The current issue of Variety has an interesting cover story: “The Fight for Equal Pay: Women, Minorities on TV Still Making Less Than White Men.” Which, if you haven’t been living under a rock, is not a surprise. The only surprise here is that this has become a much larger conversation and that people are going on the record to trade papers about the details of what they’re paid, and how egregious the inequity really is. The Variety piece is an interesting and depressing read – go here for the full piece. Within the article, Variety told this story of Amy Schumer’s Netflix special:
Amy Schumer couldn’t have been hotter as a personality when she set a deal last year to star in a comedy special for Netflix, “The Leather Special,” which premiered in March. But when Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle made headlines for commanding eye-popping deals for $20 million per special, Schumer’s team went back to Netflix and flatly asked for more money. According to a source, Schumer was initially paid about $11 million for her special. She received significantly more compensation after she raised the question of fairness relative to the Rock and Chappelle deals.
It’s a good story and it makes me respect Amy for standing up for herself and what she felt she was worth, and for using comparable pay scales to make a point. When Schumer cut this deal, she was a big deal, arguably the biggest comedienne in the industry, for better or for worse. She should be paid on a comparable scale to Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. Only the takeaway for some people was “who does she think she is, she’s not as good as Rock or Chappelle!” Which is why Amy took to Instagram to post this:
Thanks for chiming in on what you feel I deserve to be paid. I believe women deserve equal pay. However I don’t believe I deserve equal pay to Chris and Dave. They are legends and 2 of the greatest comics of all time. I would like to say that I have been selling out arenas these last couple years. Something a female comic has never done. That’s a big deal to me, especially because I know I do my best every night on stage for the audience and they have a good time. I didn’t ask for the same as my friends. I did ask for more than the initial offer. I will continue to work my ass off and be the best performer I can be. The reports of me “demanding” or “insisting” on equal pay to them aren’t a true. #fat #stealsjokes
Which makes me wonder… why the need to clarify? She was getting credit for seeking equitable pay AND she was being criticized for “not being worth it,” an argument usually made solely for women. So she plays into that idea that a woman shouldn’t be demanding or insisting on their worth, which is internalized patriarchy, quite frankly. Personally, I don’t find Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle that funny anymore, so on that level, they’re the same to me as Amy Schumer. Why not pay them all the same? Why did people get so upset with the idea that Amy might have been paid the same? And why did she feel the need to issue this clarification?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Don’t know about $ value, but Chappelle and Rock have made me laugh a lot more than she ever has.
I’m sure there are plenty of guys who have made you laugh less than her who also got paid more than she did. (Sighs and bangs head against the wall.)
I feel like Chapel and Rock have been around longer, so maybe she’s saying they’re more experienced. But either way, her answer sounds like internalized sexism.
The main argument I’ve seen is that Rock and Chappelle have been doing comedy for a lot longer than Amy. They are considered legends, so why should she get as much as them because she is currently hot/indemand. I don’t find any of them currently funny, but I still see why people are arguing she doesn’t deserve the same as them.
Was HBO expecting her show to get as many views as Rock and Chappelle? If the answer is yes, then she should have been paid the same since she is bringing the same value to HBO.
++ this. if the return on investment was expected to be similar to a Rock / Chappelle special, then damn straight she deserves the same paycheque, regardless what we personally think of the legends, her schtick or whatever else.
They’ve been doing this a lot longer than Amy and i think reach a broader audience. From what I’ve seen online, a lot of POC aren’t the biggest fans of Amy (including me).
I think she issued a statement because even though most people support equal pay, it probably rubbed people the wrong way that a white woman who’s been popular in the industry for a few years is demanding the same pay as two black men who’ve been popular for decades.
I don’t think experience or being around for a long time have the same value in movies and tv. Usually the highest paid actors are young, like Jennifer Lawrence, not say the older more experienced actors. I would imagine for comedians it’s very much the same. Experience wouldn’t matter as much as being the hot, popular item. Amy got a lot of attention for Train Wreck so that’s probably why she got paid so much for her special. Comedy is one of those things, people don’t share the same sense of humor. I think Amy is funny, but I hated her leather special and couldn’t even finish watching it.
I think Rock and Chapelle are legends. I don’t think Schumer is a legend and therefore don’t agree that this is internalized patriarchy. Most people would find it strange if a young actress demanded the same amount of money as a Meryl Streep. I think the same dynamic is happening here. It’s great that Schumer is selling out arenas. Personally I’ve never seen any of her comedy specials, TV show or movies. I don’t think I am unique in this either. On the other hand, most people would be hard pressed to find someone who’d never seen Chris Rock or Chapelle perform. I don’t think it’s a gender issue. In fact, the only comedian I’ve paid money to see is Margaret Cho, who I’ve seen a few times. I just don’t think Schumer is that funny.
