Likeability v. Competence…as told by Jennifer Lawrence

The Washington Post (and other news media) reported on Tuesday that Jennifer Lawrence is speaking out about the wage gap she discovered after the Sony hacked emails were leaked…and is done worrying about being likeable.  As the Post outlined:

After hackers leaked thousands of e-mails from Sony Pictures bigwigs last year, Jennifer Lawrence, arguably America’s most marketable actress, learned she earned significantly less money than her male co-stars in 2013’s award-winning “American Hustle.”

Lawrence initially stayed silent as the release turbo-charged the debate over equal pay in Hollywood. But on Tuesday, she shared her reaction in an essay for Lenny, Lena Dunham’s new newsletter.

“Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves,” Lawrence wrote. “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.”

The e-mails confirmed her fears.

“Another leaked Sony email revealed a producer referring to a fellow lead actress in a negotiation as a ‘spoiled brat,’” she wrote. “For some reason, I just can’t picture someone saying that about a man.”

As the Post notes,

Lawrence, who made about $52 million in Forbes’s most recent 12-month count and became Hollywood’s most highly paid actress, acknowledges her struggle isn’t “relatable” to the average working woman. But the gender wage gap persists in virtually every occupation, ultra-prestigious and entry-level.  In 2014, women working full-time jobs made only 79 cents for every dollar earned by men, a difference of 21 percent. The disparities widen across racial lines: Black women made 64 cents and Hispanic women made 54 cents for every dollar earned by white men.  A recent report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research predicts U.S. women won’t reach pay parity with men until 2058.  Women in entertainment and media, roles with high visibility and social influence, take home about 85 percent of their male colleagues’ pay, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Hollywood, the mirror in which we reflect our cultural values, for better or worse, several actresses have condemned the inequity on principle. Amanda Seyfried told the Sunday Times in July she was once paid 10 percent of what her male co-star of equal fame received.  After blasting the wage gap during her Oscars acceptance speech, Patricia Arquette told David Letterman in March, “It’s just strange in 2015 that we’re living like we’re in 1915.”

A rare, high-profile flash of pay transparency, courtesy of the Sony hack, shows no woman is immune.  Andrew Gumpert, a Columbia Pictures executive, wrote to Sony heads in a 2013 e-mail about the “points,” or back-end compensation, that Lawrence and her co-stars would receive on “American Hustle,” which grossed more than $251 million worldwide.  Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner would earn 9 percent. Lawrence and Amy Adams, who’d received more Academy Award nominations than her male colleagues, would earn 7 percent.  Gumpert noted this was “unfair,” but the numbers never changed.

I have had many reactions since I read Jennifer’s letter ranging from anger to frustration to empathy to delight.  I am angered by the fact that she blames herself.  In fact, many young women are afraid to negotiate, justifiably worried about the backlash.  And I am empathetic because, of course, we all want to be liked, particularly by the people who determine our pay.  And I am  delighted that she has decided to get over it. [Tips for how to minimize backlash are outlined here.]

“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.”

Finally, I am also frustrated that when men see the unfair wage gap, they do nothing.  Structurally, there is only so much that “leaning in” will do.  Those in charge need to do better.  If you don’t want your daughter or your wife or your sister getting underpaid, then speak up and change it.  Bystanders, those who are in power who could change things and choose to do nothing, are perpetuating the system.  Let’s not pretend that they are less guilty than the woman who doesn’t even know she is being underpaid.  We can’t all wait for our salary to be leaked by hackers to confirm our worst fears.

7 thoughts on “Likeability v. Competence…as told by Jennifer Lawrence”

  1. The quest of gender equality in regards to equal pay has been an ongoing issue that we have been fighting since the Civil Rights Movement and continue to fight today. As women, we often times are afraid of the labels that come with being assertive and asking for equal treatment and pay in and outside the workplace. As a young executive and director of a local non-profit, I had to learn early on the art of negotiation and not being afraid of asking for what I felt was fair and right. Unfortunately, it didn’t always work in my favor and many times I got labeled the “young millennial” who was entitled and wanted all things today and not wait my turn or pay my dues. I also know that men my age have not always heard such descriptions for their assertiveness…on the contrary they are rewarded, praised and glorified for how much leadership they exude at such a young age. The double standards that are continually perpetuated in the media and in the world we live in will only continue to be fueled by our obsession with celebrities and the world they live in.

