Jodie Foster, the renowned actress with a career spanning several decades, recently shared her views on Generation Z's work ethic in an interview with The Guardian. Foster, who has won two Academy Awards and has a starring role in the new HBO series "True Detective: Night Country," expressed her frustration with what she perceives as a lack of dedication among the younger generation in the workplace.
"They're really annoying, especially in the workplace. They're like, 'Nah, I'm not feeling it today, I'm gonna come in at 10:30 a.m.,' " said Foster, 61. "Or, like, in emails, I'll tell them, 'This is all grammatically incorrect — did you not check your spelling?' And they're like, 'Why would I do that, isn't that kind of limiting?' "
Foster is a mother to two sons belonging to Gen Z, Charles, and Kit, aged 25 and 22, respectively. She describes them as "super feminist" and attuned to gender equality, actively engaging with their female peers. However, Foster has had to navigate challenges in parenting, especially during their teenage years. She recounted instances where her sons' perceptions of masculinity were influenced by negative cultural stereotypes, leading to discussions about respect and appropriate behavior towards women.
When Charles was in high school, "He watched television and came to the conclusion, 'Oh, I just need to be an a—hole. I understand! I need to be s——- to women, and act like I'm a f—-er.' "
"And I was like, 'No! That's not what it is to be a man! That's what our culture has been selling you for all this time,' " Foster said, adding with a laugh, "I was like, 'You won't be talking to me like that.' "
Foster appeared at the 2024 Golden Globes on Sunday, where she presented an award and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress — Motion Picture for "Nyad." (The award went to Da'Vine Joy Randolph, for "The Holdovers").
