During the Sony hack it came out that the female leads in David O. Russell’s American Hustle got paid significantly less than their male counterparts. Lawrence and Amy Adams had back end compensation of 7% each while Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner all got 9% a piece. The Sony hack revealed additional massive wage disparity between their scant female executives and male executives at the same level. Some celebrities used the data leaked in the Sony hack to their advantage. Charlize Theron demanded equal pay as Chris Hemsworth for revising her role in The Huntsman and she received it.
Amy Adams was asked to comment about her lower deal for Hustle and she refused to, steadfastly telling USA Today that “I am not going to add my voice to that conversation.” She also confirmed that she was booted from a scheduled appearance on The Today Show when she refused to field questions about the Sony hack. (Questions that incidentally were never posed to her male costars in their Today interviews around the same time.) Adams spoke to Hustle producers privately, explaining to the press that “I feel like I don’t have trouble standing up for myself.”
So far Jennifer Lawrence has not publicly commented on her inequitable Hustle deal, but that changed in a recent newsletter she did for Lena Dunham’s newsletter, Lenny. (Lenny, really?) Lawrence admitted that her issues are not “relatable,” but in fact I found myself relating to her quite a bit. She said that she never asked for more pay because she didn’t want to be characterized as difficult, which is something that happens to women when they exhibit behavior that’s totally acceptable for men.
It’s hard for me to speak about my experience as a working woman because I can safely say my problems aren’t exactly relatable. 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. 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).
But 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. 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.” This could be a young-person thing. It could be a personality thing. I’m sure it’s both. But this is an element of my personality that I’ve been working against for years, and based on the statistics, I don’t think I’m the only woman with this issue. Are we socially conditioned to behave this way? We’ve only been able to vote for what, 90 years? I’m seriously asking — my phone is on the counter and I’m on the couch, so a calculator is obviously out of the question. Could there still be a lingering habit of trying to express our opinions in a certain way that doesn’t “offend” or “scare” men?
A few weeks ago at work, I spoke my mind and gave my opinion in a clear and no-bullsh-t 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. I was so shocked because nothing that I said was personal, offensive, or, to be honest, wrong. All I hear and see all day are men speaking their opinions, and I give mine in the same exact manner, and you would have thought I had said something offensive.
I’m over trying to find the “adorable” way to state my opinion and still be likable! F*k that. 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. It’s just heard. Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves. If anything, I’m sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share. 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.
[From Lenny, received via email]
A similar situation happened to me in my career. I was a usability consultant and user interface designer for web-based applications. At the time I was working on an online banking website and was almost poached from that job by an advertising agency. (It was the height of the dot com era and it was so easy to find jobs.) My manager at the banking company told me that I was making less than the programmers, that my job was just as valuable, and that I should just ask for more money there instead of jumping ship. I did that and got a significant raise and it was much easier than I thought it would be. So I related to Lawrence’s issue. So many of us are afraid to ask for more money, but sometimes we don’t have all the information and don’t even know this is an option. We’ve also been conditioned and told repeatedly that we have to be “nice,” to “smile” and to conciliate instead of negotiate. It’s reassuring that this is changing, although it’s happening much slower than it should.
photo credit: WENN.com
The true victim in American Hustle was not Lawrence….it was Amy Adams .She was one of the lead characters and was less paid than Renner whereas he was a supporting character.
AND Lawrence starts to have a reputation about money negotiations.Yet with Joy,she was ready to drop the movie because of her salary
how much money does she need? she’s 25 and worth, what, $35 million including her Dior endorsement?
The money is there, whether or not it goes to her. Why not fight to be compensated on par with her male coworkers?
It doesn’t have anything to do with need. None of the people we’re talking about need that money. But there’s no reason she can’t be paid a comparable salary to her male counterparts, especially since she’s a bigger box office draw. There’s no reason Jeremy Renner should be making more money than she is. She’s a headliner in two huge money-making franchises, has one an Oscar, and been nominated for a second, etc. No offense to Renner, but he’s second to third banana on most of his projects, and when he’s been the lead, it hasn’t exactly lead to huge box office openings.
It’s not about needing. When ELizabeth Taylor was raked over the coals for taking 1M$ for the movie Cleopatra, she answered “If they’re dumb enough to offer why would I be dumb enough to refuse?” Why should JLaw get less than her male costars? They don’t “need” money either…
That’s not the point really. I have the same situation in my job (although the amounts are much lower, obviously). the salary is great, no problem, but I am paid less than male counterparts who have the same level of responsibility and are on the same part of the scale. So whatever the amount, it is the disparity that is unacceptable.
Sadly, I am still battling with my boss about it. But I won’t give up!
How much money does RDJ need but he still gets insane amount of money?
Exactly @michkabibbles
Missing the point by a mile.
@ZombieRick — No I didn’t miss the point. I was responding to the comment about not doing Joy because of the salary and I’m sure she’s the highest paid for this film.
I think all these big movie stars are overpaid and money grubbing. Especially when they then feel the need to shill for someone for even more money. People in Hollywood are ridiculously overpaid.
would you be asking how much a male star needs?
@meme LOL at your comments. You really just DON’T get it, do you?
Are you that clueless not to see what’s the point being made? It’s not about needing the money. RDJr, Bale, Cooper, DiCaprio, Damon, Renner don’t need the money either.
The men don’t need it, either, and they’re more likely to have longer lasting A-list careers due to the opportunities thrown their way. The more significant point is here is that it doesn’t matter how much money is being made because no matter how successful or accomplished women are, they’re still getting less than men. What we do both traditionally and/or non-traditionally is fundamentally less valuable to society than what men do. Are you starting to get some inkling here of how this creates a cascade effect from the top down?
As others have said, this isn’t about need. It’s about value. How much do they value you as a worker whether it is corporate America, Hollywood, or any other industry. They pay you based on how much they need YOU. Not the other way around. By paying any woman less than they pay a man, the employer is saying they don’t need the woman as much as a man. In Jennifer Lawrence’s case, that is clearly not true. But women have been so conditioned to believe we don’t have the RIGHT to ask for what we are worth. She is realizing she fell into that trap and she isn’t playing that game anymore. Good for her!!!!!!
Are you just as worried about how much money Christian Bale “needs”?
Would you want an employer paying you only what they think you need?
Not what your talents are actually worth. Not what you actually do need. Just whatever scraps they decide to give you, given they stay richer if they decide to pay you less.
It’s not about how much money she needs, its about equality, dammit.
Oh please……her and her first world problems…..go away already.
I have nothing against Jennifer Lawrence, but she has played the exact same character in every film. Winter’s Bone was her last decent performance.
Hunger Games, any young actress could have done that part and become just as famous. And the Russell films are getting OLD.
@Don’t kill me I’m French says
I think it was both of them that were effected, which is kind of the point as Sony was only undervaluing the women in the cast.
