Did Anyone Actually Read Lawrence's Wage Gap Article?

Jennifer Lawrence covered her mouth, shocked, hearing her name being called for an Oscar nomination. She then clumsily struggled up the steep stairs in her long, enveloping dress, tripping, and falling briefly. “I wished a random person happy birthday, and then, like, stumbled off. It was mortifying.” she provided in post, speaking in an interview (“Jennifer Lawrence on Falling” 00:01:40 - 00:01:48). Many are drawn to Jennifer Lawrence for being so human in comparison to other, more perfect in appearance, celebrities. Lawrence’s humility involves spouting inappropriate, yet truthful comments. For example, when asked what the process was like that day, coming to the Oscars, she could only come up with chaotic details, reluctantly confiding in the interviewer, “Sorry I had a shot before I came” (“Jennifer Lawrence talks” 00:00:50 - 00:00:55). The only information she provided about herself is unflattering. Having no partiality towards herself, Lawrence is perceived as honest.

When it comes to the widely controversial Jennifer Lawrence article on Hollywood wage, people overlook this honesty. They think that Lawrence is complaining that she doesn’t have enough money, but for her, that’s really not what the wage gap is about. Lawrence discusses how gender roles negatively affect womens’ freedom of speech, which made her unable to negotiate a contract properly, “I didn't get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself. I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early.” Lawrence dismisses the counter argument before it was ever introduced, addressing any reason she could be wrong. When she addresses both sides of the argument, it casts a wide net, and she makes her agenda more palatable to those who oppose it. She showed that it’s about gender roles, making it hard for her to negotiate properly in the first place. Once I learned the true purpose of this article, I realized how credible she really is.

Lawrence even presents her success as unusual to an audience she knows is below her financially, “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).” Lawrence is aware that she’s already in jeopardy of losing the credibility she’s built up by having problems that aren’t exactly relatable, so she acknowledges that the wealth she has accumulated isn’t what’s concerning. Instead of her unrelatable wealth becoming the subject in question, it becomes about the precedent. With the argument being about an idea, rather than actual number figures, she can keep the argument relatable with her audience, maintaining credibility.

Before I read Lawrence’s argument, I spotted her headline, “Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars?”. I prepared myself to hear the same bland argument about how a guy showed up on the spot and was paid more. Instead, I was surprised to learn about Hollywood’s gender roles, infringing upon her being inspired to negotiate tactfully as a man in her position would be much more inclined to do. She put more blame on herself than is even necessary, which leads me to wonder, with the way that people argued against this article, did anyone actually read Lawrence's article, or catch any of her persuasive rhetoric? Many made the argument that Lawrence doesn’t need more money, but if they actually read the article, then they would know that she agrees. Perhaps she was more persuasive than critics gave her credit for.

Works Cited

"Jennifer Lawrence Talks About Her Oscar Fall". CNN, 2018.

Lawrence, Jennifer. “Jennifer Lawrence: ‘Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co‑Stars?".” Lenny Letter, Lenny Letter, 4 Dec. 2017, www.lennyletter.com/story/jennifer-lawrence-why-do-i-make-less-than-my-male-costars.

“Six Steps To Establish Credibility.” CMOE, 6 Apr. 2009, cmoe.com/blog/six-steps-to-establish-credibility/.

Stern, Howard. Jennifer Lawrence On Falling At The Oscars … Twice (2018). Siriusxm, 2018.