#AskHerMore: Why The Questions Shouldn’t Stop at the Mani Cam
On the Oscars red carpet tonight, Supporting Actress nominee Patricia Arquette made a serious statement for the #AskHerMore campaign. Arquette told Ryan Seacrest that she didn’t have time to get a manicure for the “silly mani-cam business” because she spent the morning working on her community-led eco-sanitation charity, Give Love. She also brought her daughter and sister to the red carpet—cementing the idea that the Academy Awards are about more than designer gowns and perfect tresses.
The #AskHerMore campaign challenges red carpet commentators: “Don’t just ask about the dress. Ask about the woman wearing it.” The campaign was launched by The Representation Project, a non-profit dedicated to changing the way women are represented in the media, run by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a Stanford-grad activist and former first lady of San Francisco. Since its launch in February 2014, some of Hollywood’s top actresses are joining the movement: Earlier today, Reese Witherspoon posted an Instagram photo with the #AskHerMore hashtag. The caption read: “What would you ask your favorite actress at the Oscars? #askhermore” When she spoke to Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts on the red carpet tonight, she announced there were 44 female nominees and declared that “it’s hard being a woman in Hollywood or any industry.”
Leading Actor nominee Steve Carell wore #HeForShe cufflinks at the Academy Awards tonight, as confirmed by Emma Watson. (Photo: Instagram)
Seacrest appears to be well aware of the social media campaign. He asked Steve Carell, “Who designed your beard?” and the Leading Actor nominee responded in a stiff, faux-serious voice, “Well, I’m wearing Brunello Cucinelli.” He didn’t say this, but he was also wearing #HeForShe cufflinks to support gender equality, as confirmed by UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson on Instagram.
Of course, fashion’s most venerated voices have voiced their critiques of #AskHerMore’s initiative. Vanessa Friedman, The New York Times fashion director and critic Tweeted: “Sorry #AskHerMore, but the red carpet is a prison of actresses’ own making. They profited, literally, from it for a long time. #Oscars2015” Pulitzer Prize-winner and Washington Post fashion critic Robin Givhan Tweeted in support: “#askhermore frankly, I’d like to know who’s responsible for the incredible gowns that a village of artisans worked on for 100s of hours.”
However, the #AskHerMore campaign isn’t asking for the wardrobe questions to stop—it’s asking that questions don’t stop at the wardrobe. Lena Dunham Tweeted today, “Ask her about the causes she supports, not her support garments #oscars #AskHerMore: https://aol.it/1BuIvNj.” Maria Shriver added to the conversation, “My friend Nadine said red carpet reporters should change the line “What are you wearing?” to “What do you care about?” #AskHerMore.” And feminist icon Gloria Steinem Tweeted, “I want to hear the answers to @MAKERSwomen’s #Oscars red carpet questions: https://aol.it/1BuIvNj #AskHerMore.”
At the Screen Actors Guild Awards this year, leading women like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Julianne Moore refused to participate in E!’s mani-cam. In 2014, Elizabeth Moss flipped off the mani-cam—the camera switched just in time to censor the bird. And at the Grammys, Nicole Kidman responded to Seacrest’s question about what she was wearing with, “I don’t know what to say.” The movement’s founder Newsom, who was a professional actress, told The Hollywood Reporter, “The first question needs to be more about characters and roles, directors, supporting cast, their hobbies, interests, then you can ask a question about what they are wearing. It was never initially about what you were wearing.”
With two weeks to go until International Women’s Day on March 8th, some of the most visible women in the world are taking back the red carpet—and as much as we as beauty editors love the mani-cam, we love what the actresses are saying more.
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