Helen Mirren, you're wrong this time.

We don’t often take issue with the great Dame. But this week, we do.

Dame Helen Mirren. Exalted British actor, self-described feminist, and dropper of truth bombs.

The 70-year-old Hollywood veteran is one of the few A-listers who’s consistently called out sexism and ageism, and she’s espoused some powerful opinions on being child-free, sex appeal and relationships.

She’s earned her stripes not just as a revered on-screen performer, but as a sayer of truths so apt they should be compulsory reading (in particular, her statement that “for me, feminism is just f*cking obvious”.)

Her latest opinion, though, is not one of her strongest.

In case you missed it, Mirren declared on Sunday that it’s sexist for a guy to put his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder.

“It annoys me when I see men with an arm slung around their girlfriend’s shoulders,” Mirren said in an interview with The Daily Mail. “It’s like ownership.”

She continued: “Of course when you are young, you want the guy to take your hand and look after you. But when I see girls being leaned on, I want to say ‘Tell him to get his damned arm off your shoulder’.”

Deep breaths, people. We will get through this together.

In the great Dame’s defence, she was getting at a legitimate underlying point.

She was reminding us that women historically were the property of men, and that certain acts can be a reminder of that sexist dynamic. (That’s why some feminists have chosen not to have their fathers ‘give them away’ at the wedding or to take on their husband’s names — they’re breaking away from traditions that once upon a time, symbolised a woman’s subservience.)

Some Twitter reactions to the comments. Post continues after gallery: 

The problem was, she went too far with that analysis.

Because draping your arm around your girlfriend’s shoulders? That’s affection, pure and simple. It’s a form of snuggling while walking, and it’s a matter of physical practicalities.

Heck, my husband’s roughly the same height as me, so sometimes I drape my arm around his shoulders.

Mirren’s comments aren’t actually damaging for women in the way that so many public figures’ are (I’d rather hear Mirren speaking about gender politics than, say, Chris Brown).

But like Germaine Greer’s remarks on Julia Gillard’s bum, Mirren’s latest remarks doing nothing to help the feminist cause. In fact, rather than creating any actual change (is any man really going to stop embracing his girlfriend on the street after reading that interview?), her remark is likely to make people turn away from feminism.

It’s the sort of nitpicky, granular observations that make people think “calling out sexism? Not for me, thanks”.

Like walking into a lovely organic store to buy some apples, only to realise the shop also flogs anti-vaccination books — she’s gone a step too far this time, and it’s a mistake that’ll send young women running for the door.

So Helen Mirren, we’re not angry that you got it wrong this time.

But we are disappointed.

More Dame Mirren: