I’m in love. WITH THIS COAT. This coat is amazing, right? It’s Armani. It looks like Game of Thrones-meets-Star Trek. I don’t even want to look up the price. Don’t even tell me, I’m sure it’s thousands of dollars. Anyway, Cate Blanchett covers the new issue of Harper’s Bazaar Australia. It’s a great cover because A) Cate actually looks like herself and not some Elizabeth Banks fem-bot, B) the coat and C) Cate looks sassy. In the Bazaar interview, Cate talks a bit about the #AskHerMore campaign, which was introduced during this past awards season. I’ll rant about it after we read Cate’s thoughts:
Cate on the way the red carpet has changed: “Since I’ve been struttin’ the red carpet, things have changed a lot. The way women are asked about those red-carpet moments. Oh my God. It’s just a dress! People forget the fact that women are up there [at the Academy Awards] because they’ve given extraordinary performances. It’s a wonderful excuse to dress up and have F.U.N. But let’s not forget the work.”
On E!’s now-defunct mani-cam: “Next it will be, ‘What brand tampon are you wearing? How much more intimate can they get? ‘Show us your knickers’? There is a line.”
[From Bazaar Australia via TooFab]
I ranted about #AskHerMore during the Oscars recap this year and I’ll do it again here. I think it’s fine for a woman on the red carpet to refuse to answer certain questions or to hit back and say “Are you asking the men the same thing?” Do some red carpet interviewers cross the line into sexism? Sure. It’s not acceptable to ask an actress to “twirl”. But having watched the red carpet shows recreationally and professionally for years, I tend to think most of the red carpet interviewers are just trying to create interesting, watchable moments in between ID-ing the dresses. Most will just get the dress ID out of the way quickly (and believe me, the actresses are trained at this point to list all of their IDs at the top of the interview) and then ask some fun questions.
I also think that the Oscars are a HUGE international deal that can make or break designers, and millions of dollars are on the line every time an actress walks on a red carpet that significant. Most of those actresses are wearing borrowed clothes and borrowed jewelry too – part of the now-standard give-and-take system, where the celebrities get to keep or borrow thousands of dollars’ worth of clothes and jewelry because it’s worth millions’ in advertising for the designers/jewelers when the actress says “This dress is Armani, the jewels are Neil Lane.” If you don’t want to be part of that, fine. No one is forcing you to walk the red carpet!
Oh, and having watched hundreds of hours of red carpet coverage, let me tell you: there’s nothing that ruins a fun night more than an actor who wants to give a ten-minute lecture on their “process” in the middle of the red carpet. The red carpet is not Inside the Actor’s Studio. Lighten up and have some fun. But I take Cate’s point. The next time she comes onto the red carpet and says her gown is Galliano (like at the Oscars this year), ask her about Galliano’s hate speech conviction and whether wearing his clothing is her way of implicitly aligning herself with anti-Semitic hate speech. Then ask her about Woody Allen and the accusations made by Dylan Farrow. I mean, she wants to talk about something deeper, so let’s go deeper.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Bazaar Australia.
I really don’t care what anyone (man or woman) has to say on the red carpet, especially at the Oscars. What are they going to say that they haven’t said a million times during the press tour? And variations of “it’s an honor to be nominated”.. Blah blah.
Don’t care. Don’t care. I want to see beautiful dresses and sharp suits.
I know I’m not the only one who tapes the red carpet so I can fast forward to the fashion lol
I find myself somewhere in the middle on this issue, but I agree with Kaiser overall. Prior to the Oscars, we are typically inundated with trailers, Oscar campaigns, and endless press junkets—not to mention the sit-down interviews with CNN, Today Show, Tonight Show, et al as well as the typical magazine covers that coincide with the Oscar campaigns. By the time we reach the red carpet, we have typically known for months all there is that could be known about the actor/actress, role, back story, and why the nominated role is so notable.
I believe the reason that many aren’t “asked more” is because the red carpet is a rushed excursion from the limo to the inside of the auditorium with people in front and behind waiting to enter and take their seat. There really isn’t a lot of time for expanded exposition or in-depth conversation. As a result, the conversation is usually kept light and brief with a congratulatory/complimentary parting.
With all of the above being said, I love Cate Blanchett. Perhaps she considers some of the conversation to be on the demeaning side, and, honestly, some of it can be. At the same time, she should recognize that the nature of the red carpet doesn’t exactly lend itself to a meaningful exchange either.
As a side note, the cover of the magazine here is interesting, but I don’t think it does Cate any justice. The sweep of the hair unintentionally makes her cheeks standout as if she just had some fillers injected a la Madonna.
I agree, although I did chuckle at the tampon line. I could actually see the people at the E! network going that far.
I don’t fast forward the red carpet segment but I get what you mean. That said I’m not a regular red carpet watcher; much prefer to look at the pictures of the dresses and if I do fancy a particular dress I may look it up on YouTube to see how it moves, etc. It’s more efficient that way. Red carpet interviews are usually rushed and vapid and I can’t stand the fake smiles and OTT ooh-ing and aah-ing.
P.S. The manicam is beyond dumb.
I completely agree that men don’t get asked a lot of the vapid questions women do get asked.. I find the mani-can and twirling to be beyond stupid, however.. The red carpet is 100% for the fashion. Nothing wrong with asking women and men what brand their dress or tux is. Us, the consumer, want to know.
But the mani cam shows off the rings. What is the problem with the mani cam?
And i’ve only watched E! rc coverage and they ask men and women the same things, like who are they wearing and even the mani cam.
I don’t think anyone wants to show the “flaws” on their hands — you can see the true age on the hands.
If I’m not mistaken, Seacrest ‘invented’ the mani cam when nail art was very popular. Which makes sense, you got someone working hard on your nails the least you could do is show it. Now, I don’t understand why they have to show everyone’s hands.
Well, especially since the designers made the dresses for them for FREE in exchange for saying the designer’s name on the red carpet! And the only reason they ever asked women to turn around, is because dresses are much more elaborate and have details on the front and back and from top to bottom. When tuxes have trains and are backless, etc. then I guess they’d ask men to turn. I don’t think showing off your manicure (they’ve become very elaborate these days) is the same as a tampon, but whatever.
