Why we're so over the Jennifer Lawrence backlash

19 Jan 2016

Right now, our admiration for Jennifer Lawrence should be at an all time high. She's just won her third Golden Globe, and been nominated for her second Oscar. Yet a backlash is brewing - after she called out a reporter for using his phone when she was speaking during a press conference, she's been described as "rude", "entitled" and obnoxious.

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Anne Hathaway has leaped to her defence, taking to Facebook to write, "Let's not continue the sad but common practice of building people - especially women - up just to viciously tear them down when we perceive them to have misstepped." Hathaway is appealing to all of us to see Lawrence as a working human being, and to remember that one mistake shouldn't change the way we see her career. She's also reminding us that we're a lot quicker to come down on women who make small mistakes than men who make big ones.

Likeability is a kind of currency, and for women, it's index linked to our success. Weirdly, the more rubbish we pretend to be, the more popular we become. If we're seen being good at things, or putting ourselves first, the world's opinion of us is low (in order to compensate for the fact that we must be toffee-nosed cows). But some women manage to work the system by emphasising their weak points and vulnerabilities.

[pullquote]We're a lot quicker to come down on women who make small mistakes than men who make big onesId¬vwzhd]

<p class=p1>Jennifer Lawrence is the perfect case in point. She's

one of the most talented actors alive, but over the last couple of

years it's her loveable flaws that have made headlines. She falls

over and enjoys burgers! At last, it's a movie star who is just
like me
! we cried. Collectively like Lawrence when she

behaves like an accidental star, but as soon as she demands to be

listened to, we get angry. How dare she speak up? Who is she for

calling anyone out for not paying attention?

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<p class=p1>

Hathaway has been in a similar position. She was beloved for her role in 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, but a 2012 Buzzfeed community post describes her as "the most hated woman in Hollywood" because she's "too perfect" and has "too many teeth". We demanded to see more of her, and then we were quick to complain when we got what we wanted.

In the mid nineties, Gwyneth Paltrow was appearing in critically acclaimed films, and universally adored - now she's become a punchline to a bad joke about kale because she runs her own website and has an opinionated online presence. Serena Williams, one of the most talented sportswomen in the world, is also on the receiving end of a backlash that grows with every controversial opinion she expresses. This simply doesn't happen to her male colleagues.

Jennifer Lawrence might occasionally behave in ways that we wouldn't endorse or approve of. But she's a celebrity, not a saint. Her job is to act, and to convince us that she's someone else. She's incredibly good at it.

Think about your own job, and the last time someone was dismissive of it, or made it harder to do because they weren't taking you seriously. Did you confront them and risk making them angry? Or did you bite your lip to avoid any ensuing conflict?

Demanding respect and taking a stand is bold, and terrifying, but there might be a brilliant pay off. Do we want to be as loved as J-Law was at the beginning of 2015, or do we want to be as successful at our jobs as she is at hers right now? If we want the latter, maybe it's time to stop trying to make friends.