interview.
Joshua, 28, actually made the comments in an interview published in GQ magazine last March, almost exactly a year ago. They appear to have flown under the radar at the time, but have now been rediscovered and are being shared widely on social media.
Asked if he is a strict dad to son Joseph, Joshua told GQ: "I don’t think I’m that strict with Joseph, I don’t know why. But with my niece I’m strict. I think it is because she is older, but also he’s a boy – he’s going to be a man’s man, he’ll want to spread his wings, be a Jack-the-lad, build his character. But I am sure there are things I will be strict about."
Joshua added: "But with my niece, there is none of that Jack-the-lad nonsense for her! My view is you have to be a good woman, respectful, one day you will be someone’s wife, you have to learn family morals… what it is to be a good woman."
Anthony Joshua needs to be cancelled.
— Ιman | ايمان (@ImaniAmrani) March 2, 2018
I know, I know, what did we expect? I guess we just hoped that he was better than this. pic.twitter.com/FuHIbARHP9
The problems with these comments are so glaringly obvious, it's almost unnecessary to point them out. Why does he see his niece primarily as a "future wife", rather than a person who can spread her wings and "build a character" like his son? Why does he think it's OK to raise a young woman more strictly than a young man? Why does she have to be a "good woman", when his son is allowed to be a "Jack-the-lad"? And is "Jack-the-lad" something we should want young men to aspire towards?
Honestly, the more you read his comments, the more disappointing they become. On Twitter, people are rightly condemning these views as outdated, sexist, and simply "nonsense".
Society has spent centuries rearing women to be good wives yet failing to produce the good husbands who deserve them.
— Kelechi Okafor (@kelechnekoff) March 3, 2018
Me reading #AnthonyJoshua's views on women in the GQ interview. pic.twitter.com/0OKMHb69yO
— Leoni Atkins (@creativekitty) March 2, 2018
No need to waste energy criticising #AnthonyJoshua 18th century comments about raising girls. His niece will have this covered. He’s not gonna know what’s hit him when that girl comes of age🖕🏽🖕🏽👊🏽👊🏽
— Shappi Khorsandi (@ShappiKhorsandi) March 3, 2018
.@BritishGQ can we please get @anthonyfjoshua a sit-down with @caitlinmoran? FFS 🙄: “My view is you have to be a good woman, respectful, one day you will be someone’s wife, you have to learn family morals… what it is to be a good woman.”#AnthonyJoshua pic.twitter.com/bujMrF7SB5
— Amy Lewis (@amylewisbeauty) March 3, 2018
But one Twitter user has made a particularly valid point. Our response to Joshua's comments shouldn't be to vilify him personally, but to analyse why some men still think this way in 2018. Only by understanding this way of thinking can we begin to break down toxic masculinity, once and for all.
The dialogue that's occurring shouldn't be about Anthony Joshua as a person. Nobody knows him. No one can judge him. The dialogue should be about where this thinking stems from in the first place and the consequences of this thinking on boys and girls in general.
— Toni (@t0nit0ne) March 2, 2018
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