Men wear tuxedos and usually no jewls. I mean, there isn’y much to ask in terms of fashion, right? I like her but she is being a bit of an hypocrite. Unless she buys or makes her own “no brand” dresses and has nothing to talk about or share fashion wise I don’t get it. If the actors and actresses are smart they can do the promotion quickly and classy without let it being diminishing but it’s not really the place to talk about big things.
Since when have the Oscars been about great art?
Let that dream die, Blanchett. It’s a PR hustle and the talent wears a series of lovely gowns to a series of PR events, culminating with the ceremony itself.
I’m a retired teacher in the Midwest. If I know all this, everyone does.
Exactly. Its escapism for one flipping night.
As it is the Oscar speeches are starting to become rallies or podiums for pontification. Tiresome
A bit of froth of what is essentially a night of entertainment is no biggie IMO.
Oscar speeches have been rallies for pontification for decades. There are actually fewer protests or political speeches than in the past. The Oscars had taken to banning people for while where the person had a record of using their podium speech to protest eg Suzan Saradon and Tim Robbins were banned for some years after protesting the US govt’s policy regarding HIV positive Haitian refugees being sent to Guantanamo (this was long before it was used for terrorists).
And the protests these days are tame compared to the past eg people have protested on behalf of Native Americans (Marlon Brando), Tibet (Richard Gere), the Vietnam war ( Bert Schnieder), Elia Kazan’s honoree Oscar considering his role in black-listing Hollywood people during the McCathy Era (Ed Harris), the Iraq War (Michael Moore)
On point as usual LAK! Who can’t forget Vanessa Redgrave Oscar speech? That was the height of it and make me wish Glenda Jackson in her parliament mode had won her two oscars nowadays (imagine the possibilities!). And the Elia Kazan honorary Oscar is something you can’t analyze till death: you have some people like Harris mad, others like Steven Spielberg undecided if just clap or also make an standing ovation, and others like Martin Scorcese (who gave Kazan the prize) supporting a fragile Kazan. That ceremony was the best: we had crazy Roberto Benigni jumping, Legend Gwyneth “and my friend Cate Blanchett” Paltrow crying, Whoopy Goldberg Elizabethan opening number, god that show was one for the ages.
@LAK –
I know that. I’m aware of the history.
The difference then was that it was a case of maybe one or two winners, making a political self satisfied declaration, to pull back form any impression that they are shallow and they’re representing something deeper to “their craft”.
(All part of the narcissism).
But now it seems to be a necessity.
This year alone almost every winner/performer got on the podium to ally themselves to a cause.
Regardless, I’m a-OK with stars highlighting a cause. I don’t care whether or not it comes from a narcissistic place, the result is what matters here. A foreseeable harm might be that viewers become numb to most speeches if they are inundated with them every time, but I think a well-crafted, passionate speech will still garner appropriate attention.
Sycophant interviewers will never, ever do it, but nice try.
Agree. No interviewer is ever going to ask those sort of questions on the red carpet.
Love your comments about this topic, Kaiser!
Hear, hear! That last paragraph is fantastic, Kaiser.
Amen. There’s a happy medium here. The dresses are part of the fun for the audience. We don’t get to wear stuff like that and it’s fun to see! I get that actors want to talk about their art and all, but come on. I think CB is forgetting the audience on this issue. The fug girls also had a good wrote up about it.
Oh really Cate? Is that why you only wear top designers on the red carpet, because it’s “just a dress”?
I still like Cate overall, but she’s definitely said and done some things in the past couple of years that have really cooled me off of her.
+1
I still like her because she’s an amazing actress, but her inconsistency on certain issues has lessened my love for her off-screen persona.
I’ve mentioned this before, so apologies for redundancy, but I watched Blue Jasmine for free, and I wasn’t wowed by that performance. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was def good, but it was the standard Woody role of an overly neurotic harpy older woman trope.
I have to ask Kiddo did you think the character she played in Blue Jasmine was a strong woman? There were moments but overall what did you think?
@Kiddo – I actually find Cate’s personality to be a little off-putting but I admire her as an actress (not really as a personality). However, I have to disagree that her performance in Blue Jasmine is the “standard.” I was completely blown away by it. I’ve always thought she was good to great in most roles but in Blue Jasmine, she found the perfect role to play to her strengths and she killed it. I honestly think it’s one of the best Oscar wins in recently history – especially for the Best Actress category. She’s superb in the film. I also really enjoyed the film.
@kennedy, Maybe it was just me. Perhaps there is something to be said of a let down when watching something that had extraordinary buzz and praise preceding your own viewing. I guess that makes the expectations higher going in. I was not blown away with it and maybe I was seeing too much autobiography in the character because, once again, Woody Allen made an older shrill woman concerned about appearances and money above all else, while the husband runs off again with a very young woman. She is so bent on revenge that she bites her own nose to spite her face, causes the loss of her fortune and is rejected by her own child in the process. I feel like that was not covering new ground for Woody, and at times I really saw her ‘acting’ and lost suspension of disbelief.
@Alice, as a character, I thought she was bitter, but one who relied on old ways with no personal growth from her loss, who continued to look for the same in another man, judge people harshly by the standards of her old position, and unwilling to face the harsh realities of her circumstances, either by getting drunk to avoid it, or by living a charade. I don’t know if that makes her strong or not. I just know I didn’t feel enormous sympathy for the way she behaved before and then a small time after her husband admitted his affair. But I guess there is strength in just carrying on?
Me to, used to be a fan, not anymore.
Does she REALLY think we watch a red carpet show so we can hear about her “motivation for her character”?? I’d rather watch her Essie Ballerina nail polish dry than hear that nonsense. You’re not splitting the atom here folks.
Agree
She comes off as really snooty and pretentious.
Designers and jewellers give celebrities the best pieces they have in order to show them off. The least these celebrities can do is to waste 2 minutes talking about them.it’s part of the game. Of course men aren’t asked the same things..how many variations of a tuxedo can you get? Nothing is more boring than a man talking fashion.