Those Sony emails revealed that Hustle was sold on Jennifer’s name solely. Every email around the marketing was MORE JENNIFER. She was the one who got TV Spot. All the trailers focused on her. The very first clip released from the film was of her, and it went viral. So she was a victim.
Bale, Adams and Renner might be Hollywood favorites, but they aren’t known for drawing big crowds outside of Comic Book films. Hustle made 200 million. SLP made over 200 million (another film sold on Jennifer’s hype).
And the only reason Jennifer Lawrence could sell a film was because of Hunger Games. She was not right for the character in Hustle, and I didn’t see anything special in Silver Linings Playbook. She needs to go back and do an indie film, that’s where she shines.
In every lawrence post there is someone mentioning the great injustices done to Adams, as if its Lawrence fault, Adams didn’t get top billing or the most money.
Stop pitting them up against each other. They are on the same team, making this a competition about two women rather then seeing the larger issues here is exactly what holds women back.
The fact is Lawrence is the most bankable movie star in the world right. she should the paid the same or more as equal or less bankable male stars.
As for who has a bigger part vs who gets paid the most money you can be sure this isn’t a case that only applies to Adams, Depp or RDJ get paid more than a less bankable male stars and its been that way for years.
Oh but Hollywood can only pay one woman her correct worth. Its in the Hollywood commandments, dont you know? Sit down Dont Kill me I’m French!
if American Hustle was made today,Lawrence and Cooper will deserve to be more paid than the others but 2 YEARS AGO Lawrence didn’t deserve to be more paid than Adams ( whereas she is only a supporting character) and Renner ( a supporting character) deserved to be less paid than Adams ( lead actress)
You are completely missing the point.
2 years ago Lawrence had won an oscar and Hunger Games had already had a massive opening at the box office. She was the critics darling AND a box office draw, which is golden.
Adams is a wonderful and respected actress but she has never been a big box office draw. Adams is getting payed less than Lawrence because Lawrence is considered more valuable at the box office. The same as a great actor like Ejifor will be payed less than RDJ, or Tom Cruise,even if his part is bigger.
What you are talking about is awarding people accordingly for the amount of work they do, that goes for men and women.
What this is about is women getting paid equal to men when they arguably are as commercially valuable as the men or more.
@Dont kill
What are you not understanding? Everybody on this thread is telling you that this isnt a Lawrence versus Adams trade off. The lead actress (adams) should have been at par with the male lead (bale). And the films draw, the woman who people actually came to see (Lawrence) should have been paid at par with the man people came to see (Cooper). And given that all three men went home with the same cheque, BOTH women should have taken home the same. Do you now get what is being said to you?
Male actors and directors leave films over salary all the time. No one is worth what they’re being paid, that’s not the point. If anything it tells me she really wanted to be in American Hustle and was a bit more “meh” on Joy and Passangers (both of which she went after big pay for). It’s her perrogative.
I’m hearing interesting whispers on Joy. Maybe not so great?
According to some whispers from the screen test, Joy is Lawrence’s best work since Winter…http://www.awardsdaily.com/2015/10/08/joy-hits-the-oscar-race-through-back-channels/
Careful of early screening tweets…which is what the article you linked to says…even Fantastic 4 got positive early screening tweets.
The most interesting thing I’ve heard is that she doesn’t want to campaign. I don’t have a problem with that (Fassbender didn’t and was still nominated). The studio won’t be happy if she doesn’t.
Amy adams isn’t a goofy down to earth normal actress though
And the movie was prompted around who? Who won major awards for it? Even on the emails they admited pushing the movie around her even though her role was smaller. She was THE actress of the moment, CF making ridiculous money at the boxoffice and she was the only one winning awards left and right for the movie. Amy payment was really unfair but so was Jen’s. You have to be clueless not to see that.
If the studios weren’t making a sh*t ton of profit, they wouldn’t pay the actors that much. The fact that they do pay them millions of dollars means that they can afford to pay them. This BS makes me so mad.
@Don’t kill me I’m French – You completely missed the point. It’s about the fairness in a workplace between men and women not the size of anyone’s salary. I absolutely love what she said and feel exactly the same: sick and tired about the double standards when speaking our mind about anything. I love being straightforward, honest and sometimes even blunt without being bitchy or nasty. Unfortunately that’s how all of that is often perceived only because I’m a woman. In contrast any man I have ever worked with after stating the same opinion is perceived as being a good strong leader.
+1
None of them “need” that much money, but the point is that people of one gender or race should not be making more money than people of another race or gender for the same work.
totally get what’s she saying and agree
+1
Yeah it was awesome, right?
Bonus points for being pretty funny in addition to truthful.
Kitten…I posted down thread of Joy’s comment below. Could you read my post re: work situation and let me know your thoughts? Thanks, darlin’!
I agree.
So many of us women can relate to what she’s saying. Let me give a recent example. There are some aesthetic changes being made around the office. I didn’t approve of the colour and told my boss so. The conversation went. Him: It’s looking good isn’t it?
Me: I don’t like the colour.
His response was to look miffed and say something to the effect of me being brutally frank. My assistant and I looked at each other and were like wtf? How was that brutal or harsh in anyway. I didn’t have stank face or anything. Was I suppose to smile and nod and commend him for his choice even though I thought it sucked?
I’m not into kissing ass or shoring up anyone’s fragile ego. Nor will I shy away from giving my opinion.
Love, love, what she had to say here.
That’s a seriously great essay.
Great read. I agree with everything she says, and it is a relatable essay. Even if the scale is entirely different, it’s hard to stand up for what you deserve. Why does it feel like asking our due is being “shrill”? Ugh.
She’s surprisingly insightful when she wants to be. More this, less fart jokes please Jlaw.
As if she wrote this herself.
Why would you think she didn’t?
Yeah I’m curious as to why you think somebody else would have written this?
It’s not a PR piece, this isn’t an “official statement” about a particular controversy. There is nothing particularly glossy or polished about this essay.
Because she simply doesn’t seem like someone who is insightful. it reminds me of the vaniyt fair article that came out after the nide pictures scandal. Half of it was eloquent and precise, and half of it was the nonsense she usually says. It was clear it wasn’t written by the same person. I think it’s the same here. Besides, there is no way she would say something about salaries and inequality without the aproval of her team.
I’m halfway with you Bae…
@bae
Do all celebrities hire someone to write their statement or are you just saying this about her because it doesn’t fit with how you see her?
At least she hired someone really good to coherently express her feminist views. Maybe Lena Dunham, Taylor swift and the rest should do the same…
I partially agree. I think someone helped her write this
I don’t think anyone brainless could pull off a career like hers at this age. And nobody can be as quickwitted in interviews if they’re stupid, either. She’s immature as all get-out, I agree, and growing up in Hollywood in her teens wouldn’t have aided her there, but she’s as capable of growing up as anyone else.
