Justice

Patricia Arquette's Oscars Remarks Just Illustrated a Much Deeper Problem in Hollywood

February 23rd 2015

Patricia Arquette just raised an important point about equal pay for women in her Oscars' acceptance speech:

 

It's well known and widely cited that women earn 78 cents on the man's dollar. This statistic has been furiously debated, but as the Center for American Progress notes, the comparison "reflects gender differences in jobs, hours worked, years of experience, educational attainment, or personal choices that people make about their careers. Incorporating these significant factors is precisely what makes the number valuable."

But here's some new shocking data: according to a paper, “Age, Gender, and Compensation: A Study of Hollywood Movie Stars,” published by Irene E. De Pater, Timothy A. Judge, and Brent A. Scott in the Journal of Management Inquiry, women in Hollywood see their compensation increase until age 34, while men see the pay increase until age 51. It's the latest example of gender discrimination in the workforce.  As Pacific Standard reports, "part of the thinking behind the study was that an occupation like acting, in which men and women are doing the exact same thing in the exact same medium, provides an ideal opportunity to interrogate whether or not they are being compensated equally for their work."

After looking at the earnings of 168 male movie stars, and 97 female ones between 1968 and 2008, the researchers also conclude that at age 51 men's salaries level off, while women's decrease dramatically. This research comes on top of data revealing that 98% of films feature more male than female characters, as well as the fact that only 2 of 2014's top 25 earning Indie films were directed by women.  

Here are 12 ways to shut down people who oppose equal pay for equal work.

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