Get a grip Cate, you’re trying too hard to fight the wrong battles. You should have had the same fire talking about woody Allen.
I totally agree. But as she chooses to support designers who go on anti-semetic rants and directors who marry their spouse’s adopted child … not like she really has an ethical leg to stand on. So yes! Let’s complain about Mani Cams! PFFT
@Snazzy – Lol
+100!
It rubs me the wrong way that she’s creating a hierarchy of art; some of the best, most creative designers consider what they do to be an art, too. And the fact that what they’ve created might make the actor look even better or more interesting (or, in the case of a costume designer, perform better) is, again, to the credit of the designer as well – and means they’ve done their job. What’s the harm in giving a shout out for accomplishment?
Besides the ridiculousness of the premise that the Oscars are only all about craft or art, that sort of diss to a fellow creative is a chump move from someone who should know better.
100% agree with you! Designers used their talent and skill to make the dress for you for free. Why would it be an insult to your feminism or intellect to mention the name of the designer? That’s the problem with actors/actresses. They think their art is so important and all-encompassing. Most of them take themselves very, very seriously and believe that they are gifting the world with their talent.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR – But I take Cate’s point. The next time she comes onto the red carpet and says her gown is Galliano (like at the Oscars this year), ask her about Galliano’s hate speech conviction and whether wearing his clothing is her way of implicitly aligning herself with anti-Semitic hate speech. Then ask her about Woody Allen and the accusations made by Dylan Farrow. I mean, she wants to talk about something deeper, so let’s go deeper.
THIS COMMENT IS EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen. Perfect. So, Kate, let’s talk…
X10000.
Perfection.
YES!!! I’m so happy to finally see an article on “Queen Cate” that is finally calling her out on her hypocrisy instead of crawling up her butt for being SO fabulous because she wears great clothes. She is a super talented actress–I’ll give her that. But that just doesn’t excuse her support of Woody Allen anymore imo.
It’s the red carpet-millions of people who might spend $ to watch your next film only know who you are because of it. Quit b*tching.
.
Very well said and yet again proving why I love this site.
Loved it.
YES!
+[whatever number we’re at now]
No punches pulled with that comment. I read it and went BOOM, mic drop, in my head. 😀
Exactly!!
Her agent is married to a convicted child molester who is in gaol. Cate has no problems with this though, just as she had no problems working for Woody Allen & essentially trying and failing to impersonate Judy Davis in Blue Jasmine [same mannerisms, etc].
If she doesn’t care about clothes, then she shouldn’t be accepting freebies, but she likes the designer gear.
This year, ABC spent all of Naomi Watts’ interview asking her about her fritatas. When #AskHerMore goes wrong.
Can we get Kaiser interviewing these celebs on the red carpet?
*fritatas* sounds like a euphemism for her boobies, so I can see then where the #AskHerMore interview might have been a tad awkward.
Heh.
I had to look it up to make sure it was what I was thinking it to be (it was).
When folks stop sitting front row at fashion shows, being spokespersons for fashion houses, and accepting free clothing, then they can complain about being asked about “who are you wearing”. Yes, some of the sexism needs to stop and the mani cam and twirling is silly, but the red carpet at the Oscars is not the ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize. It is about glitz, glamour and sometimes nice fashion. They need to lighten up some. And if you don’t want to be asked silly questions, then skip the press line and just do the photos. Some of the major stars don’t bother with the idiots asking dumb questions and just walk the carpet.
PS: her last film was Cinderella, which if I am not mistaken, all about evil step mothers, wacky fashion and beautiful dresses. Hard to promote this and talk about climate change. Yes, there should be more, with more questions about the work, but it is not that earth shattering to get so bent out of shape. You also have to remember who is doing the interviewing. These folks are not Walter Cronkite, they don’t have a great deal of depth to begin with.
This comment is on point.
Also, how many of these people complaining have been hailed as ‘fashion icons’ and get extra incoming working with fashion houses? That benefits not only their image but their bank accounts too. I do feel they are being big ass hypocrites. The lower-tier actors would be ecstatic to be invited to go to the Oscars and show off their pretty dresses and jewelry but the ones who made it big are always trying to elevate these shows to something bigger. It isn’t, it’s shallow and fun. When actors get asked deeper questions, they always give a PR-friendly answer. They always try to either stay neutral or ignore it all together, I don’t need to see that on a RC for the Oscars. Keep that for a magazine…
Seriously. This issue is just not one that I care about. These actors, directors, etc., are interviewed all the time. They’re on TV, in magazines. They get plenty of time to be heard, to talk about their craft. The red carpet is basically for fashion. Get over it.
I agree. I think the only reason why actors are taking a stand on the mani cam is because they feel stupid and awkward doing it, but it’s completely fair game considering the whole point of the red carpet now is to market themselves and the dress they’re wearing. And, like you said, they have a choice. Big Hollywood actors that like to prize the star aspect and the resulting privileges but they do not like to be reminded they’re shilling, too.
That being said, I wouldn’t want to do the mani-cam, either.
There’s a balance. Just because we, as intelligent women, care about the deeper issues, doesn’t mean we can’t also care about fashion (which is an art form in itself). Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Yes, I sort of thought that’s what the red carpet was for.
Yes this completely.
I think the E! crowd turned the event into a shitshow, so I can get that she would be annoyed with that. But she should have just come out and said so, instead of making this about some loftier statement. They didn’t even know how to construct fluff questions.
I really don’t see any problem with AskHerMore. No one was saying ‘no fashion talk ever’, just don’t make it the whole interview.
Well dressed men are asked who they’re wearing, and then they get to talk about the work, the awards they’ve already won, interesting anecdotes from the set. Women are asked who they’re wearing, then about their diet leading up to the red carpet, whether or not they’re wearing Spanx, their outfits/weight/make-up in the film they’re promoting, whether their high heels hurt…it’s embarrassing to watch. I’m thrilled big name actresses have stopped playing along.
