After the Sony hack revealed that movie star Jennifer Lawrence made substantially less than male actors, she didn't get mad at Sony.
She got mad at herself for failing to close the million-dollar gap. Wanting to be liked prevented her from making negotiations, she shares in the first edition of Lenny Letter, the new newsletter from Lena Dunham.
"Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves," Lawrence writes.
"If anything, I’m sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share," she said.
Lenny Letter, created by Lena Dunham with "Girls" showrunner Jenni Konner, publishes essays about feminism, style, health, and politics.
In the first edition, Lawrence asks why men make more than women for doing the same job. She says women want to make a good impression and don't put up a Hunger Games fight for the salary they deserve.
In order to avoid offending anyone, she says she expresses her opinions in a non-threatening way.
She's not alone.
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Research says that:
• Over their careers, women lose as much as half a million dollars if they fail to negotiate their starting salary.
• Another study of graduating MBA students found that only one-eighth of the women negotiated their job offers, compared to half of the men.
• Other researchers have investigated why, and the answer comes down to how women are treated in negotiations.
• Other famous ladies, including Nicki Minaj, Sarah Silverman, and Emma Watson, have also spoke out about gender inequality.
J. Law makes it clear that gender inequality isn't just about casual sexism. It's about feeling the need to maintain an easygoing and charming image in an industry where image matters most.
"I don't think I've ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard," she says. "It's just heard."
She, like the majority of working women, are over it.
