As Hollywood has been preparing for today’s Oscar celebrations, a hashtag encouraging reporters to stop asking sexist questions of female movie stars has been gaining traction.
The #AskHerMore hashtag was launched by The Representation Project late last year in response to the persistent trend of reporters only asking actresses about what they are wearing or what’s in their handbag.
It gained widespread attention around the Golden Globes earlier this year, and has returned to the fore in recent weeks ahead of today’s Academy Awards.
The campaign took off recently when comedian and actresses Amy Poehler used her online community Smart Girls to draw attention to it. She asked all of the women in Smart Girls to share the hashtag and provide reporters with some alternative questions they could ask actresses on the Oscars red carpet this year.
Among the suggestions were: What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken that you feel has paid off? What accomplishment are you most proud of? What potential do filmmakers and characters have to change the world?
“The red carpet is open and we want the media to #AskHerMore! Let’s go beyond ‘what are you wearing’ and ask better questions!” Poehler tweeted.
The campaign has also won support from acclaimed actress and producer Reese Witherspoon, who has recently begun her own fight to improve the treatment of women in Hollywood by producing films with strong, complex female characters driving the plot.
Witherspoon posted about the #AskHerMore campaign on social media over the weekend, writing: “This movement #AskHerMore… It’s meant to inspire reporters to ask creative questions on the red carpet. I love the Oscars AND fashion like many of you… But I’d also love to answer some of these questions.”
Members of the media have responded to the campaign, with entertainment reporters from Buzzfeed pledging they will #AskHerMore at the Oscars today.
“Even at these prestigious awards shows where we celebrate the highest artistic achievements in film and television, reporters tend to focus more on a woman’s appearance and what she is wearing than what she has accomplished,” said Jennifer Siebel Newsom, CEO and Founder of The Representation Project.
“It takes all of us to create change, and I encourage everyone to hold the media responsible for the culture it perpetuates, and #AskHerMore on the red carpet.”
The Academy itself has also come under fire in recent months for not adequately recognising the achievements of female stars.
Not one film nominated for Best Picture has a female protagonist. In fact, in all of the top 100 highest grossing filmslast year, only 12% had women driving the plot.
Women also made up only 30% of all speaking roles in those 100 highest grossing films.
Women are consistently underrepresented in producing, writing, directing and editing roles as well. The Academy was criticised for snubbing Selma director Ava DuVernay and Unbroken director Angelina Jolie in this year’s Oscar nominations.
Women have made up only 19% of all non-acting Oscar nominees since 2012.
Which other questions should the media ask Hollywood actresses on the red carpet today? Send us your suggestions.