“I really don’t see any problem with AskHerMore. No one was saying ‘no fashion talk ever’, just don’t make it the whole interview. ”
I don’t know how they meant it, but by the time I started noticing #AskHerMore on Oscar night, there were several reporters *not* asking about fashion *at all*. I saw more than one interview where designers were never mentioned, and as many people have pointed out, the actors receive their tuxes, gowns, and jewelry *for free*. It’s meant to be an advertisement for the designers, so that us normals go out and buy their stuff. Reese Witherspoon was one of the #AskHerMore people and she was wearing Tom Ford. The week after the Oscars, Tom Ford came out and said that anyone who takes his free clothes but doesn’t mention him won’t get any more free clothes. #AskHerMore will die because the top designers will refuse to dress the actresses who don’t want to state the name of the designer they’re wearing.
I agree it shouldn’t be the whole interview. I still think the happy medium is to ask who they’re wearing right off the top and then move on to upcoming projects or something like that. But on Oscar night, it seemed very all or nothing. Either you were talking about your dress or you weren’t mentioning it at all.
I’m with you. Every time this comes up, I post that it’s ask her MORE, not asking her nothing about fashion at all. It should be a balance – acknowledge the fashions AND the work that the people are there celebrating.. I don’t know why that’s so hard to understand.
The intent behind the campaign is fantastic, but once the entertainment media dove into it, they took it to extremes and botched it, as they so often do. Criticize THAT, not the good idea behind the campaign, which is simply to not have the SOLE focus be on the actress’ appearance.
I went to a lecture by Jennifer Siebel Newsom (who is behind #askhermore) and came away annoyed–she charged the school $5000 for a 45-minute lecture and gave a canned speech to parents of an all-girls school about the way girls are portrayed in the media. It was so vapid and frankly, she could have considered that this audience had obviously considered the subject before, or they wouldn’t have chosen a single-sex school for their daughters. She has curriculum that goes with her documentary, available to schools, again for a price. The subject is so much more complicated that she’s making it– to me, it just seems like she’s in it to raise her own profile (her husband will be running for CA governor) and make some money. She was all style and no substance, the opposite of what she was trying to promote.
I think the fact that it’s become this corporate behemoth is sad. The stylists go to the same pool of designers year after year and the ladies wear the same dress, in different colours year after year.
There is no spontaneity or even gaiety with the RC anymore. Why should we take someone seriously who gives us dullsville? I don’t care who made the dress, bring back Cher in spider cobwebs, Bjork in a swan dress, goth Angelina, even sugar plum GOOP. Cate and Tilda are the only ladies whose clothing doesn’t matter. It’s always interesting even if no one IDs it.
/getting off soapbox/
Brilliant comments, as always, K; agree there needs to be some give-and-take.
And whilst we’re on the subject, I’M TAKING THAT COAT.
Um, I’m not really sure how she equates having someone show off their manicure with asking them about tampons. That’s quite a leap there.
Yes, that was a stupid comment on her part. It’s hardly the same thing. You get a manicure so your hands will look nice. I thought the mani cam was silly, but it’s hardly an invasion of privacy.
Because Kanye.
As someone in the industry it costs designers a lot of money to dress these people! And I’m sorry but they aren’t paying for the dress so the actors need to shut up and say who they got their clothes from. It should be the first question asked of both men and women. THEY GOT FREE CLOTHES!! Do your damn job and advertise.
And honestly no one cares about the movies the most discussed part of any award show the next day is what people were wearing. I’m not saying these interviewers shouldn’t ask more but really does anyone think Billy Bush has the intelligence to ask a probing question?
Sorry but every actress that does this just turns me off her. Especially a kate who lets be honest is as famous as she is for her red carpet style because she doesn’t do big enough movies to be mainstream if FASHION HADNT MADE HER!
I just… I can’t. I am so over these celebrities and their rich people problems. Yes, the red carpet is stupid and frivolous but so is the freaking Oscars. I mean, what’s not stupid about rich people dressing up to recurve awards they don’t need? But they’ll gladly accept the money and free clothes… Just don’t ask what they’re wearing. Whatever. Poor, rich, white women! How ever do they get by??!
And the goodie bags worth how much again??? Was it a 1/4 of a million???
Jeez. First World Problems indeed.
The oscars is about the campaign not the dress but seriously please people ask them the serious questions or just don’t laugh at their bad jokes/anecdotes
If she hates the fashion aspect of it stop signing endorsement deals and don’t accept the free dress and jewels. If I was a designers I’d only want people who are going to big me up on a red carpet not refuse to answer questions. So if I were Tom Ford I’d start charging some of these people.
You’re on a red carpet it’s about fashion, you’re not on Charlie Rose take the stick out.
Banner day! I agree with Mark.
I must concede that Mark is on-point this time.
In regards to his comment about the designers, that’s the thing–fashion designers are loaning these dresses with the agreement that there will be several red carpet shout-outs to them. They’re in it for the exposure and it’s a huge deal to them. I think it would be kind of unfair and crappy for an actor to side-step that.
Let’s not go crazy…
“Go”? Some would say I arrived long ago.
Kiddo’s driving the Crazy Train and I’m just sitting in the back smoking weed.
Yep, all aboard.
Can we pool our money first to buy that coat together and take turns wearing it? PLEASEY?
Apparently, even Cate is full of it.
Yeah she needs to sit down. Annoying.
Spot on Kaiser. Next time celebrities should be asked about the xenophobia going on in South Africa, ISIS, if casting couches are wrong and how they campaigned to get that Oscar nomination.
Bbbut am I anti-feminist because I only watch the red carpet for the fashions? The fashion industry is guilty of crimes against women that should be addressed, but fashion itself is an art form and it’s fun to wear and appreciate unique fashions. Why men aren’t as fashion oriented here in the U.S. says a lot about American culture and machismo, but it’s their loss. I’d love to see more interesting male fashions on the the red carpet.
The jacket is cool, her face angle in the cover shot: not flattering. I thought the very same thing, Kaiser, ask her if she had any compunction working with Woody while the Dylan thing blew up. And ask the guys too, to be fair. But here’s the response you would get, anyway, so I’ll save the time: genius, never convicted of anything, Soon Yi and he have been married for a long time….yadda yadda.
