Why Women Need to Stop Being “Nice” with Amy Remeikis

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The episode: 

What if being “nice” isn’t the same as being kind? And what happens when women stop making themselves smaller to keep everyone else comfortable? 

This week, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt is joined by political journalist, author and cultural commentator Amy Remeikis to unpack women, power, anger, civility and the pressure to be “good”. 

The author of Screw Nice, Amy explores why women are often judged for being direct, angry or emotional, while the same behaviour can be interpreted very differently in men. She discusses the double standards behind labels like “difficult”, the expectation that women make themselves smaller, and why refusing to be compliant can be an act of power. 

Amy also shares her own experiences of learning to speak up, including a childhood moment that made her question why the way a woman responds to injustice can become more important than the injustice itself. She explains how she approaches uncomfortable conversations with people whose political views differ from her own, and why asking “why?” can be more productive than immediately shutting down a difficult conversation. 

Plus, Amy shares her advice for dealing with being called “emotional”, “hysterical” or “difficult”, why women should stop apologising unless they have actually done something wrong, and how walking away from an argument can sometimes be the most empowering response. 

This episode covers: 

• The politics of being “nice” 
• Why women are labelled “difficult” 
• Anger, protest and speaking up 
• Grace Tame and the policing of women’s behaviour 
• Double standards for women in leadership 
• Political disagreement and finding common ground 
• Gaslighting and emotional dismissal 
• Why women need to stop apologising for everything 
• Taking up space and using your power 
• The difference between being nice and being decent 

You can find Amy's book Screw Nice here https://www.hachette.com.au/amy-remeikis/screw-nice

 

Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram @marieclaireau

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Credits:   

Host Georgie McCourt   

Edited by Helen Smith 

Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain 

With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire  

You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media. 

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