What to Know
Who knew that the Olsen twins would be teaching us life lessons decades after Full House ended? In a clip that resurfaced of an interview that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen did after they became adults, they share their simple rule when it comes to saying no. It’s something they grew up understanding and, it seems, it helped shape how they saw their careers as they got older.
Although the clip that resurfaced on TikTok is short and doesn’t offer more than a couple of sentences as an explanation, the “no is a full sentence” idea says a lot about consent in general, and it’s something the twins’ younger sister, actress Elizabeth Olsen, has talked about too. It might not be a lesson learned from Danny Tanner sitting in his living room with his daughters and that telltale violin music geared up, but hey, it’s pretty close to it for the world we live in.
The Olsen twins’ comment about “saying no” has a deeper meaning now.
@eolsensource My heart breaks for them #marykateandashley #olsentwins #elizabetholsen #fullhouse #fyp ♬ original sound – eolsensource
In the clip, the sisters are guests on a late night talk show. They share something they grew up believing thanks to their dad. Of course now, it has an even more impactful meaning but that’s probably why it resurfaced on TikTok.
“As we’ve e got older, we’ve always, you know, known that no is a full sentence,” one sister explains.
When the host asks what that means exactly, her sister chimes in with, “That means, you know, if you’re younger and you don’t work, you say no.”
For them, it meant being able to turn down roles and opportunities if they didn’t feel right. Mary-Kate and Ashley’s parents weren’t the nightmare mom-ager types from the ’80s and ’90s and it shows. And when the clip popped back up, the idea of “no” being a full sentence resonated with a ton of people.
“‘No’ is the end of a conversation, not the start of a negotiation,” someone commented.
“No is a full sentence 100%,” another person wrote. “You do not owe anyone any more of an explanation other than the word no.”
And just in case people are still unclear, a user added, “Meaning you don’t need a reason or an explanation, no is enough.”
“If someone doesn’t need an explanation when I say yes, then I don’t need to give an explanation when I say no!” Another person wrote.
All three sisters grew up with help from their parents with their respective careers. Their dad, David Olsen, helped make sure Mary-Kate and Ashley were given total control of their finances and company when they turned 18. He also, according to the Los Angeles Times, put more money than legally necessary in trusts for the girls during their long careers as children.
In 2000, David told the outlet, “They know they have financial advisors. They understand their money’s invested in stocks as well as the bank. I try to educate them that there’s a system in place that I want them to continue with when they get older. That is extremely important, especially before they turn 18.” Honestly, he is girl dad goals.
Elizabeth Olsen has said the same thing about her career and her roles.
Elizabeth found fame through Marvel movies and TV shows, and she made a name for herself in the entertainment industry years after her sisters quietly stepped back from the spotlight. But she has spoken about the “no is a full sentence” mantra. It means that you can say “no” without any further explanation, and it clearly stuck with all three sisters as they grew up.
When Elizabeth shared the family saying in an interview with Off Camera With Sam Jones on YouTube, she added, “I really like that, especially as a woman. You can just say ‘no,’ and I just really like that in all aspects of life.”
It’s another way to teach young kids about consent.
Clearly, saying “no” without needing to provide other details or information has a lot to do with ck sent. It’s hard not to see how relevant the saying is today, even if it started off as a way to make sure the Olsen twins didn’t take on roles that were of no interest to them or made them uncomfortable in any way.
Parents added their own thoughts in the comment section of the resurfaced Olsen twins clip, with one writing, “I’m teaching my children this. No is a full sentence and stop is a powerful word.”
“I’ve tried really hard to teach my sons this,” another parent added. “No and stop are full sentences.”
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