…and our rejoinder is: If Mary Kay Letourneau is still to be defined as a molester after 10 years of marriage (and YES, she IS), then Woody is one, too! Plus, he was Soon-Yi’s father-figure and had a child with her mother!
Cate has a point but it’s a red carpet it’s not that serious.
THIS. If I wanted to hear about how she prepared for the role I’d watch a proper interview done for a respectable mag. People watch red carpets for the fashion. ID’ing your dress is more or less the whole point.
THIS. Spot on. If she doesn’t want to ID the dress, then she should wear something from her closet she bought with her own money. I know a lot of people are huge Blanchett fans but her Woody Allen stance and this mission of hers to denigrate the fun factor of dress up award occasions has soured me on her. I hate when actors get all “my craft, my craft” or “political” during their 2 minutes in the sun at award occasions. They are actors. Often people with a deep deep well of neediness and a less than strong and stable personal identity, often narcissistic, who are able to play pretend really well. Why we laud them is even questionable. So Cate if we are going to have in depth conversations let’s start with your support of these despicable men………..
its hard for me to feel bad for her. fashion is part of her job, its now part of the promotion. she also has fashion deals. so of course she is going to be asked about it.
i mean why do those ladies get those dresses and expensive gems etc etc? TO ADVERTISE THEM. thats why.
she signed up for that so i really dont feel to bad. especially if she thinks the Oscars are about the work people do. sure actresses get reduced to their looks, but how about all those talented peopel behind the camera who are treated like crap at the Oscars because they are not pretty actors? how often do you see the crowd giving a standing ovation to people who are not actors or directors?
i also agree on the last comment, be happy Cate, put on a smile and blaze through, be happy you are not asked the hard hitting questions and be happy your job is that simple. putting up with that a couple of times per years (a couple of award shows and some premieres) sound a hell of a lot better than most other jobs. if i was making that kind of money and had so many opportunies and got so much better tables at restaurants i’d happily show other people my nails.
What in the name of dancing froglets is a mani cam?
I thank the lord for the internet. I can just call up a list of winners and watch (SHORT) video clips of acceptance speeches. I can then pretend the whole world of red carpets and designer shilling and brand ambassadoring – and whatever other shiznit goes on that has nothing to with film and storytelling – simply doesn’t exist.
They had this stupid thing for a year or two where they put the camera on the celebrity’s manicure. It was silly, but a Jenny said above, it’s quite a leap to compare it to asking what brand tampon you’re using.
Elizabeth Moss gave the mani-cam the finger and THAT was the end of the mani-cam
Haha, I didn’t remember that
LOL! Really? That’s awesome. I’m such a fan of that lady.
It’s this stupid idea they had where they basically created a diorama of a red carpet with a mini-camera, and celebs “walked” their fingers down the carpet to show off their manicures. The nadir of stupid.
Whatever. All I can say is DANCING FROGLETS. I want DANCING FROGLETS. Sixer, what have you done?! My new favourite expression.
Well, you live and learn! It is difficult to believe that anyone could care about somebody else’s fingernails!
some people like Zooey Deschanel would have really cute designs on them. Like one time there were little film reels painted on her nails. So i think the whole mani cam kind of started to show off stuff like that….
I think the whole #askhermore thing is a tad silly. Only because at these red carpets, there are tons of celebrities and tons of interviewers and to get to everyone, you have to keep it very short. You are never going to get some amazing existential question. Secondly, if some design house has taken the time to make you some awesome custom made dress then for F sakes, take your 10 seconds and say the designers name. Its not hard. And the guys get asked who they are wearing as well.
exactly. she needs to get off her pedestal.
So THIS is the hill cate wants to die on? How about the one where, oh, I don’t know, the director who you worked with is a pedophile?
Oh well. Priorities.
Sums it up nicely.
sorry cate but you’re wearing a dress worth thousands of dollars that some designer probably gave or lent to you and yeah, I want to know who the designer is and see your shoes. #askhermore is just stupid. cate’s beginning to get a little too high and mighty for someone who defends a pedo.
Chiming in late to say kudos for a great post, Kaiser – I have no comments to add, because you nailed it. Cate coasts by on her popularity, but I think has been utterly self-serving in many aspects where she might have stepped forward and made a difference. It’s nice to see someone calling her out and asking for a little responsibility.
She’s a bit dramatic. Asking a woman to show off her manicure is hardly on par with asking about her tampon. Please.
I understand what she is saying, but honestly she lost all credibility to me during her Oscar campaign for that Woody Allen movie she was nominated for. And on that cover she is photo shopped to the max and it also looks like she just had some huge cheek implants recently – or maybe they are shopped too.
I actually think that despite her hyperbole, what she says is that nowadays they will ask you silly things beyond the usual “what designer are you wearing” and that’s a fair point as I think those interviews that try making these actresses say something supposedly normal and funny is so awkward, for when I see a celebrity I don’t want to be identified with her, I just want to see the individual being glamorous. If it were otherwise, it would not interest me at all. This new culture of making a celeb approachable is deluded.
Also,why would they asked her about Galliano and Allen? They are not part of her movie work (and no working with someone is not same as being responsible in their alleged actions or being seen as the one who should talk about it. I don’t see the logic there) and what she is saying is that she would like to talk about the movie she is nominated or promoting at the time. That is not too far fetched to ask.
On other note: she looks like a ghost there. A pretty one, but a ghost nonetheless.
I agree – I think her hyperbole went a little far (but that is what it is, not a literal statement), but the point is there. Many women were being asked about their diet to fit in the dress, how long it took to do their hair and makeup, about their undergarments, spanx, etc. I love the seeing the gowns, but we don’t need to know who is wearing underwear or see actresses get groped by a designer/interviewer like Scarlett Johansson did that one year.
I do think if you choose to wear Galliano’s designs or choose to work with Woody Allen, you’d better be prepared to be asked about it, and I think that’s fair. I am curious why the Woody Allen thing only seems to be brought up on Blanchett posts though. Colin Firth, Emma Stone, and Marcia Gay Harden were all in his last film. Emma Stone did another one with him after that, along with Joaquin Phoenix and Parker Posey. Kristen Stewart, Bruce Willis, and Jesse Eisenberg are signed up for his next one. If we’re going to call out one actor for working with him (which again I think is fair) we should call out all of them.
