Last week, at the start of the Berlin Film Festival, Meryl Streep said some ill-advised words. Meryl is heading up the Berlinale jury this year, and the jury is made up of all white artists. So when asked if the jury could stand to be a bit more diverse, Meryl first said: “This jury is evidence that at least women are included and in fact dominate this jury, and that’s an unusual situation in bodies of people who make decisions. So I think the Berlinale is ahead of the game.” Meaning that for Meryl, diversity means that a white woman gets work. Or more specifically, diversity = Meryl gets a job. Then when pressed about how she might not understand the films made by Arab or African directors because of her (limited) perspective, Meryl sniffed: “I’ve played a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures. There is a core of humanity that travels right through every culture, and after all we’re all from Africa originally. Berliners, we’re all Africans really.”
That kind of dismissiveness and non-intersectional white feminism is what we’ve come to expect from Meryl over the past several months. Well, Meryl sat down with students as part of her work at Berlinale, and she was asked some questions about sexism and diversity within Hollywood. She either was not asked about her “we’re all Africans really” statement (how is that possible?) or she simply made it a precondition of sitting down with the students that she wouldn’t be asked about the controversy. Here are some assorted quotes from her talk:
Whether sexism and racism has waned over the course of her career: “I think it’s moving in a very positive direction. I think you have to make noise to have room at the table, for people to move aside and let you pull your chair up to the conversation. But in our industry it will always depend on diversity in the boardroom. So all the talk about the lower levels of endeavor – if the decisions are only made by one group of people whose tastes will decide which kinds of films are made, then only certain kinds of films will be made.”
Who decides the stories: Streep lamented that it was hard to get “40 to 50-year-old white males to be interested in stories about their first wives or their mothers…They don’t feel invested in this journey and yet younger men are and that’s good.”
Ageing in Hollywood: “I always thought my career was over starting at 38 years of age. In those days I had no reason to think that I would work past 40. You could work to 40 and then you start playing hags and witches. That’s one reason I didn’t play a witch until Into the Woods (in 2014) – and I had been offered many. It’s that trough that women fall into when they’re no longer fertile or f–kable, whatever that word is.”
Whether she would ever try directing: “Some of my directors would say that I already have…But no, I think it’s two different muscles. I’m an actress. I don’t have to put on a puffy jacket at four in the morning and location scout. I’d rather die.”
But aren’t those 50-year-old white guys African too, Meryl?!? I thought we were ALL African? Anyway, there’s nothing really that I can pull out and say “here’s where she’s wrong.” I just think her perspective is very narrow. And that bugs me so much, but it’s something that I’ve come to realize about Meryl over the past few years: when Meryl talks about diversity, she’s talking about getting white women more roles because she wants Meryl Streep to get more parts. When Meryl talks about sexism, she just wants white dudes to greenlight more stories for Meryl Streep. When faced with tangible examples of the inequalities she’s part of – say, the all-white Berlinale jury – she’s dismissive and insular.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
How can someone who so effectively embodies other people and effectively communicates their struggle and pain, joy and triumph, have so little insight and empathy?
Because she never speaks for herself. She’s a canvas.
Very good question
I think the world that Streep lives in is so rarefied that she has no concept of what people who aren’t white middle aged (or older) actresses go through.
I see shade all through her responses. Ugh. Who knew Meryl was this clueless and unpleasant. She even comes off a bit K-stewish with her ‘blah blahing about what SHE would never ever do.’
So with the ‘witch thing,’ she slams, Cate, Angelina and Charlize all 40 yr olds who’ve recently played witches and broke the box office in 2 of 3 cases. …and really, you waited to play a witch because of people’s perceptions and what they might think? Who gives a rats arse? Witches are in most genres of literature, and pretty dang powerful and not necessarily older and/or ugly. That comment of hers reminded me of flakey actresses who whine that they have to be someone’s mother on screen. Like they’re 39 talking, but I’m too young!
With the director thing, she poo-poos female directors in puffy coats (Angelina was photo’d in her puffy coat a lot for In the Land of Blood & Honey). ..and by the way, that just makes her come across as lazy. ‘Two diff muscles,’ eh? ..and yet she implies she sly directs onset under the nose of her director. d which is it, Ms. CONTRADICTION.
Eh, I will never shade an actor for NOT overstepping their bounds and talents by getting into directing/singing/producing/whatever.
Some people are talented actors, and their experience in the industry gives them the insight and experience to become talented directors (like Angelina Jolie or Ben Affleck), BUT those people already have an innate sense of artistry and talent in those areas or they wouldn’t be able to do well in them.
I think the world would be a better place if people tried less to be all things in the entertainment industry. Then we wouldn’t have talentless models going into cinema or actors with no ear for music trying to become singers. Not saying there aren’t models who can act (Milla Jovivich is one) or actors who can’t sing (like Hugh Jackman), just that they’re pretty rare.
I think Meryl has done a lot for women in the industry and is still working regularly at her age. I admire her a lot and don’t have a problem with anything she said. The degree of political correctness nowadays in America is getting really scary. I thought America had free speech. Let people say what they want.
agree completely, she’s very ignorant.
I think this willful ignorance is a pretty common mindset though. Everyone wants privilege, and for a lot of people that means *over someone else.* For example, the vanity fair diverse women cover didn’t include any non-white or black women. I mean, a lot of them live in California, they’ve met Latinos.
I think it’s human nature to a degree, and I’m sure I’ve been guilty of it, but it’s still disappointing when it happens, whether it’s from a white, in demand actress, broke immigrant, or 70 male member of the academy.