  2. This is a great piece and I’m really glad I was able to read it. Initially, I was shocked when I read this. Not because of the wage gap between males and females, but because someone in a position like Jennifer Lawrence would be nervous to negotiate. I believe this is a common theme for women. They choose not to negotiate as hard or push a little bit harder for what they want because they are afraid of not being liked. This is a very unfortunate thing. As a woman, going into the field of law, I am excited that I may be able to help women negotiate to get what they deserve. Hopefully, through education and more articles like the Lenny article, men will be more aware of this wage gap, women won’t feel as reluctant to negotiate and men won’t give any negative pushback to their efforts.

  3. Thank you for sharing this! I, too, can’t believe that someone who is so personable and well liked in the celebrity circle has the same reservations that other ‘normal’ women have. I find this is especially relevant in the legal arena, which is still male dominated today. While there are some great improvements in this area in the last several years, the same biases still appear with a strong woman advocating for her client both in negotiation and in court. It is tough to find a solution to this issue – women can become more effective negotiators overall, but society has to also change how they hear and interpret a woman’s presence and notice any filter or judgments they may have. I agree with your comment that it will take people in position of power (in this case, men) to step forward and point out this bias when it is occurring, so people can be more aware and take corrective steps moving forward. I hope this article brings comfort for other women in similar situations and gives them strength to stand up for what they believe they are entitled to.

  4. Thank for sharing your thoughts on Jennifer Lawrence’s letter. I share many of your reactions to her letter. As a law student, I had the opportunity to develop the skill of negotiation, including how to best communicate my opinions and needs through a variety of techniques. I am struck that someone as successful and talented as Jennifer Lawrence has not had the opportunity to develop these skills. I recognize that the wage gap exists and likely no amount of confidence and skill could solve the problem completely. I also believe that negotiation is a skill that can be taught and the confidence that comes from knowing how to negotiate can overcome the fears of being seen as a “spoiled brat” and help the counterpart see the validity of the position. The confidence that I have learned through negotiation is one of my most valued skills from law school. Unfortunately, I will likely be forced to address the wage gap throughout my career. I hope to join Jennifer Lawrence in recognizing the wage gap and I plan to use my negotiation skills to mitigate this reality.

  5. When I first read the Lenny article I was initially shocked to find that someone as powerful and outspoken as Jennifer Lawrence was afraid to negotiate herself a better deal. And yet I think the fear of coming off as a being “difficult” or a “spoiled brat” is a common fear among women, especially when they are advocating for themselves. While I’m not saying that men can’t also experience this fear, from my experiences, I think this element of wanting to be liked is much more common in women. What angers me most is that this fear is not unfounded. As the Lenny article states, the email hack revealed that a Sony producer referred to a lead actress as a spoiled brat. I, too, have a hard time picturing someone saying this about a man. In order to give women equal power at the bargaining table we need to break down these stereotypes. If women are to achieve equal pay we need those in positions of power to not sit idly by and continue to allow women to be paid less than men.

  6. Thank you for posting this! I find Jennifer Lawerence’s experience negotiating, or rather her fear of negotiating “too much”, is common among females. While I don’t necessarily have any examples that directly correlate to the gender wage gap issue, there is common fear among many of the young women I know that negotiating for their salary may come off as pushy and ungrateful. I do not post this comment suggeting that men never feel this way, however, it has been my recent experience that women in there mid-20’s currently working entry-level jobs in the private sector are not confident negotiating for an increase in compensation when they feel it is deserved. I recognize this fear may not be gender-based fear and may be an age based fear as well. Despite the motivations, I think the link’s suggestion to reframe negotiations to align with the stereotype you are fighting, whether it be a gender-based stereotype or an age-based stereotype, as other-oriented or as assisting a common goal to increase their confidence when they reach the bargaining table.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.