And if this were a publicist creation, I doubt that she would be calling out the very senior male executive who called Jolie a “brat” – even indirectly. Everyone will know who he is, and what she is saying about him here. She knows she has power in the industry now, and she is flexing it in a feminist direction. Not sure how anyone can believe she’s doing that for career reasons, really. It’s hardly a town that is known for kindness to women.
It’s possible that someone else could have wrote it, but if it sounds partially like her every day speech and partially more polished, then it’s also possible that she wrote it. A lot of people are like that when it comes to essays. They want to sound personal but also show that they know what they’re talking about.
I will say that as a woman who speaks the truth and doesn’t try to act like a sweetheart, MANY people find it shocking. I’m always polite, don’t curse, don’t raise my voice, etc. But I find that even telling the most basic simple truths like “hey some of the data in this report is incorrect, fix it and let me have another draft” will cause other women to cry their face off and men to complain about you being an overly assertive b***h. Because so many other women in business really try to be accommodating, when you’re a voice of dissention it can terrify people. So while I’ll never make a multi million dollar deal, I see where she’s coming from.
I’m with you completely on this….and for once, agree with J.Law ( I am not a fan of hers whatsoever)
I once, along with a male coworker, expressed our concern and frustration with a supplier that was not performing up to par. The next time the account manager for the supplier came to see us, he greeted me with a “how’s angry, emotional Layla doing?” and greeted the male coworker who stood along side me earlier with the same frustrations and concerns with a big grin and a solid hand shake.
Ugh. Been there so many times. At this point in my life I usually respond with a “I didn’t realize you were so weak and easily offended.” When thy get mad, I tell them they’re hysterical and overreacting.
Or the one guy I told “don’t be a stereotype, you’re not hot enough to pull it off.” And again, when he got mad, I told him he was hysterical and overreacting. Gets them every time.
I had another woman (through tears) say “this isn’t how adults talk to each other!” I told her that yes in fact it is. I told her what she wants is me to speak to her like a toddler, which I will not do.
@Joy, I wish more women in authority positions would embrace the straightforward, no-nonsense approach.
I don’t need A) another mother or B) a BFF. I just want my boss to be clear about their expectations, and specific with their feedback. If I make a mistake I’m not going to fall to pieces if you bring it to my attention, I’m going to do my best to quickly fix it. The only thing that’s going to upset me is if the feedback takes the form of a scolding, like I’m some wayward child that didn’t do their homework.
Too many times, my female bosses (some, not all) took those mistakes as a personal affront or proof that I was somehow inadequate. The male bosses would point out the error, have me fix it and we all moved on – no muss, no fuss. What’s up with that?
Being straightforward is fine. No one should be apologetic or hesitant to express a considered opinion, but women too often are. I include myself in that, although age and experience mean that I speak my mind more than I used to. And I think younger women moving to senior positions now are less inhibited and I applaud that. But I am struck by the staff member’s phrase, Joy, that this is not how adults talk to each other. I am of course not throwing any shade on you Joy, it’s a general observation that sometimes in the workplace managers speak to staff in a way and in a tone that they would not dream of doing in another context. Staff aren’t toddlers, but they aren’t school kids either. We are all adults. It’s all about mutual respect.
Right. There. With. You.
Agree 100%. This is true in academics, as well; it is nauseating how many incredibly bright women begin a classroom discussion or a meeting with all the qualifiers (“Well, perhaps if… or “I feel that…” ) – whilst the boys and men in the room begin their remarks in declarative tense and statements straight away.
Have found same phenomenon also plagues business meetings and brainstorming sessions… especially when it comes to creative arts and projects (and the infuriating thing about THAT is that it’s mostly creative… so mostly subjective anyway, no matter who is delivering an opinion or idea).
It is also interesting to notice body posture (as well as delivery) in these situations; at the next, make note of how many mens’ legs/knees are more open (even under the table), whose arms are wider (not crossed in front of them, not clasping their hands together, or whose elbows only vs. entire arms touch the table), and who lean forward to others and to the table in order to deliver their opinion in a voice that is not hesitant or appeasing in either volume or direct pronouns or sentence structure.
I’m in a weird spot right now at work. Essentially, we’ve had massive turn over in my department. 6 of 7 people have left within in the past 6 months. The few replacements we have found are all being trained by me, while I also handle incredibly important work that NEEDS to be done. Working OT every weekday, coming in weekends.
My boyfriend is telling me I need to negotiate for a higher salary, that I am doing the work of 3 people right now and even when we find replacements I will be the “go to” person for years until they are fully up to speed in the complexity of our business. I’m irreplaceable, which is true. My sister, who is an HR person, says that she thinks it would look bad if I “tried to take advantage” of the company while they are so vulnerable right now.
Another friend and I talked, and she said if I was a man no one would expect any different of me than to ask for more. As a woman, it will be received differently. I have them by the balls (BALLS!) but I don’t know how hard to squeeze. I am waiting to see if I get a special bonus for a project I am working on. That will happen or not in the next week and will affect how much I think I should ask for.
Anyone have thoughts on what I should do?
I can see both your boyfriends and sisters points of view on this one.
I would suggest that you wait for your next performance review (hopefully, you are in a company that does these) to bring up the points you have mentioned above. Go in to the review with your facts straight, the additional work load you have been carrying, reasons of how you have gone above and beyond you current job description, training the new team etc. and how you feel that you have stepped up to take on a larger managerial/mentor role as well as handling your existing workload etc. At this point, you ask for your companies feedback, if they agree with your assessments, are happy with how you have stepped up etc. then (if they don’t offer first, but if they do – STILL ASK IF THERE IS ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION) then, you ask if there is any room to discuss a salary raise or bonus given all that you have just discussed.
If however, your next review is in 10mths or your company does not do performance reviews/evaluations… I would ask your superior/manager if you could set up some time to discuss your evolving job description given the changes in the company so that a clear job description can be defined, so you can fully understand and successfully navigate your seemingly evolving role. This meeting allows for not only clarity (which you probably need given the recent team changes) but also gives you the opportunity to ask for more money in a more proactive (I’ve taken on more, but how can I more effectively do my job) rather than taking advantage (you guys are effed, give me money!) type way.
In any of these scenarios, I would set this time frame at around 3mths (max)… that way you have 3mths worth of documented work in this new environment backing you up to validate your salary increase requests.
When you go in to a boss to ask for more money, and they ask why and your answer is because “I’m doing more work”, it isn’t going to get you very far – it’s not a tangible, measurable quality … but when you can list the additional roles you are filling, hats you are wearing, accounts you are managing, training you’ve been leading, handling of increased workload, continuing to meet deadlines etc it is much harder for them to dismiss the request and you have a much larger bargaining chip in your hand!
#mytwocentsanyway 🙂
You should ABSOLUTELY ask for more money. 100%, no doubt, absolutelyabsolutelyabsolutely. Remember that it’s a company–not a person–who is paying out of its pocket. You have no reason to feel guilty about asking for adequate compensation for the work that you do.