Well I know many here have a clear position in the Allen situation and while I don’t share it because no one should answer for what others do even if they know the person (or in this case have allegedly done, which is worse cause how I can have a say in it when there is ambiguity attach to it?), I agree with you. It’s only on Blanchett that the fault falls as if she is the only person who has worked with him.
If she doesn’t want to talk about the dress or jewelry, she should actually try and buy her outfit for the evening and just shut up.
To be fair to her, I remember reading that she, Celine Dion and Nicole Kidman where some of the few celebs that actually buy their gowns. Cate has even said, and that was before she adopted baby Edith, that all her couture collection was going to go to her best friend daughter.
I’m with you Kaiser. The designers and jeweler’s loan dresses and jewels to those women for the exposure. I want to know which designer their wearing and who created the gorgeous jewels. Sorry Cate, I so admire you for the most part, but I just don’t agree with you on this one.
Bam! Kaiser is throwing some mad shade this morning at Cate. Hahah! I feel like #Askhermore is only about trying to make celebrities feel “smart” and not really about delving into the issues of our time. Like they really want to talk about something deeper? How about the faux feminism that co-exists with the infamous casting couch in the movie industry??? But in the meantime – Love the shade. Love that coat.
How about the pressure Candace Bergen said exists for these women to starve themselves into a very narrow definition of beauty?? I would love if they asked them how much they really ate the past two weeks and why they feel the need to be a size 0.
Anyone remember when Seal refused to answer who he was wearing on the red carpet a few years ago? He kept deflecting the question and talking everything else, and the woman was getting visibly flustered. I thought she was going to jump out of her skin. She started phrasing it differently, and saying it louder, until he finally said it. It was hilarious to watch her freak out about not knowing what he was wearing like her life depended on it!
I miss JOAN! Shed call her out.. Darling its a red carpet, not Capitol Hill!
I love this article. I like Cate Blanchett, but she needs to pick a better cause than this.
I think this is really ridiculous.
All these actresses doll themselves up, in heels and dripping in diamonds, trading on their beauty and reognition which in turn land them endorsements deals o the caliber of Chanel, Dior, Lancome, SKII, Armani, Harry Winston, Cartier etc.
ALL this is is about looking attractive and luxurious so as to get luxury endorsement deals. Everybody knows the Awards themselves are politics and promotion/pr.
Do men do the Mani Cam`No, because men don’t sport intricate nail designs.
The up and down camera angle is not male-gaze analysing Cate Blanchett, it’s showing the women who watch these shows how stunning, beautiful, ethereal these actresses look. A black suit is a black suit, period.
Cate Blanchett’s whining is not feminist, it’s idiotic and pointless. You sell beauty in a bottle and object to people “taking stock of your beauty”? Cry into your millions…
This “Ask her more” thing is such a contradiction because here is a celeb talking about it while at the same time having her photo taken in multiple different expensive outfits in full hair and makeup. Emma Stone preaches this stuff but then shows up at award shows looking immaculate.
I couldn’t agree with Kaiser more and I’m beyond happy that someone is telling it like it is.
This plea for better questions should be targeted more to magazines than award shows.
Well said.
Why aren’t men on the red carpet asked such stupid vapid frivolous questions?
I fully agree that magazine interviews should be pressed to have more substance, even more so than the red carpet, but I still think it can be both.
“Emma Stone preaches this stuff but then shows up at award shows looking immaculate.” Why can’t she do both though? I don’t understand why it has to be either/or. Why can’t she look great and wear an awesome dress, credit the designer, AND also be asked about other things too?
I don’t care about some great Q&A on the red carpet. Ask what they are wearing and have a few lighthearted questions. Anything deeper is boring and I’ve heard it and the red carpet interview is just a few minutes. As long as they don’t do the horrible mani/pedi thing, I’m fine.
Oh the horrors! *clutches pearls* It really is not that serious.
She doesn’t want to get association with frivolous and vacuous things like talking about fashion instead of the so-high-and-grand topics like acting and movies… Ok.
I am sure that wasn’t the tune she was singing when Armani waved that check for a cool 10 million in front of her face solely for fronting their latest fragrance.
Pray tell, Cate: when was the last time you’ve made 10 million from a movie? Yeah, like never.
Maybe be quiet and stop being such a hypocrite and self-aggrandizing bore. You are an actress. Most people do not even consider what you do for a living a real profession. You get paid to enchant people and lure them to the theater. It’s because of those designers that the lumpy and crass actresses like you look like semi-glamorous stars on the red carpet. None of you are a Rita Hayworth or Lana Turner by nature. Just very pale imitations at times, thanks to the work of these designers and stylists whose contribution you deem so lowly.
I think it is fair to demand that women on the red carpet should be asked the same amount of substantial respectful questions that men are asked.
Stereotypical questions for actors on the red carpet enable them to promote their work.
Stereotypical questions for actresses on the red carpet contain to much vapid frivolous stuff which doesn’t enable them to promote their work.
If actresses don’t want to be asked about their dresses, jewellery and how long they took getting ready, they should do as the men do and wear a tux, forgo the jewels, makeup and present themselves as someone who is above fashion and preening. Nobody asks Ellen Degeneres who she is wearing.
It’s like Jennifer Garner complaining that it’s sexist that all she is asked about is her role as a mother completely oblivious to the fact that she’s only asked that question because her kids are all she talks about. Every single chat show interview where she chooses the topics she wants to discuss and all she ever discusses is her kids. The ultimate mommy bore.
Interviewers will ask questions relevant to how you present yourself and who you are.
I get what Cate Blanchett means: Men are never asked about their clothes : Partly because black/dark grey/dark blue suits with very little variation are VERY boring to talk about.
So because men wear boring clothes they get the chance to talk about their work.
Because women wear interesting clothes they are asked about their clothes and not about their work.
And yes, women are asked a lot more stupid and vapid questions than men.
I get what Blanchett means.
And no, I don’t get the point of the article. There is this suggestion that any lady wearing Galliano/Dior should be asked about Galliano’s antisemitic comments.