Yes, we all originated from Africa millions upon millions of years ago. So what? That doesn’t mean our ethnicities did not change. I sometimes think of Darwin and weep.
Her ‘we are all african’ shtick and ‘I played characters from other cultures’ shtick is particularly grating when you realise that the only African based character she’s ever played was a white settler in colonial times.
That’s on a par with playing a plantation owner during slavery and that makes her an expert on slaves’ cultures.
LOL at this headline. I am always temporarily annoyed at her utterances because it shatters the image I have of her but in the end I still enjoy her as an actress. A wonderful African actress.
LOL I know right. Meryl Streep, African should be used in any future stories where she is mentioned.
Meryl Streep, African is her new name for sure. And now I want a comma type introduction!
LOL gives new life to her movie Out of Africa LOL.
It’s sad that she is so ignorant. She is in her 60’s i belive and has had more opportunities than most to travel the world and get informed on world issues and the struggles of people of color, and chooses to stay ignorant.
she’s just an actress, not an intellectual (however she might think she is). I’m tired of all these rich pampered out of touch people making comments about things they know nothing about.
Gasp! Shh Meryl!
Those old white men love you, don’t dare risk pissing them off now you beautiful Nubian Queen!
Hahahaha!!! Now I have an image of Meryl and Lupita chatting it up on African issues. The side eye would be so real.
At least she’s provided some insights on ageism, I had never thought of it that way before.
Still, I don’t think the white male power brokers are in their 40s and 50s. More like 50s and 60s.
I stupidly have some hope for Gen X men. As fathers, they seem way more likely to stand up for their daughters than the boomer generation ever did.
My thought was she was referring to the movie-going audience and that 40-50-year old white men aren’t interested in those stories but younger men are. And that’s all the doubtful benefit I’m willing to give her.
-TheRealPinky
She is speaking sense from her own perspective and hasn’t said anything offensive.
A brave older woman. I envy her. Go Meryl.
And she forgot to mention much of that interests comes by way of ‘cougar’ or ‘new lease of life (usually assisted by a man)’ tropes and rarely as women formed realistically as women in furthering age with note given to their past forming through having been once a teen, a 20-something, a 30-something…
Parts for older women are typically written as if one day they hit 40 and that became their story, in isolation of a past or much of a developing future. The focus still revolves around ‘age issues/problems/norms’ not women as independent people.
A man having a mid-life crisis is a figure of pathos in film but is still given a life and sympathy outside it. A woman having a point in life is typically only given scripting narrowly related to that point in life.
The tropes still sit heavy on the writing of womens’ roles, particularly as Meryl herself describes them “first wives, mothers” speaks loudly.
It may be odd to say, but, for all the often rotten acting and poor production, made for tv can/does write at times much better for women ‘of a certain age’ than Hollywood. But then there are more women work in tv.
I understand why she is focused on speaking about inequality for white middle-aged actresses, because that’s what she has personally experienced, but when asked about inequality based on racism and not just sexism, she shouldn’t act like it doesn’t exist. Puzzling.
As (arguably) the best actor of her generation, Meryl should know that it’s the writers who create the character with their words. Unfortunately, without a script, Streep is just another seemingly vapid celebrity. Take a seat, Meryl — you don’t know how lucky you’ve had it.
she needs to be quiet.
“I’d rather die” than location scout. There isn’t much I can say that about. Must be really hard.
Streep is talking about her experiences . Her perspective is going to be narrow. What do you want from her?
Right. It’s silly to expect actresses to speak on social issues as if they’re highly educated in said issues. It’s unfortunate the people with the biggest platforms to speak say dumb stuff all the time, but that’s life. Meryl is just looking out for #1.
Seriously. Even if she spouted every buzzword some people want to hear, she’d still get comments like “she’s so ignorant” or “I can’t wait til all the old white people die off”.
I can see why people like Robert DeNiro rarely do interviews.
I’m going to need Meryl to back away from the mic because every time she opens her mouth she ruins my opinion of her again and again
I feel like I’m ahead of the curve because I was calling for Meryl to take a seat as early as last year (?) after her “roles for middle age women” comments. I love the snark in the title, btw.
“it’s hard 40 to 50-year-old white males to be interested in stories about their first wives or their mothers” just drives me batty. She’s still just talking about roles for white women and how THAT’S the most important thing. How about stories about their neighbors who are black? Or the Indian kid that works at the local deli? Or the latina working 2 jobs and dreaming of making it as a real estate agent? Why are ALL of Meryl’s stories WHITE stories?
.. Because she’s white? Why is it her job to look out for everybody? She’s an actress, not a politician.
I’m very disappointed in her.
LOL, Kaiser.Just LOL!!!!!!
I can’t BELIEVE anyone who attended Yale is THIS ignorant; her outlook is both very shocking and very disappointing to me. (Dear God, please don’t let Susan Sarandon ever say anything like this; I don’t want another heroine to topple..) lastly, and feel free to edit this out if specifics aren’t allowed, KAiser, but I just finished a great book called “America’s Original Sin.: Racism” and it explains even if a white person isn’t a racist, he or she benefits from white privilege, and has a moral obligation to try to combat racism. She needs to read more, listen more, and get her head out of her derrière!
Assuming people who attend Ivy League universities are smarter than others is just as ignorant. Some of the most misogynistic, racist and ageist people I’ve EVER met went to prestigious universities. Serious reddit red pill attitudes I’m talking about. Just because someone attended one of these schools doesn’t meant they are intelligent or empathetic. Just privileged, hard working and have had more opportunities than most.