Variety: On the eve of the SAG Awards, SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris acknowledges that the spotlight is shining particularly brightly on the union’s 160,000 members.
The Jan. 21 ceremonies at the Shrine Auditorium mark the first time the SAG Awards have an emcee, with Kristen Bell tapped to handle hosting duties at a show that will feature all female presenters. Carteris admits that those choices were quite deliberate at a time of profound change for women in the entertainment industry.
3 comments:
I think it's wonderful that Kristen Bell is the host for this event. It feels even more pertinent for a women to host and to have all female presenters after all of the allegations that have come up recently. There is clearly need for change not only in the film industry, but culturally and I’m glad that a Carteris is in a place to help lead the way. It’s also wonderful that more people are feeling empowered to report their what is happening to them. Hopefully we can hold people accountable and show that the entertainment industry will not tolerate this kind of behavior. I love that this article points out the wage gap. It is important to have this conversation about sexual harassment, but we can not forget that their are other forms of gender inequality such as the wage gap. Additionally, we can not forget that this is a fight for everyone, not just white women. Going forward, I hope that Carteris becomes a force change for everyone and that the change spreads far beyond the entertainment industry.
I have been familiar with the work of SAG-AFTRA and the work of Gabrielle Carteris for a very long time. It is highly fitting that this part of the movement is being fiercely spearheaded by the workings of her. I recently saw a TED talk where Carteris explained that often times on a movie set and actor has to perform the same action over and over agin until they get the right take. She talked about an example where she had to do an abusive scene where she was thrown down stairs and she had to do this scene until she was eventually hospitalized. That surpasses harassment and makes its way into abuse very quickly. These actions aren't uncommon in the industry, and it's not uncommon that a pain of a human being is ignored time and time again. The perfect way of creating an environment where actors are respected and directors respect actors is by sculpting award shows so that aggressors aren't awarded and the problems that exist are expressed to a mass audience and broadcasted on live television.
This is such a powerful statement of female power and the fight for equality. Given the horrific allegations against Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Louis CK, it is necessary now more than ever for women to fight for equality in their workplace. Even if women of extraordinary wealth and celebrity status are too scared to speak up against their mail oppressors, that demonstrates the need for pay equity and parity in all industries. The SAG president should be applauded for her valiant effort in fighting for this noble cause to bring about an crusade to allow women to be represented equally in all sectors of society. As the world around us evolves and changes, people in all professions need to be held accountable for their actions, and punishing, both in civil and criminal courts of law. In the entertainment industry, which is a small microcosm (but one that garners much attention), it is even more imperative that all people involved be above reproach in all of their encounters.
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