#AskHerMore: The movement that calls out reporters for asking female celebs sexist questions
Here’s the sitch. Red carpet events (The Grammys, Oscars, The Emmys, etc.) are notoriously known for shining a bright, loud light on celebrities —not just for their achievements, but also their overall presentation and exterior brand. While galas like the Emmys are created for the purpose of recognizing talent, that aspect often gets overshadowed by inquiries about designer labels, who designed that one-of-a-kind diamond necklace, translucent gowns polka-dotted with sapphires, who’s pregnant, who’s not pregnant, who ate what to lose how much weight —I mean, the derivative list of questions goes on and on and on, but maybe not anymore.
The Representation Project is an organization that is set out to change the way reporters treat celebrities (mainly how they treat female celebrities —you don’t see George Clooney being asked about his lunch or where he and his BFF went shopping last week) like they’re just mannequins wearing pretty dresses. For example, a reporter once asked, “a pregnant Hayden Panettiere if she planned on decorating her nursery all in pink. Meanwhile, [a reporter] asked Lena Dunham about her friendship with Taylor Swift and her change of color” (Mic). So they launched the #AskHerMore campaign on Twitter to not only illuminate how devoid of substance these types of questions are, but point out what reporters COULD and SHOULD be asking.
Instead of asking the sexist (and sometimes totally inappropriate) questions, “Who are you wearing,” or “How did you lose all that baby-weight,” reporters should be focusing on the celebrities’ projects, their favorite books, what inspires them, who are their heroes. Questions that TRULY reflect who that celebrity is, questions that treat that human like a. . .human.
The hashtag #AskHerMore is sweeping throughout Twitter and suggesting what reporters should ask, pointing out the problematic way we especially handle female celeb interviews, and highlighting what actors and musicians should really be recognized for. It’s powerful, it’s gutsy, it’s attention-grabbing, and it’s exactly what we need.
Images via , Twitter