Emily Ratajkowski Had a Fitting Response to a Stranger Who Asked Her to 'Put on a Shirt'

In a world where social norms constantly evolve, Emily Ratajkowski found herself at the center of another public controversy, igniting outrage among fans and supporters. Ratajkowski, known for her bold stance on body autonomy and feminism, took to Instagram to share a bizarre and unsettling encounter she experienced while walking through the streets of New York City. Dressed in a simple brown tank top and dark sunglasses, Ratajkowski was casually taking a stroll when an anonymous man yelled at her from across the street, telling her to ‘put on a shirt.’ The audacity of the unsolicited comment left many of her fans stunned, especially given that she was, in fact, already dressed appropriately for the warm summer day.

As per OK! Magazine, she posted the video on Instagram and captioned the clip, "Famously not demure, famously not mindful." As such, netizens were quite upset and shared their thoughts about the incident in the comment section. One user wrote, "Not all men, but always a man." Someone else called him out when they penned, "He’s triggered because he can’t get hot women like you so he takes it out on hot women 😂." With contempt, someone else mentioned, "Abssssolutely not. Ew. hate him." Another supporter stated, "I loved that u ignored him, he wanted attention. Knows he’ll never get a hot girl like you." Similarly, one Instagram user claimed, "Another man who can’t handle himself." 

The incident served as yet another example of the double standards women face, where random strangers often police their choices of clothing. Ratajkowski, who has long been a vocal advocate for women’s rights has frequently spoken about the challenges and scrutiny women face in the public eye. In a 2021 interview, she discussed the complexities of being a public figure. She said, "I do think that my experience as a public persona has so much been about image and that's been my doing as well — that's what I put out into the world. So I've had a hard time finding a way to communicate the nuance behind that image."

The model further added, "In several of the nude photoshoots I’ve done there are elements where I feel confident and powerful. But there’s always a point where I think, is the power of my body ever mine? That's sort of the question I'm asking, and I don't have an answer for that."

This recent incident aligns with Ratajkowski’s ongoing critique of society’s expectations of women and the pervasive male gaze that often overpowers how women should present themselves. She remarked, "I was fully into ‘choice’ feminism; that it’s feminist to be nude purely because it’s my choice. I don’t really believe that now. I’m more interested in the power women can have by either really engaging with their sexuality or completely avoiding it. Because I do feel like every woman is sort of on the same scale, trying to figure out where and how they want to find that balance."

As per Daily Mail, the incident also brings attention to the larger cultural shift where women, particularly in the entertainment industry, are increasingly rejecting the traditional expectations posed by men, She exclaimed, “Decentralizing men has been a huge part of my life. I still love men in many ways, but the Disney fairy tale I had once embraced of being chosen and building a life while being desirable to one man and keeping a man and all that, I just don't find that interesting anymore.”