Javier Bardem shuts down journalist's sexist question about wife Penelope Cruz

One of the unfortunate realities of the entertainment industry is the frequency of sexist interview questions and comments, especially aimed at women. Questions about appearance, relationships, or parenting often overshadow their achievements. These moments reveal a troubling lack of awareness and sensitivity in media discussions. Still, some celebrities handle such situations with grace, delivering sharp responses that put interviewers in their place. A prime example is when acclaimed actor Javier Bardem was asked about working with his wife, Penélope Cruz.

At the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where Javier Bardem was promoting his film Everybody Knows, a reporter asked him a sexist question. Despite Bardem having worked with his wife, Penélope Cruz, in several films—Jamón (1992), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), and Loving Pablo (2017)—the reporter asked, "How do you feel being the only man in the world who enjoys working with his wife?" Bardem, unfazed, responded with a sarcastic smirk and said, "The question is of extremely bad taste."

As some awkward laughs ensued in the room, the reporter was silenced by the Spanish star who gave him a deadly stare before looking away. This video clipping went insanely viral on Reddit when u/mcfw31 posted it. People can't get over how witty the "Eat Pray Love" actor was in shooting down the misogynistic question against his wife, or women in general. "That final look! He was thinking, 'I'm just going to grab my cattle gun,'" said u/Harmonyy_Dawn. "He handled it well. The sneer in his nose tells you how offended he was but classy that he didn’t get up and wallop the guy. His wife is right there, too," mentioned u/I_need_a_date_plz.

Some users called out the insensitiveness of the media person and the world in general towards husband-wife relationships. "It uplifts this idea that people settle for being miserably married in a world where you can be joyfully married. I think finding joy in working with your spouse represents a loving relationship with great communication," pointed out u/Great_idea_fellow. "I own a business with my wife and when people make comments about how bad that must be I’m like, 'Do you seriously not want to spend time with your wife? Feel bad for you bro,'" chimed in u/fuzzyfeedbacking. 

Speaking of sexist interview questions, there was one interview where Lady Gaga had to clap back at an interviewer who asked about the "sexual references" in her songs. In the 2009 interview, the interviewer asked the "Bad Romance" singer if she was scared that the sexual references in her song could "undermine her music," as per Refinery29. She boldly responded, "I'm not scared, are you scared? You see, if I was a guy and I was sitting here with a cigarette in my hands grabbing my crotch talking about how I make music because I like fast cars and f**king girls, you'd call me a rock star. But when I do it in my music and videos because I'm a female and I make pop music, you're judgmental and say it's distracting." She added assertively, "I'm just a rock star."