There are two reasons why I think people are 100% entitled to ask for a raise (and there are many other reasons that warrant a raise but these are the two “no-brainers” for me):
1) If your job has changed and your work load has increased significantly, even more so if you are doing the job of multiple people thus saving your company $$, and:
2) If you make a lot of money for the company, particularly if you’re making more and more for them each year and your position is NOT commission-based.
You are NOT taking advantage, on the contrary they are taking advantage of you. They are using your willingness to work hard/long hours to save money and keep them afloat. You are ABSOLUTELY entitled to compensation for this.
You also have to ask yourself what the hell they would do if you left. They would likely LOSE money because they’d have all the unproductive downtime while waiting to fill your position and the extra time required to train that person, not to mention that there’s no guarantee that they’ll find a suitable/worthy replacement for you. It is VERY likely (really almost guaranteed) that it would be easier for them to just pay you more. This is NOT an unfair thing for you to ask for! I wish we were friends IRL (not internet land) and I would give you a pep talk.
Lastly, if you don’t feel comfortable asking, you can always send out your resume and hook a counter-offer. I had a co-worker who just lied (and I don’t suggest this) about getting a counter-offer and got my boss to match it. She is invaluable to the company and they were terrified of losing her, would pay anything to keep her.
But your BF is right- strike while the iron is hot. In fact, I bet that your boss is expecting you to walk into his/her office any day now and ask for a raise–probably surprised you haven’t asked yet.
Definitely ask for a raise. You’re not responsible for the position the company is in and you’re not taking advantage of them – you’re asking to be compensated for an increase in your workload.
You might not get exactly what you ask for but even in the worst case scenario they just say no – they won’t fire you or make you wear a sign that says “I am greedy”
Thank you all so much! It has really given me a lot to think about. 😀 Big hugs to you!
I am smart and opinionated, and call out BS when I see it, and I’m widely disliked. Meanwhile, I give every cent I have extra to dog rescuing, I make quilts for cancer patients and jewelry that I sell for charity. But I’m a b$$ch.
I hear ya. But I guess it’s possible to do nice things and be a bitch.
I too struggle with negotiations. I negotiated to get one more dollar an hour, not millions but I still relate to her essay. Now I have another potential job and I could probably negotiate a higher pay to keep me here, but I feel nervous about it.
In addition, my job requires physical strength and I feel like people think men are more of an asset.
NEVER be afraid to negotiate.
This is FOR SURE an issue that many woman have and a very real and documented reason why men, doing the same job, make more money. Men are NEVER AFRAID to ask for their worth, and in general rate their worth more highly than a woman in the same position/skill level etc do.
Once a job offer is on the table they can’t take it away from you because you come back and ask them if salary negotiations are possible. Companies will always low ball the payment terms in initial job offers expecting people to come back with a counter offer. However, they bank on people not counter negotiating. Don’t be ridiculous with your demands, and simply state why you are worth the additional salary/$ per hour. Simple, straight forward and professional. If more money is not on the table, think of negotiating more vacation days, every 3rd Friday off etc or at least get in writing that a re-evalutaion will be done in 3 or 6mths to review your work performance and your salary expectations.
Good luck!
“Men are NEVER AFRAID to ask for their worth”.
Not necessarily true. I’m a guy and my company has taken me on for a temporary contract. I’ve done an internship with them before and since leaving college two and a half years ago have only being able to find work in unpaid or barely paid internships.
As this is only temporary role and it’s my first paid role, I definitely feel uneasy about negotiating beyond the initial payment they offered me. As I’m being employed as a contractor, I really should be the one deciding on payment and number of hours. I’m going to have to pay a high rate of tax too but I guess it’s more money than I’ve ever had before. I don’t want to rock the boat when it’s taken this long to get paid work. I want to finish my contract and have a few extra savings by the time I’m finished.
While payment is undoubtedly a much more prominent issue among women; I think it’s important (as unwelcome as this opinion may be) that individual cis white heterosexual men are not simply all narrowed down to a statistic. We are not immune to struggles or above feeling uneasy about exposing our power.
I’m not trying to garner sympathy for all the poor men here (I know we, overall, have it easier than everyone else) but it’s not right to basically say we all have the same experience or can’t relate to some very individual issues faced by individual ‘minorities’.
In addition to what Layla said (which is spot-on), you have to fight for it, Isa.
Every year for the past 9 years, I’ve had to negotiate my bonus and raise with an incredibly intimidating and brutal old man. It’s still nerve-wracking but I come to the meeting prepared with my numbers and I do NOT back down. Advocating for yourself is a great skill to bring to any job and just remember that the worst they can say is no, you don’t have a chance if you don’t at least ask.
Its a great essay, and actually very relatable, pretty impressed with her.
Very insightful essay. I’m sure some of it did have to do with her age also, feeling like you don’t deserve to fight over an even bigger salary, and then the whole likeability factor plays a big part in it.
Someone who learned is Cameron Diaz as time went on. She negotiated great deals.
Love this girl! I wish I could tell her to also always remember that if you are female and you are breathing theres somebody with crap to say, like “shes breathing too loud. Shes breathing too fast. Why does she have to breathe”. Shut them out and focus on getting the most you can out of these short years. Remember not so long ago Demi Moore was the highest paid and critically acclaimed young actress on the planet, and now Hollywood wont take her calls. Drain their banks, girl.
Seeing women dismiss her argument because ‘Why does she need more money’ is so frustrating. Same thing can be said for Bale and Cooper and even Renner, that didn’t stop them from asking for and getting more money. I’m not a huge fan of J law’s antics in general but I can’t say I disagree with her on this particular argument.
Totally agree. She even says that she doesn’t need the money and that it is unrelatable if you look at the millions. It is absolutely sexist that she doesn’t get as much as her male co-stars. As is the case for all Hollywood actresses.
Does she need millions? No. Is it unfair that she gets less than males and should fight that? Yes.
The thing is, it’s such a high profile industry, and it’s the industry reflecting our society back at us. The message sent (and created, internally) when women are, quite literally, valued so starkly less impacts on all of us.
I really admire the women starting to make a noise about this. There are genuine risks to doing so, especially when (as with JLaw) a lot of her internal appeal seems to rely on her being charming and personable and reliably professional. As she says, a guy would be seen as fierce and tough, while she risks being labelled difficult and princessy.
Yes, it’s ridiculous for women to be judged on whether or not they “need” the money, vs being evaluated for the worth they are bringing to a project.
Earlier in my career I was in a situation that I was a strong performer – the go-to person for difficult projects, directing complex analysis and mentoring new hires in the department, and come review time, got a bit of a raise. But I found out after the fact that a man who was not as strong a performer, got a bigger raise because “he’s got a wife and kid at home and he needs the money”. My boss reasoned that I didn’t need as much because I was “just” a single woman. He didn’t know that I was contributing to the support of a disabled relative and very much could have used the extra money…I hadn’t offered that information because I was under the impression that he was managing a business, not a needs based charity.
