Jennifer Lawrence Pens Essay On Gender Gap And Sexism In Hollywood
Jennifer Lawrence isn’t really known as someone who frequently speaks up about feminism, she gets more attention for her funny red carpet moments, photobombs and, of course, films, but on feminism she’s self-admittedly stayed mum — that is until this past Tuesday when she wrote an essay expressing her anger over sexism in Hollywood.
While the Oscar-winner actress said she’s “remained ever-so-slightly quiet” on feminist issues because she does not like to participate in “conversations that feel like they’re trending,” she acknowledged that the only way to make change is by talking and J. Law was ready to speak out.
In an article on Lena Dunham’s site Lenny, Lawrence sounded off about being paid less than her male co-stars on “American Hustle,” and other double standards between men and women. She said she was, “over trying to find the ‘adorable’ way to state my opinion and still be likable!”
Lawrence said she only found how much less she was being paid when emails from Sony Pictures were hacked last November.
“When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks, I didn’t get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself,” Lawrence said. “I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early. I didn’t want to keep fighting over millions of dollars that, frankly, due to two franchises, I don’t need. (I told you it wasn’t relatable, don’t hate me).”
While the amount of money at stake may not have been relatable, her reasons for not pushing harder have circled through most women’s minds –it was about being likable. Many women worry about how they will come off to others and it can interfere with the way they have business conversations, Lawrence was no different.
“If I’m honest with myself, I would be lying if I didn’t say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight,” Lawrence said. “I didn’t want to seem ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled.’ At the time, that seemed like a fine idea, until I saw the payroll on the Internet and realized every man I was working with definitely didn’t worry about being ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled.'”
Her worries over how she was perceived in negotiations also got her thinking about the way people expect women to talk. She pointed out that when women are blunt or stern people treat them as though they are angry.
“A few weeks ago at work, I spoke my mind and gave my opinion in a clear and no-bullshit way; no aggression, just blunt. The man I was working with (actually, he was working for me) said, ‘Whoa! We’re all on the same team here!’ As if I was yelling at him,” she noted.
She then pointed out that men don’t have to think about how people will interpret the things they say.
“I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard,” Lawrence said.
In the end she acknowledged that she couldn’t be sure her experiences were due to sexism, but that she’s never really seen other men in her predicament either.
“Again, this might have NOTHING to do with my vagina, but I wasn’t completely wrong when another leaked Sony email revealed a producer referring to a fellow lead actress in a negotiation as a “spoiled brat.” For some reason, I just can’t picture someone saying that about a man.”
Neither could we J. Law, neither could we.
After the essay hit the internet by storm, many of her Hollywood peers commented in support of her stance.
O Jennifer Lawrence I love you so. X
— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) October 13, 2015
“I’m over trying to find the “adorable” way to state my opinion”.
— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) October 13, 2015
Yessssssss! Get it girl xx https://t.co/L3w0nNnqGQ
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) October 13, 2015
I love Jennifer Lawrence. http://t.co/x2jAbnUsmy
— Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) October 13, 2015
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