slate.com/culture: Changes are brewing in Hollywood. Movements like #OscarsSoWhite and #TimesUp have thrown down the gauntlet for broader representation in the entertainment industry, both on screen and off. Both A-listers and fans want to see the industry, which has been historically dominated by white men, employ more women and people of color. Frances McDormand voiced such a request during her Best Actress acceptance speech, which she concluded by saying, “I have two words to leave you with tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider.”
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This new movement of A-list stars adding this clause to their contracts is going to be, it seems, a highly influential and impactful way for spurring on change in higher-level big budget Hollywood productions. And while it seems that even ore controversial figures in this argument, like the titular Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, seem to be eager to help, it's only the much larger productions that are getting this kind of attention. For productions that don't have any star power behind them, even TV shows or films that may be highly lucrative, this rider will have very little impact. While it's incredibly important to do this, and it will definitely lead to more diverse and less harassing films and films sets, but there needs to be more smaller movements for people who don't necessarily have the clout of these actors and actresses so that change not only comes from the top, but begins at the middle and bottom, too.
An inclusion rider is a necessary first step to seeing the industry diversity, which is a much needed thing for the entertainment world. I like seeing that some of the people who are considered A-listers are adopting this which is propelling the inclusion rider into the mainstream, but I think it is kind of sad that it takes two men indorsing inclusion for inclusion to get its well deserved and well awaited move into the spotlight. One of my favorite parts of this article is, “taking on a more diverse cast and crew.” A lot of the article and coverage about inclusion and save workplaces have targeted the performers and the onscreen talent and sidelined the issues that the crew experiences as well. Sexual harassment and lack of diversity is a universal issue throughout the entertainment industry. So, to see that the concept of an inclusion rider includes the crew from the beginning is something that makes me happy and gives me hope for the diversity across the board in our industry.
I am actually stunned by the fact that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have made the decision to step into the inclusion rider agreement (as the article points out just a few of the ways the men have not necessarily been in the best light in regards to inclusivity), however I think this definitely promotes an idea that change is coming for the industry and I am glad they adopted the policy. I think the idea of this inclusion rider is so important and I hope it will be adopted by more A-list actors and actresses in their coming films. Off a similar perspective, I think it is equally important for these actors to not only advocate for their inclusion but also make strides to close the pay gap between males and their female counterparts and white stars and their counterparts of color, an idea rooted in Jessica Chastain’s advocacy for Octavia Spencer to get equal pay on a film they worked on together. I truly hope that this inclusion rider is only the beginning for meaningful changes in the seemingly stagnant industry.
To be completely honest, the first thing that stunned me about this article were the two names included in it: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. I have heard Matt Damon’s name tied reasonably often to his charity, but, honestly, those two don’t immediately strike me as champions of diversity, and this is reinforced by the details given in the article about both of their histories in the realm of promoting diversity. That being said, these are two powerful, white men who have stepped forward to help and make diversity and inclusion the norm. Something that I worry about in regards to this is that it is just one small step to create a diverse environment, but we need more than just some stars to ensure that a percentage is reached. We need to make sure that these working environments are actually inclusive and safe for everyone who is a part of them.
It is nice to see that film production companies are going this route and following through on Frances McDormand’s challenge to have inclusion riders in all of their productions going forward. However, considering the role that Damon and Affleck played in allowing Harvey Weinstein’s behavior to go on unabbetted they are going to have a lot more work to do. Given the fact that Damon called the NYT to speak positively about Weinstein’s supposed “pimp” and the fact that Affleck defended Weinstein in emails before the story broke in the New Yorker and the NY Times, these two are not exactly on the leading edge of activism for equality and safe spaces in the workplace. This will hopefully lead to companies taking a more public stand for having inclusion riders in their production agreements. It is nice to see two very powerful figures leading the way, but hopefully others will follow in the future. Companies should extend this movement by having these riders evaluated by independent companies to ensure that they are truly providing in the way that they should be.
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