If I was in that same situation today, I would push back that decision and negotiate to get paid more. But I was young and stupid and didn’t want to be seen as “not a team player”. Although the amounts are different, I can totally identify with the situation Lawrence describes. Good for her for making that statement. But I hope she has her own production company in the works so that she has more control over her future projects. Because while women should definitely negotiate for more and be paid what they’re worth, I’ve seen time and time again that men get rewarded for asking for more, while women get some negative push back down the line (reputation, less cooperation, etc)…not always, but there are some environments where it happens.
When the “nice girl” bonds are broken, the word “no” comes out a lot more. It comes out for all the times you couldn’t say it before, and it comes out loud. After a while, you own the word a bit more and it doesn’t need to be as loud. Godspeed to the women breaking out of the “nice girl” prison.
I want to take what you wrote and carve it on the side of a mountain. Preach sister.
This is the perfect comment. Yes to this
I think one way to combat the issue is for women to be blunt, not offensive or rude, but blunt in their work interactions.
The problem is work much like everything else in society has been conditioned towards men. This means that so long as women put a smile on their face and make sure octaves of their voice don’t go too high that men believe that’s just a standard mode of operation. As Jennifer and Amy proved that fixes nothing in the long run. If the belief is that a woman should ask only in the nicest way then a woman’s job is ultimately always easily sacrificed.
Because there’ll always be some woman who won’t mind smiling on cue for less money and the idea of women in the workplace gets a bit disposable.
Business inequality is alive and well, and has been since women were “accepted” in the workforce. We continue to talk about it, and it is always a main topic in the political arena. Obama ran on it, but yet WH female staffers make less than their male coworkers. Hollywood is run by Liberals, but yet there is no equality in pay. The “War on Women” is not a Conservative thing, as the Liberals would have you believe. It sits on both sides of the aisles!
I believe the same was true with Hillary’s staff when she was in the senate (the women making something like 70 percent of what the guys were paid). Now she actually has the nerve to run on income equality as an issue. Politicians are ridiculous.
….and if you watch the debate tonight, I promise one of the things Hillary mentions is, “the war on women” and how she is against it, blah, blah, blah. Walk the walk first, Hillary.
This is the first time I’ve ever liked her. Loved her, actually. I thought this essay was great, AND totally relatable. Not the money part, of course, but being treated like you’re being aggressive or hostile when you politely disagree, feeling afraid to be seen as difficult for asking for what you’re worth – all of it. I have had those problems all of my life with everyone from bosses to store clerks. I’m sorry it hasn’t gotten much better. I’m glad women her age are sick of it. Go Jennifer. And wash your hands, but great comments.
The part where the guy said “we’re in the same team” is enraging. Patronizing, to say the least. I’m happy to see how feminism is reaching young women. By the way, that’s why the “bitter, ugly, unwanted” feminist stereotype still stands nowadays, because apologizing or being nice to men are not a feminism’s goal.
Yup. My second favorite is, “hey, it’s not a competition!”
Best answer when they do this (and the “competition”) comment is to look concerned and say you’re sorry they are taking it so personally, it’s purely a professional observation. Do they need a moment? Turns their asshattery implications right back on them.
Had a somewhat similar experience in job interviewing in academia. All of my male counterparts had no trouble negotiating for a higher salary and start-up packages, and other requirements. I felt like I should just be grateful they were offering me the job and I didn’t want to rock the boat too much. All of my colleagues told me to ditch that way of thinking, but it was my first academic job. I quickly realized, as I slogged through the day to day, that administration didn’t care how much or how little they were paying me, they were going to work me just as hard and expect just as much as any of my other colleagues. Learned from that mistake and also learned how to negotiate…
I think it’s more- know your worth, and demand what you’re worth. Nobody will look out for you unless you do.
Is it just me or her smile creepy? Give me an Amen, please! I’m struggling with finding her physically attractive. Or likeable. Anyone over the age of 7 who admits to peeing in sinks and not washing up is on another level if starving for attention. But hey, it’s 2015! Maybe I’m old fashioned. Maybe peeing in a toilet and using soap are all 2014!
Off topic and diversionary.
Staying on topic isn’t as hard as you’re making it.
Her smile is paid less than men at the same level in the same industry. Jeremy Renner also has non-standard features for Hollywood, but because he presents himself as male, his unattractive features are paid more.
Her juvenile behavior is more criticized than her male counterparts in Hollywood. Ben gets to bang the nanny and move on. Charlie gets to have porn actresses around his kids and kick his kids out of their home. Cooper…gets to be quite an odd duck. Then they get paid.
If you insist on being superficial, please be superficial in a way that’s relevant to the issues at hand.
I have an opinion. Sorry, but I don’t think I should have to not say something because other people do not like it. I don’t need to find her attractive. And, I am allowed to say that. Also, I if the topic was about a man, Jeremy Renner or creepy looking Bradly cooper, I would say the same thing.
There is a picture of her smiling, I’m on topic by commenting on it. I have written many things about Ben, and other men. This is about her. So, no, I don’t agree that I have said anything wrong. I am not a fan of hers, and I won’t pretend to be to appease anyone. I think she vastly overrated.
Sure, you’re allowed to say whatever you like. And other people are entitled to comment, in their turn, on that lovely whooshing sound as the point flies right over your head.
No no , I got the point. Chose not to comment on her essay, although I do agree with her and think it was quite eloquent, but I find her grating and try hard. And what whooshing are you referring to? Is it the one where you are trying to be clever, but it didn’t land? Not sure.
This is a comment board, we are all entitled to opinions. That’s the point. I didn’t insult anyone on this board, and I really think it’s quite low for you to insult me. But, no worries. I will continue to state my opinion openly, and appreciate others opinions whether I agree or not. 🙂
You think you can lecture someone on the moral culpability of making personal insults (which I didn’t; I simply said, with absolute accuracy and alongside several other posters, that you missed the point here – which isn’t about the appearance/likeability of a single actress) while personally insulting them?
I guess your posts are at least consistent.
I find her obnoxious and try hard, but I do think she is really pretty.
I find her really obnoxious. I was a huge fan for a bit during the winters bone period of her career. And I was a huge fan of the Hunger Games. I just can’t with her anymore.
Stating your opinions openly has been a major subject of this thread Tacos and TV so you and everyone else are practising what’s bring preached!
Thank you! I appreciate this input. I am not trying to bash anyone or their opinions. I have mine and they have theirs. But I am also not going to get beaten up for having an opinion on an open forum. You’re the best Anne Tommy!!
@Celebitchy, who wrote: “I was a usability consultant and user interface designer for web-based applications.”
