3 days ago
Emily Ratajkowski Is Demonstrating How To Decentre Men
Emily Ratajkowski is seen on the Croisette filming a commercial during day nine of the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2025, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Arnold Jerocki/GC Images)
From literature to TikTok discourse, the phrase 'decentring men' has been impossible to miss, weaving its way into the zeitgeist and taking off at full speed. Now, Emily Ratajkowski is demonstrating how to thrive from it.
Coined by writer Sherese (Charlie) Taylor, 'decentring men', in short, refers to the practice of examining 'the conscious and subconscious ways you place men above your needs and fullness.' These ways may include orienting life plans around securing a relationship, maintaining it, and generally holding back on feeling 'whole' until 'chosen' by a man. (L-R) Adwoa Aboah, Emily Ratajkowski, Irina Shayk, Ziwe Fumudoh and Charli XCX attend the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones on March 10, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Dave Benett/VF24/WireImage for Vanity Fair)
Ratajkowski, 34, like a growing number of modern women, has instead opted to prioritise her family, friends and community.
'[Men are] pleasure and fun, but not a part of my core,' she told Elle UK earlier this week. 'The rest of my life is community with other women and queer people and being a mum.'
Finding fulfilment and joy in friendships outside of romantic love has growingly become a mainstream topic of conversation, with many women aiming to make their communities the centre of their universe, not as a consolation, but as an equally—if not more —desirable direction in life. Emily Ratajkowski, Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Paloma Elsesser at the WSJ Innovator Awards held at the Museum of Modern Art on October 29, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Nina Westervelt/WWD via Getty Images)
Ratajkowski, a mother to four-year-old Sylvester Apollo Bear, explains how she feels that 'there's so much opportunity in her current stage of her life .' Not just in terms of her sense of self, but also her work, motherhood, and her politics.
'My mum had me at 39, and I remember she always romanticised her thirties as a time of self-exploration and power as a woman,' she said. 'I'm in the midst of it and really feel that way too.'
She spoke to the outlet about how this time has solidified her perception of self, and how her primary concerns will always be her son's perception of her as a mother, growing and learning each year, and feeling more in control of her work, both acting and writing. Sounds pretty commedable to us! Emily Ratajkowski and her son Sly / Image: Instagram/emrata
