Jennifer Lawrence is my main stakeholder. As one of the most popular actresses of our time Lawrence pulls a lot of weight in popular culture. As a usually mild mannered girl her anger related to this subject shows how much she truly cares.
1. Who is the stakeholder?
Everybody knows a little something about Jennifer Lawrence. Be it her role as Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games” or her part in “Silver Linings Playbook” Lawrence is thought to be one of the most talented and famous actresses of our generation. Jennifer Lawrence was born in Louisville, Kentucky but she never fit in. As Lawrence grew up children picked on the lovely blue eyed, brown haired girl who never did well in school. Lawrence was “special” as she calls herself, she had A.D.D. as well as A.D.H.D. and was never able to focus in a classroom, when she turned 14 she convinced her mom to take her to New York for a shot at becoming a movie star. On the first day in New York a man, a modeling agent saw Lawrence and quickly scooped her up as he saw her raw talent. She soon climbed the ladder and moved from photos, to commercials, to motion pictures. Lawrence thrived in the acting world, her compulsive and emotional nature was now not considered a hindrance or oddity but instead was instrumental to her career. Lawrence’s goofy personality, beautiful long brown hair, bright blue eyes and Kentucky charm did her well and she soon obtained the role as Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games” series. In this movies Lawrence showed a range and talent that many actresses do not possess. Lawrence can sing, act, think, and maintain character in a way that is intoxicating for the viewer. Lawrence is now, 10 years after her move from Kentucky, an Oscar winning actress who still has her wits and charm about her.
2. 3 Specific Claims
1. She was paid less than her male counterparts.
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"...the lower profit participation paid to Lawrence, which was disclosed in the leak of stolen emails from Sony Pictures Entertainment last year, exposed how women are routinely paid less than men in Hollywood."
2. She does not ask for more money at the cost of seeming greedy, unladylike or rude.
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"I would be lying if I didn't say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight. I didn't want to seem "difficult" or "spoiled'."
3. Actresses deserve and can earn just as much as male actors.
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"Pratt will earn $12m for the film, while Lawrence will net $20m upfront or 30% of the film’s profits."
3. How Credible are these Claims?
1. Claim one is completely verified as it comes from the production company’s server directly. In this case Lawrence is not using emotions or logic but instead is basing her claim on information from a different, credible source: Sony.
2. This claim is inherently fueled by emotion. Lawrence makes this claim as she feels that this is the true reason for her low pay. She believes she is being taken advantage of because she is a woman. This claim is most likely biased because the quote is from Lawrence but is also valid because she knows herself best.
3. This claim feels obvious to me. I think that any levelheaded American would agree that both women and men should have the ability to earn the same amount as men. This claim is stated and backed up in all of the pro-equal wage articles.
4. How do these claims compare to the other stakeholders?
These claims agree with Bradley Cooper, a male co-star who has been advocating equal pay for his female co-stars. Sony has not spoken out on the issue but actions speak louder than words and the company has recently been offering Lawrence larger sums for her talent. Finally, Jeremy Renner. These claims do not match up with Renner. Renner believes that women who have been asking or complaining for more are greedy. Additionally Renner believes that women who are main characters but have less screen time that the male characters have no right to make as much as the men.