Oooh! Talk dirty to me. 🙂
Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman has to hold onto. Ladies, we have to demand equal pay EVERY TIME. It does not matter how wealthy Jennifer Lawrence already is. She and Amy Adams deserved equal pay.
Fantastic essay. And a lot more relatable than she thinks.
+1
the fact that she can say all this and some peoples response is ‘i find her smile creepy’ says it all. women are judged on how they look, not what they say. ridiculous.
This ^
She’s entirely right and I’m glad she’s talking about this.
Problem is, I believe women (not all, but a lot of them) are inherently less aggressive by nature than men. We love to find solutions without hostility and threats. We adapt and take others into account.
Men just go at it and want to dominate by nature.
I think a fair bit of that is socialization, though. We don’t teach women to be direct and assertive – we teach them to be accommodating and emotionally intuitive. Beyond that, we frequently punish both sexes for not acting according to how we define gender roles.
And really, teaching women to be submissive or emotionally intuitive may not even be a fundamentally BAD thing by nature if it wasn’t for the fact that patriarchy weaponizes that divide in order oppress or devalue their contributions.
All of this!
I agree. I think that A.Key is right about women having less aggression in general. It’s science. It’s hormonal. But we DO teach women that that’s the only way to be. I’m a ballsy, mouth-y woman who is fiercely independent and has always shied away from many conventional “girly” behaviors simply because it wasn’t my cup of tea. As such, throughout high-school and college, really un-cool guys who were threatened by me labelled me a lesbian. Which…wow. So many things to find wrong with that anyway. Stereotypes have some truth in them I guess, but when they’re used as blankets to categorize an entire race or sex and then use as an excuse for domination or oppression…uh uh.
I agree, we are different. But then she most certainly has someone – a man – who negotiates her salary for her, because he can do it better. Not to be a people pleaser for an actress is impossible. She wants to be liked, that’s why she became an actress in a first place.
Like her or not JLaw does sell tickets and that is what it is all about. Of course she should make more than a guy like Renner, who has been in some good movies, but has probably never sold a ticket in his life.
I’m starting to develop this theory that 9/11 derailed all this social progress that was set in motion in the 90s. Like if you go back to the early 90s (80s?) and look at pop culture, it’s all “Let’s talk about sex,” and “It don’t matter if you’re black or white” and all this openness. Everyone hated The Man, and the dot com era was all about geeks taking over the world.
Then 9/11 happens and it’s like everything just came to a screeching halt. For a hot second, Americans had an interest in these nutters who want to kill us–but that quickly got sucked into the vacuum of the WMD drama/Iraq invasion. Then it was just one big fat slap in the face to progression after another: Katrina. The financial crisis. The election of a black man to the presidency, which brought out both the screaming and the latent racists.
But now, feminism! Equal pay! Pretty much easy-to-get behind progressive issues that probably only emerged due to the economic recovery (srsly, there are studies of this. Economic contraction=flaming bigotry. Economic expansion=social democratic issues). I’m not counting gay marriage because a SCOTUS decision is somewhat arbitrary (it can follow the social climate or set it).
So I think that’s why we’re dealing with this now, instead of in 2002.
Susan Faludi’s Backlash was published in 1991, and it tracked an awful lot of regression from the 1970s in terms of media portrayals of women. Sadly, feminism’s always been a 3 steps forward, 2 steps backwards deal. But we are getting there. We will get there. We have to.
To me, it has nothing to do with whether she needs the money or not. As a woman who runs my own business, I have struggled with asking for more, too, but I found one piece of advice really helpful. The idea is that you’re responsible for charging what the market will bear and then, if you don’t need it all or want it all, you can give it away. But by charging too little, you actually hurt other people in the industry by perpetuating the issue.
I personally think Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale should all have had the same deal and that Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence should have gotten slightly less because their parts were smaller.
100 % agree with jennifer
This is spot on.
Jen hits a lot of great points
1. Women typically negotiate less and ask for less to start
2. It’s not about need as she says why shouldn’t she get what other actors are getting? This goes for whatever field you are in. For AH the marketing was pushed around her (DOR wrote the part for her as well) and she made less than Renner? Really?! No. Just because Adams doesn’t want to speak up and fight for herself doesn’t mean Jen shouldn’t. And it’s not a competition
3. Jen said something about stating her opinion got a reaction from a male working for her…a reaction that if she was a guy she wouldn’t have gotten. I agree
4. Just look at the Sony emails…actresses being called difficult over things males would never be raked over the coals for. Not playing nice and docile is something women need to learn to do (I personally took a seminar that covered this exact thing)
This essay was spot on. If Jennifer Lawrence can’t make the paycheck she earns and deserves than how can any of us manage?
Okay I’m really done with people that want to say it’s not a competition and bash Amy Adams for “not standing up for herself.” Vice verse im tired of people bashing jlaw for getting her paycheck and saying Adams was the one who was screwed over.
Adams isn’t dumb. She’s in a completely different age bracket than jlaw. She cannot say half this Sh-t so openly. Jlaw can she’s still on top and a desirable actress. I’m sure Amy has been told many times she’s replaceable. People want jlaw for her movies.
So people need to stop. They BOTH should go after what they want if they can and want to and all the people in charge shouldn’t discriminate against them because they’re women. That’s the point.
I said this down-thread. I’m for equal pay for women, and I’m for putting the stereotypes about women being “difficult” to rest. Women are just as difficult as men, depending on the personality. And that’s fine. But while many, many people on here wanted to believe that one woman was being discriminated against in those emails, it just wasn’t that way. Rudin is a massive egomaniac, but he didn’t say the things he said because Jolie is a woman. Trust me on that. And he was equally rude to several male counterparts in those emails. Some of the men were labelled as “difficult” too. And it’s because they’re simply difficult, as most people in hollywood are.
NO Rudin was pissed because he couldn’t get what he wanted and this “woman” had the power to get what she wanted. I’m still amazed that some people are so quick to give him an out for his behavior; all because he said something negative about this particular woman and they liked that he did.
I’m really sorry if I made his antics look excusable in any way. he was condescending and rude, and that’s not respectable behavior. I said in my original comment that I think he’s an egomaniac. But I don’t know that I agree with you that she was lambasted because she’s a woman or that this was a feminist issue. He said that the movie would have been a crappy movie with her in it, and that’s totally understandable. She seems like a person who cares about the causes she lobbies, but a great actress she is not. And he referred to her (rudely, albeit) being difficult to work with, as I myself have heard first-hand. In her emails she was totally professional and respectful, and in their emails back to her, they were the same. But as these hacks proved, behind the scenes, most people in hollywood are total narcissists and very, very mean. I’m going to fairly include her in the bunch. Everytime I’ve had respect for an actor or actress, I find out something I wish I hadn’t about what they really do and say behind closed doors. And are we surprised? They make millions of dollars and pay a literal army to do whatever they say. Then in turn, they’re praised in the media. It’s a crucible for narcissism. And finally, whether you or anyone like this…Rudin is a key player in hollywood and he’s (gulp) very talented at the work he does. He has more power than she does, but while she’s pretty mediocre at acting/directing, she has an amazing gift for getting good press. Truly gifted. And she’s a box-office draw. I’m a film snob so seeing her movies are a huge turnoff for me in particular, but she has millions of fans that would pay top dollar to watch her in commercials. That’s why her popularity reigns. So when you say it was a tantrum because he wanted to get his own way…yes. But when you say she had more power to get what she wanted or that she was simply rebuffed because she’s a powerful woman…no. Sexism continues to be a huge issue in hollywood, but saying that an actress wouldn’t be a good fit for a role or that the movie wouldn’t be artistic enough with her in it or that she’s difficult to work with (if all those things are true, and from what I understand they are), then I don’t think Sexism is to blame here. again, I don’t think what he said was nice or excusable, and I don’t think he’s a nice guy in general.