Well, let’s play this the other way around.
Armani is known for using anorexic catwalk models of either sex. So next time any man on a red carped wears an Armani suit he should be asked about his thoughts about Armani promoting unhealthy body images and anorexia.
How about asking any red carpet haute couture styled celebrity what they think about contributing to and advertising environmental destruction through the fashion industry.
Does anybody consider this is likely going to happen??? Then why does the article suggest that women should be asked such questions? Why not asking women in the same respectful way that men are asked???
Since they want to be taken so seriously, both sexes should be asked relevant questions about the impact of companies they are representing. I’d love to see that. I’m sick of watching hypocrites not being challenged on the human rights abuses they support while proclaiming themselves humanitarians, living environmentally destructive lifestyles while posing as environmentalists. It won’t happen though because too many of Hollywoods biggest hypocrites will be exposed as frauds.
Starting with the facts that Oscars and awards in general are massively determined by studio system, PR teams and aggressive campaigning, and talent is the less significant variable in the equation I don’t give a crap if you dear Cate think that my voyeurism for dresses and the good life you millionaires have bothers you.
Cate Blanchett seems snooty to me, don’t get all the love
“People forget the fact that women are up there [at the Academy Awards] because they’ve given extraordinary performances. It’s a wonderful excuse to dress up and have F.U.N. But let’s not forget the work.”
Get over yourself.
I’m extremely over her and her very high opinion of herself and her “work.”
But when she got Giorgio Armani on board as a sponsor for the Sydney Theatre Company, it was okay…
Cate the hypocrite.
I was over her when she got paid by the Labor Party to advertise a carbon tax.
I’ll get reamed for this for this: oh, well.
There are legitimate complaints about celebrity and there’s this value-skirting trash.
Truth Time: I’ve thought this whole movement has been insipid, immature garbage from the get and have gained no new respect for the women climbing this hissy-fit hill. It’s so childish. Why do these people always have to moan about how much of an imposition it is to have to breathe the same oxygen as the plebes who don’t recognise their non-existent genius? If you want people to talk about something else, initiate it, don’t just wait until one of the unwashed reads your mind. Who has more opportunity to express themselves and #saymore than celebrities? What do most of them do with those opportunities? Pretend to be humble and pretend they were bullied in middle school to trick people into believing that they have, or want, any kind of kinship with the other life-bots. ‘I’m a regular mom!’ But they’re not nearly as smart as they think they are–certainly not smarter than us, so they don’t even see how transparent it is. Interesting people interest, but many benefit from good publicity.
Oh, so we haven’t been subjected to your stirring genius for the entirety of your seventeen-month campaign? What are you waiting for? You can pre-approve showcases of your intellect while doing promotion before interviews if you so choose, no? By the time the Oscars roll around we’re sick to death of you people, but that doesn’t occur to you lot, does it? There’s nothing more to ask by the time the nine billionth award show airs BUT what tampon she’s wearing. What in fresh hell are these salty broads complaining about? People ask you questions, you start bitching that they’re not the right questions, people ask you questions, you guys give the same dull canned answers that a smarter person wrote for you beforehand. Were the months and months and months of attention not enough time to get the world to hear your important message? Well, you’re all on the covers of international magazines once a fortnight, here’s your interview and chance, so give us your stunning thoughts! Oh, nail woes, huh? Illuminating. You don’t like a question, you evade answering it or berate and professionally humiliate the people who have to endure your imperious eyerolls and swipes. So, princesses, tell the rabble exactly what they have to say to you but maybe wonder to yourselves why you have to high-tail it out of town for at least a year after you win. I’ll help: we can’t take it!
How much time is it going to take to ID your clothes and ask about you your thoughts on trade relations with Cuba– on a red carpet that exists for the purpose of being a fashion show/last burp of promotion? In one minute? Bad at math, too. Don’t like it? Don’t walk the carpet, or don’t even go for all I care, I can’t stand award shows and having to actively avoid these campaigns of ‘deep thoughts’. That carpet means you’re at work, so act like it and stop acting like a manicure is the greatest injustice in the history of the world. My gosh, do they know how much time I and we have to spend doing stuff we hate because we have to do it? Yeah, us too! But it takes more than a minute and we don’t get within a light year of Van Cleef and Arpels while we do it. I want Van Cleef and Arpels!!!
Take some of your ungodly wealth and self-publish, ghostwriter-free and tell the world how enlightened you are. You all act for a living, act like you have something worthwhile to say and put it to paper. ‘We’ll’ be waiting, then paying you the most rapt of attention–even more attention. Or, is this a ruse to pretend you’re smart when you aren’t but this way you can blame others for making you sound like an empty vessel?
So, ladies: yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the largest Boko Haram kidnapping, maybe we should #askheraboutthat. Nope? It’s all about you, always. Fine, bump gums about you. Still, you’ll get extra points if you can make a statement–anything–that’s constructed only under your own intellectual power and ‘Triple Dog Dare You’ extra points if you can say it without employing the phrases, ‘just to be nominated’ and ‘over the moon’. Then ask someone else to hear about it because I won’t give a hooping funt when those fonts of knowledge belch up some ‘life truths’. Jesus wept.
I wish this site had up-votes. I would give you ALL OF THEM <3
I love this – every word is true.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the men get off too lightly only having to wear boring suits or tuxedos while all the pressure and scrutiny gets put on the women. The solution is to ban the suits and tuxedos and make the men wear smart casual. That way you’d see some diversity in the men’s outfits and an increased level of scrutiny on their fashion choices.
Well you could’ve knocked me over with a feather. I thought I would’ve got more support for this one. Ah well. Back to the drawing board.
I honestly clicked on this thread expecting to see more support for Cate’s position but am thrilled to see everyone here elaborate on precisely the same points I was gonna raise. I saw Cate on the news the other night objecting to the camera panning up her body on the red carpet with her saying “excuse me, but do you do that to the guys?” and I yelled at the tv “but you wore a beautiful dress, of COURSE we want to look at it!!” Where else in life do we even get to see dresses like that?
