Alexandra Shipp hopes that "Asking For It" shines a spotlight on the many challenges women still face in American society today, but she also noted that, as the sister of two brothers, she knows there are many men who want to be allies. That made it essential to ensure the movie balanced out its portrayal of toxic masculinity with some good men, including Luke Hemsworth's character, the sympathetic cop Vernon. "We can't just turn all men into villains because they're not," Shipp reflected during a recent interview with Looper. "I come from a family of boys, and I know that there are good men out there. Ignorance is easy. Men don't experience the same things that we experience but they can empathize."
In fact, Shipp said that the assistance of sympathetic men is a necessity if women want real change to happen. "When there are good men out there who are trying to change the narrative, like my brothers, like ["Asking For It" director] Eamon [O'Rourke], then we can really do something," Shipp observed. "We live in the world of a patriarchy, that's our society. If we can get some of these dudes on our side, or if they're inherently on our side because they were either raised by good women or have seen enough strife to want to be a part of the solution, then we can really do something about it ... We need allies. That's the only way we're going to get stuff done, so we can't villainize all men because not all men are bad."
"Asking For It" is now playing in select theaters and is available for rental and purchase on digital and video on demand.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