I’ve been saying this forever and I’m glad Lawrence sees this. People are so quick to call a woman the b-word for any thing while men are allowed complexity. Women do this to other women too. As Bette Davis said, when a woman asks for something she’s a b-word, a man asks for something and he’s a man.
Wow, I’ve never actually liked words from her mouth before. Perhaps she is more effective when writing, and having the chance to review and reflect upon what she’s saying?
In any case, well done and kudos to her.
Well, she’s 25 so it’s about time she said something smart, meaningful and insightful. I mean… her PR team wrote that quite well. Recently she’s really been on a low. Hanging out with kardashians, obnoxious “friendship” with Schumer, not washing her hands after peeing ans so on. She needed some good press and she succeeded- people like her again so congrats on your PR.
For real though. I can’t get past my dislike for her and her trying.
Good for Jlaw! I like her letter and agree with her points. I’ve also always been concerned about being likable, although I have found that concern to wane as I get older (another reason being in my 40s rocks!). I wonder if a lot of women find they’re less concerned with being cute or liked as they get older, which may be why we older women get bashed as being witches (another reason I like witches!). Of course, I say all this even as I struggle with forcefully ensuring at work that I’m getting paid the same amount as the man that’s comparable to me in our small office.
On that note, good luck @Snazzy and stay strong!
Actresses career are much shorter than the men in Hollywood. Once they reach 30, they stop getting offer as much roles in the top movies. The next generation of younger actresses take over. If Jennifer won’t agree to the salary offered another actress will. Studios have no problem replacing one actress over the other.
Even Angelina Jolie got paid less than Johnny Depp in the Tourist. She wanted 20 million but Sony reduced it and Depp got exactly 20 million and continues to get the pay he asks for no matter how much money he has lost for the studios in the past with certain films.
If an actress cost a studio like Disney over a hundred million dollar loss on a movie like Depp did. She wouldn’t receive an award from the same studio a few years later honoring her as a Disney legend. She would be lucky to still be making films and not be forced to find work in television. Actresses will never be treated the same.
that movie was a complete pile. honestly. but if Depp can get paid 20 million for an abysmal mess, then Jolie should get the same amount for appearing in the same mess.
@Careygloss
Actually, the poster Terry’s info is wrong. Jolie got her 20 mil and then some. Since it was ‘a pile,’ that grossed over 350 mil worldwide, and she had her 20 mil and a percentage. I’m sure you, of all the 90s tv sitcom actress fans, are happy to hear that. 🙂
@Caro: if Jolie got paid as much or more than Depp, then I’m glad. because I truly believe women should make the same amount as men do for performing the same jobs. and they should get paid more than any man if they perform the job better than their male counterparts. and yes, the movie was a pile. there are many films out there that make tons of money but aren’t in reality very good. and that’s one of them. the twilight and pirates’ franchises also come to mind. terrible acting, terrible scripts, etc. but they still make money. to me it’s more about whether the film is a gem. I don’t care how much money it makes if it’s a masterpiece. I know I sound pretentious, but I don’t care. quality over quantity. vision over commercialism. and I might be mis-reading you, but if you’re referring to me as a Jennifer Aniston fan and thus, obviously, unable to recognize anything good in the world as a result (good grief this is old. really?) then I have to disappoint you. Aniston is a very like-able person in hollywood and has a crap ton of friends. and that’s why she’s working. period. she had some promise in the beginning of her career, but instead of growing and trying new things, she pulled a Mathew McConaughey and did meaningless rom-coms recycled over and over. now, Matt managed to turn everything around, and with the right projects, I still think she could too. she’s got some talent in her, though her bad choices have made that questionable. I haven’t seen anything with her in it in years, apart from “cake” after it got all that buzz. and she lived up to it, as did others in the cast. the movie, on the other hand, was less than. Jolie is totally different. she works pretty tirelessly for her causes and has made very smart media choices. she gets very good press (don’t count the tabloids) and makes very good money per film. she puts butts in seats, time after time. as such, she’s been afforded some very covetable roles and directing opportunities in the last 10 years or so. and with them, even with a wonderful supporting cast and all the help a person could ask for, she hasn’t shown much talent. these are two different women in hollywood, and I want them to make the money they deserve and I hope for the best for both. but they aren’t the greatest actresses working today. I’d call both of them mediocre, and still relevant in hollywood for different reasons apart from their “talent”. time will tell, though. things can change for a person in hollywood on the turn of a dime.
Love it. Across the board it’s fantastic. People here are arguing about the wrong thing. Her AND Amy deserved to be paid equally to the guys and hey shouldn’t have to be afraid of negotiating because some jackass deems them difficult. That is NOT okay. And yes if the market is laying that much money. I say get it. it might be noble to say you should t be making this much because your job is silly (and yes I think the money they get paid for their work is dumb cough rdj cough). But it’s SHEER STUPIDITY to say you’re not going to take it if it’s offered. She should absolutely fight for what she’s worth and every actress should be allowed to do so without fear of losing their job. The guys never have to worry about that. And no one ever says the guys shouldn’t get paid.
Its hard seeing women tear down other women off of a reputation that was handed down to her. She didn’t ask to be labeled America’s Sweetheart – Media gave her that label. She’s a nice girl who clearly is smart and a business woman. Its clear she knows hers not talking about needing the money but standing up for what she’s worth. And if other women can’t relate to her you’d think they’d at least be able to relate to standing up for your value. She didn’t do it to put down anyone else in the film, just standing up for her part. It was a great insightful read, it showed Jlaw as self aware and fighting for equality that is felt by others in hollywood.
Hey Jenni – nobody thinks that about you except you, your handlers and your p.r. team. So check-mate.
So she highest actress in the world who made 52 mil for last year and paid 100 time MORE that 98% of hollywood actors -BOTH male and female, just got 20mil paycheck for Passengers (with btw 8 mil MORE than her male co-star got) BUT(!) still complaint about payment???????
