Why Goldie Hawn Was Called "Dumb As A Fox" After Private Benjamin | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

such a big deal. when you did Private Benjamin that you. were a producer. It was very unusual. I didn't look ever at my career as. climbing the ladder. Mhm. I mean, I didn't I went I went through. anxiety. when they pulled me out of the chorus. and put me into a show because I wanted. to dance. I had preconceived ideas of what I was. going to do and thrilled about the. opportunity to be dancing in all kinds. of shows. I'm not that person who has the kind of.

ambition and what is me to prove to. anybody else. It was a practical decision to produce. that movie. Because we didn't need Reese. Witherspoon. We didn't need any great. big producer. We had an amazing script. You've got you know you've got. producers, you know, on your movie, you. know, they're counting the money, you. know, line producers and so forth. There are no argument about the film. It. was going to be great. We had a. relationship and I did with the head of. the studio.

And the end of the day is is practical. We didn't need to spend more money on. the budget. for a big producer that's going to take. a piece of the movie. I mean, this was a. business decision. It wasn't a decision that I'm going to. show them. It was really practical. So when this happened and we produced. the movie and we had wonderful writers. and it was it was a amazing experience. But on the other side, the next thing I. know. my agent or whatever my. PR.

got me on the cover of Newsweek. And on it it said Dumb as a Fox. And what that was was like a. I say a double-edged sword. Mhm. Because suddenly this person who was. perceived one way. is now suddenly producing. And that was a hell, that was like a. very cool thing. But then. directors, so forth, really felt like I. wanted to do my own thing. I ran my own.

show. Everything had to be the way I. wanted it to be. And that's where we get. into the glass ceiling, how the people. treat you, how they look at you, until. you make. another hit. I only looked at that. from a perspective of of of of of. looking at life. Girls were not It wasn't easy. for girls to say, "I can.". And there's a lot of. machinations. and adjustments to make when you do have.

an idea. Because if you do have an idea, it's. kind of like this and say, "Listen, I. got an idea. Why don't we do this?" No, it used to. have to be "Hey, you know what? I just had an idea.". Different reading, different world, not that quite the same anymore. But. back then, it was I mean, even Herb Ross. was another story who I knew My mother. knew since he was a little boy. I. asked him to do Protocol, to direct it,

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"Oh, good. You know, I'm going to. produce." The reason I started producing. after that is cuz I realized that. for for for this girl who landed from. Mars was not going to be asked to do. everything. Because it was a kind of a niche. It was. kind of a specialized thing. I wasn't. going to do, you know, um. Sophie's Choice, okay? I knew that there was specific things. that I would probably fit into. But I also had something to say.

about women, about who we are, about. things that are women's stories. that actually can. teach, that can make people feel elated, that can support that. Whether it's, you know, about a football. coach or, you know, whatever protocol, showing the lies in Washington, which I. wanted to do. And so, I was able to like. create from my heart, not just to feel like I got I won.

And and and that's who and. where I am. Yeah. as a person. You see it in politics all the time. Yeah. today. It's still going on where. uh if a. if a. male is in a certain role and they're. doing it, that's one thing. And then if. a woman is in this holds this exact same. office, uh people think. she's bossy. She just seems like they. have they put a different spin on it. There is still, I don't know if I want. to say latent misogyny, or maybe it's.

overt misogyny, but there's a thing. where. if you say, "No, I'd like to actually be. have some of the decisions." It's why. does Goldie have to run in everything? I'm hoping that's changing. I hope. Well, I I I think it I think it does, but there's a. a definitive um. shift. But, I have a theory. Now, I've. obviously I'm you know, working with. neuroscience and children in the. classrooms and things we can talk about. later, but I I.

after understanding more about the. brain, the male brain and the female. brain are so different. The female brain. can do eight things at once. They get done. They decide they're going to do this, they do it. They're busy, they fix. things, they whatever. They're fixers, or they they literally are. you know, basically. they these thought people who actually. we bring in. uh. understanding about how to fix it. The. male, I think, especially now, isn't doing as well as the women. Women.

are graduating college, they have jobs, they. the the boys are not doing as well. You know, this is a very interesting. shift right now. But, I think basically. there is a a bias in terms of. of women. Because when a woman gets mad, it's. scary. When a woman is feeling angry, or ranting, or off, that's that is not.

good, because men don't like it. They. don't they they they hate it. Yeah. And I I know whether it's a mother. thing, because you know mothers nurture, she's. this, she's that and the man's the. strong guy and he's the one who goes to. work and there's all kinds of images. going on but down deep. I asked that question. of how men actually feel emasculated. Mhm. with this which is a bad feeling.

Yeah. And and that's that's where we can get a. lot of the ubering over, you know. that kind of feeling when you're in in a. situation is fragility. It's so it's funny you say that because. I am. fragile. And. And that's all the time we have for. today. And. and emasculated. Uh that was a long time. ago. It was a farming accident. Um. I uh.

It's no it's just funny you you say that. because I I am not fearful of an angry. man. But when a woman is upset, I freeze up. I'm terrified of a of a woman being. upset. Not necessarily even angry but. it's fascinating to go back and I think. of course it has something to do with. mom. Of course it has something to do. with there's so much going on with us. and if we could get in there and. pull out the wiring a little bit and. look at it, we would. we would understand better but I know.

with with my wife it helps so much when. I was able to say to her years ago when. we were first married, when you get. upset about something, it's terrifying. for me and she said oh I didn't I didn't. know. Um and then we were able to figure that. out and then I started drinking. And and that really helped. That no it. helped a lot.