Men of the world, listen to Zoe Saldana...
Yesterday the Internet was buzzing with the news that Zoe Saldana's husband, Marco, had taken her surname. Sadly, in 2015, this is seen as a bold move. Controversial, even.
The actress talked about her Italian husband's decision in an interview with InStyle, saying that she was more hesitant about the departure from tradition than he was. ‘I tried to talk him out of it,’ Zoe admitted. ‘If you use my name, you're going to be emasculated by your community of artists, by your Latin community of men, by the world.’
To which the 36-year-old painter apparently replied, ‘Ah Zoe, I don't give a sh*t.’
Now, in response to the chatter that this revelation has caused, Zoe has written a powerful feminist statement about what it means to be a real man and urges other men to follow in her husband's example.
This is her Facebook post in full - it's rousing stuff:
'Fathers, sons, brothers, men everywhere: Your legacy will not perish if you take your partner's surname, or she keeps hers. I’ve been made aware that a comment I made regarding my marriage has garnered some attention. I felt proud that my husband decided to take my last name as his own... and I his. I shared my hesitation with him when he told me about his decision, not only did he say, “I don’t give a shhheeeetttt!!” (with a very strong Italian accent!!) he also asked me, “Why not? What are you so afraid of?" And it made me wonder... What am I so afraid of?
Why is it so surprising, shocking, eventful that a man would take his wife's surname? Women have never been asked if its ok for them to give up their names — why doesn’t that make the news?
Men, you will not cease to exist by taking your partner’s surname. On the contrary - you’ll be remembered as a man who stood by change. I know our sons will respect and admire their father more because their father lead by example.
Gentlemen, I implore you to think outside the box - remove the box altogether. Let’s redefine masculinity. A real “man” leads along side his partner. A real man accepts his mortality. A real man acknowledges that nothing can be done alone.
I hope that the “buzz” behind this topic isn’t just for gossip - but an inspiration for us all to look within and see what is truly important.
Let’s start by letting go of some of the limitations we have inherited from the past, and forge a new path moving forward.'
So, if you think your partner might be thinking of popping the question soon, why not float the idea of him taking your name... what's the worst that could happen?