The problem there that JLaw stand and fight only FOR HERSELF but its didnt help other actresses ( that has no power as Lawrence) at all. This essay looks like written by selfish person and is “ALL ABOUT ME” but not about PROBLEM OF INEQUALITY in hollywood. Really, how its help actresses like Carey Mulligan, Mia W, Elizabeth Olsen, ect…
Its surprises me how and WHY people didnt see that JLaw turn into average narcissistic egomaniac with false sence of superiority and power because the TRUTH is that she is NOT YET proofed that she can open movie ONLY ON HER NAME. The hunger games and X-men – are successful franchises on their own – any other talented actor play these roles, American Hustle is ENSEMBLE movie with FIVE fameuse actors, Silver Lining Playbook was awards wonder and darling – its buzz made box-office, not Lawrences or Coopers names, AND piece of art aka SERENA made whole 185K at box-office. SO FOR what exactly Jennifer demanding 20mil and complain after??? What if JOY (for which she got 15 mil) is NOT deliver at box-off??? Like its happens Meril Streep-Julia Roberts movie August: Osage County??? What is Passengers will become new Chaning Tatum-MilaKunis JUPITER …???
Unlike Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale who were fighting for others when they negotiated that extra paycheck for the equal amount of work on that film??
So she has:
-TENS of millions for The Hunger Games franchise
-millions for X-Men franchise
-15 mil for JOY
-20mil for Passengers
-15mil – for 3 year adverts contract with DIOR
and still complain about money… Really, HOW MUCH hungry and greedy this girl??? 90% of hollywood actors of both sexes – make 200k-1mil per year. With her unbelievable and unique luck and fortune she has no right to complain.
Oh for feck’s sake, she said right at the beginning of her essay that it wasn’t about “need” or “greed”. How many squillions of dollars did Bale make off the Batman franchise? Do you consider him hungry and greed for negotiating a better deal on American Hustle?
And she has every right to complain – whatever else you might say about her she is a huge box office draw and an Oscar winner. If those things don’t get her equitable pay, what hope is there for the rest of us who do have to constantly prove our worth and make a case for better compensation?
Oh my god..for the last time she’s not complaining about money–she’s complaining about men getting paid more than women for doing the same job.
JFC, do you know how to read?
It’s not about the lack of money, it’s about the lack of EQUALITY.
You think Bradley Cooper or Downey Jr or Christian Bale or Johnny Depp NEED those extra millions they’re getting simply because they were born with d*cks??
She is a proven box office draw and the most popular actor or actress around. Yes she deserves equal or Greater pay. Even if this essay was edited by someone else I 100% believe it is coming from her heart. Good for her. By speaking out for herself she IS speaking out for other women. Not a jlaw fan, but I can only applaud her here.
The naysayers are really missing the point.
LOL! Will see what she say about how much she deserves money when her movie JOY make in box-office as much as Amy Adams BIG EYES… And Passengers – The Tourist 2.0
Love her. That was a thoughtful, relatable argument made with just the right amount of self-awareness and humour.
Fight the good fight, Jennifer. I’m with ya.
“Could there still be a lingering habit of trying to express our opinions in a certain way that doesn’t “offend” or “scare” men?”
Meryl Streep needs to read this essay.
My issue with JLAWs essay is – why its not about “fair for all female actors” but “poor MEEEEEEE, I was underpaid!!! fairness FOR MEEEEEEEE”. Her post so effing SELF-ABSORBED that it’s kind of nauseating. Did she care at least for a second that Amy Adams was underpaid TOO??? Just like thousand others actresses who is not even got millions for as much talented quality work as Lawrences …?
Did we even read the same thing? What about the part where she said the blame for being underpaid rested mostly with her – because she was too afraid of being seen as a b*tch if she was a tough negotiator? How is trying to cry “poor meeee”?
There are two issues here – one is with the industry chronically underpaying actresses, which only happens because of the second issue- we as a gender tend to under-negotiate or under-value our own worth.
Just wonder if she worried about inequality when her then boyfriend Nicholas Hoult was paid 500K for second X-men franchise movie while Jlaw – 3 mil, just like Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy??
Guess, being the highest paid actress in hollywood not enough – she needs MORE than anyone else out of all… I can understand when actress that paid 200k for whole role talk about unfairness in painment BUT not from actress that made 50+ mil for year…
Can you imagine reaction if Anne Hathaway or Natalie Portman, or anyone else talk like that – they would be crucified in media and labeled greedy, hungry, arrogant and insatiable. Jlaw needs some reality check and being less hungry and more GRACE and grateful about her fortune.
I love everything about what she said. But just because I’m super picky: Angelina wasn’t being referred to as a “spoiled brat” because she’s a woman. I feel that the phenomena truly does exist and can be used against women whenever they’re strong or they voice their opinions, just as Lawrence stated. And I guess a threatened man may have interpreted Jolie’s responses that way? But I don’t see that. And from what I read, Jolie was being called a brat because of decades of nepotism and the fact that most people don’t find her talented, but feel compelled to cast her because she makes money at the box office (now THAT i don’t understand, I’ll say outright). I didn’t feel like that was a feminist issue at all. Rudin was expressing his disdain for wanting to work with her because he said the movie would basically be a vanity piece that isn’t all that artistically great. Which…pretty much sums up Jolie’s career as an actress. That I can believe. He hinted that she’s difficult to work with (which I’ve heard, personally, as I know people who work for her). And in the spirit of equality, if we can be willing to call a man out for being notoriously difficult, we need to be ok with calling out a woman for the same. Calling her a “brat” was rude and insensitive I suppose, just like calling a guy a “dick” is the counterpart to “brat”. It’s disrespectful. YES, both difficult and non-difficult women deserve the same pay as both difficult and non-difficult men, and the stereotype of the hysterical woman really needs to be put to bed. But I really don’t think Jolie was being discriminated against because she’s a woman, is what I’m trying to say.
Big old fat balls.
Again.. finding the way to make it somehow fine against Angelina.
Um. I’m not sure my reply will be worth the effort. first off @Camille:…balls? wha…? @Lisa2: I responded upthread to you. I don’t mean to make what Rudin did, or the type of person he generally is, excusable. truly! but if Rudin called Taylor Swift a talentless mean-girl…would he be correct, albeit rude? he’d still be an ass, but he’d still be right. I still think that getting bent out of shape about Jolie being a bad fit for the role, or the movie being a failure, is not a feminist issue. Jolie isn’t talented enough. as for her being difficult, I have to repeat that while I don’t think he was respectful, and HE is difficult himself, he isn’t wrong in this case. @Caro: I wrote to you also upthread, but now that I’ve read this post I really think I’ve wasted time. if you knew anything about me, you’d know that feminism and women’s issues are a big deal to me. I don’t see how any detractor or criticism of Jolie’s talent or reputation HAS to be about feminism, and I made that point clear.
Loved the essay!…Jennifer Lawrence kicks ass!!. #Goddess