I wanna see an #ask him less campaign, I’m terribly bored with hearing male actors waffle on about their ‘art’ on the red carpet.
Would love to see the guys get questions about what underwear they’re wearing (“briefs, boxers or commando?”) – now THAT would be worth tuning in for. I can think of at least one red carpet event where Tom Hiddleston was almost definitely commando but maybe was wearing boxers and I would have appreciated a definitive answer to put my mind at ease. I still wanna know, many months later. I’ve studied the photos real closely and still can’t decide.
I actually AM interested in what female actors are wearing- that’s the main reason I watch any red carpet event. I DO want to see someone in a fabulous, expensive, gorgeous dress that costs thousands and thousands of dollars do a spin- in real life I definitely encourage any female acquaintance wearing a stunning frock to do a spin for me, and I can’t think of one occasion where they’ve been less than delighted to do so. Girls and women of all ages and sizes. I’ve asked complete strangers to do a spin before after complimenting them on what they’re wearing with the same happy result. It’s a celebration of dressing up. I’ve only worn a dress myself on maybe half a dozen occasions, and believe me, I couldn’t STOP fricking spinning! It’s what pretty dresses DO apart from just look pretty! It’s fun!
I also think its important to know any particular makeup or hair look on the red carpet or in magazines or tv appearances took hours to achieve. I know far too many women who despair of the way they look because they compare themselves to celebrities that have taken literally hours to look that great. Pretty much anyone would look that good with a professional makeup artist spending hours on their face. Most women I know achieve a comparably good look with much less time spent doing their makeup and that’s important to understand.
Someone asked Brad Pitt about briefs or boxers in 2007. Angelina answered the question and I thought it was cute.
@ Jonathan
Blanchett’s point is that women should be asked serious questions, too. I doubt she objects to being asked about her dress but being asked about her dress only while all the male actors get serious questions is certainly sexist.
And yes, I would like to know if some of the male actors are wearing boxers or go commando or go spandex, too. Hilarious. Fire them off.
Both sexes should get serious questions and silly fashion questions.
Honestly, of all the things that are happening around the world right now, this has got to be the dumbest complaint. The red carpet is supposed to be about entertainment and glamour. I respect the art of movie-making, I really do, but does Cate know she isn’t curing Cancer? Wear the nice dress, be appreciative of the designer who loaned it to you and understand that millions of people who are watching the red carpet on TV really want to know stupid stuff about you and your dress. Get over yourself Cate.
My favorite celebs are ALWAYS asked serious questions on the RC.. I would rather they be asked the silly questions that the others get; instead of the hard hitting ones.
Beside as many have said above the RC is suppose to be fluff.. They can ask the serious questions during the Q&A for the promotional tour or during their Magazine interviews. That is when you can expound on something and give a more detail answer. Let the RC be about the dresses; shoes, hair and make up.. something funny and silly and keep it going.
Isn’t a major part of the red carpet the fashion? It’s the only reason I watch red carpets. I read interviews and watch round tables for the good stuff.
Honestly, Hollywood takes itself far too seriously. They spend hours getting camera ready and then pretend scoff at comments about how good they look.
Bring it down Cate! We watch the Oscars for the fashion and the glamour. If you’re not concerned with the fashion aspect of it, why don’t you wear something you’ve worn before?? If you’re not concerned about the fashion, then why do you need designers and fashion houses make you exclusive outfits that no one else has worn before you??
I’m a proud feminist and I love fashion. #AskHerLess
Personally, I agree with her.
Girls and teens are becoming increasingly vapid, materialistic and shallow. This is largely fed by celebrities and the media. Women are being taught that all that matters is how pretty they look and what amazing dresses they are wearing. Every woman enjoys playing dress up, but imagine your entire career being reduced to your dress, your weight and who you may or may not be dating.
Of course the clothes are free, so it should be mentioned, but ask the women about their movies too. People are over exaggerating when they say, ‘ask about the war, ask about slavery’ etc, all these actresses want is to ALSO be able to talk about their jobs. These people aren’t the Kardashians. In many cases they are talented, successful and intelligent actresses who have far more to talk about. This should be respected. A balance is required.
So, let them them talk about during the months of designated ‘talk about it’ time. Isn’t that what the promotion and campaigning is for? I’m not being snippy with you, it just seems to me that they are afforded months of exposure in all sorts of venues and those are the times to say more. The carpet has a fashion-specific purpose and if it didn’t, none of these ladies and the persons involved in covering them would be in cahoots. When time constraints are really tight and both interviewer and spokesperson have to advertise, is it realistic to ask for more? They have daytime and nighttime talk shows, magazine interviews, post-show interviews, round tables, sometimes acceptance speeches, premieres, Q&A at press junkets, television specials, galas, exposés, sometimes they interview each other– how is that not enough time to say more? Why would they wait for the last second to start talking art? They have so many chances to talk about other stuff but suddenly the whole point of this one-minute appearance should be subverted? Why? Time and place, job to do. They have had the world at their feet for MONTHS, listening to every inane comment they’ve made and they still have to moan that they’re not being worshiped properly during one specific moment? Tough, they had their myriad chances, that door’s got to close at some point. Plus, much of the audience DOES want to know what these ladies are wearing, why should that be denied?
Kids have always been kind of suggestible jerks, even Socrates had a ‘kids today’ grumpy attitude about the youth. People had that attitude before the so-called ‘Cult of Childhood’ came into existence and the same was true with the advent of teen culture. Better vapid kids who end up growing up and generally growing out of it than kids in a workhouse.
#AskSomeoneInteresting #AskSomeoneElse
“No one is forcing you to walk the red carpet.” YES! Thanks Kaiser! She could easily avoid all the surface silly talk if it offends her deep intellect. But my guess is Cate likes the Oscar gold, the free dresses, her checks for back end movie ticket sales, etc. She’ll complain all the way down that red carpet. I wish she’d go in the back door and take her seat.
She can not avoid the red carpet without suffering serious set-backs in her acting career.
That argument is like “if women don’t want to get harassed in the office then they shouldn’t work in an office.”
The red carpet is a public place and a work place and women must demand the same benefits that men get when in the same situation.