I’d agree that she’s totally not a legend. But she is/was wildly successful. I think you’re analogy to Meryl and “a young actress” doesn’t quite work though. Using that analogy I think Amy would be Jennifer Lawrence- really successful if over hyped. If Lawrence and Streep were in a film together and had equal screen time I would expect them to be paid comparably. Schumer was being paid nearly HALF Chapelle and Rock, her team was right to go back to Netflix, and Netflix was right to agree to a pay increase.
Whether or not you think she’s funny should not be the arbiter on what she’s paid. And paying her the same or similar to Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle says nothing about their status. As noted, if she makes HBO money, she should been compensated for it. Fact is that a LOT of entertainment companies make more money off of female performers because they underpay them.
I agree. Amy is not pulling what Dave is doing right now. They are a tier above her. However if she’s pulling equal numbers on the platform she should be paid the same no matter how untalented I think she is. On rep alone she is not worth the same as Chris or Dave. But if her numbers say otherwise then give her the pay bump
I totally agree. She is not even close to being at the same “level” as Rock and Chappelle so the lower number is understandable to me.
Wll they bring in more money so they deserve more than her.
I get what you’re saying but this thinking ends up being an unending loop that women can’t get out of in most areas (entertainment, sports etc). Men get paid more because they are _____ (funnier, faster, throw a ball harder etc) so women don’t get paid competitively, so women know they can’t go as far which stops them from pursuing things as aggressively as men cuz the money isn’t there (at least in the lower levels). If they aren’t pursuing things at lower levels then fewer make it to the top and there are fewer female role models so fewer women pursue that area and on and on and on and on. Yeah, Amy Schumer is fine at the top but I bet a lot of women quit at the start because they hear that the men pull in more money so they get paid half which contributes to this.
Wake up. Men don’t think twice about this. They ask for whatever they can get. If they get paid crazy amounts of money, then they must be worth it, right?
It boggles my mind what athletes get paid.
I’m all for equal pay when it is equal appeal, talent, experience, etc. I my personal opinion she is not as funny as they are and their brands and styles are totally different, it has nothing to do with her gender but I would not pay the same amount for tickets to her show so ….
Chappelle had the advantage of being seen as almost a mythical figure. So it would actually surprise me if he didnt get more than Rock.
I havent seen Chappelles new stuff yet but I have heard very negative stuff regarding LGBT issues. But if that was the problem Amy “I dont date hispanic anymore, now I prefer consensual” Schumer couldnt really complain either.
Equal pay would imply equal value.
Amy isn’t that funny, by any means.
Chris and Dave have been in the business for how long? 20 years or so. Shoot, they’re considered legends in the game. Meanwhile, Amy is pretty much new and is over there stealing jokes. The ratings and reviews on her show aren’t that great either. We can argue that she supposedly sold out venues, which… great. But I wouldn’t pay the same amount that I paid to see Chris or Dave to Amy, it’s as simple as that.
Paying AMY SCHUMER the same as Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock would be insulting to them.
You might not find those 2 to be as funny anymore, but there as millions that do. As evidenced by their longetivity and their ratings.
11 million was damn generous for her.
@neelyo – EXACTLY!
When I read about this yesterday, I agreed that she needed to ask for more $, but I also thought – you’re not on Dave or Chris level yet – so don’t put yourself there nor expect equal money.
Now for the fashion critique – what in Holly Hobbie hell is she wearing?! Sky blue is a good color on her but the ruffles and the cut of that blouse – yikes – look like she made it from the curtains in a quaint bed & breakfast.
I’ll phrase thia as best as I can…
Equal pay in context of women to men might not mean “equal.”
Meaning in certain context male comedies are more profitable. More people will see them. Names more of a draw, etc, etc… because a woman if the most known and celebrated female comedian does not imo mean she’s to earn the same compare pay as the male in his highest setting. Now, that does have huge issues. Women are often passed over for men. I get that. But my point is because she’s a woman at her top doesn’t mean she gets the same at a man at his tip just for the sake of gender pay equality. That’s only there because she’s female. Not because she’s worth it.
I get this statement isn’t clear. Take it with some salt to my meaning.
I do get what you mean, but the problem is, this is self-perpetuating.
Women used to play football (soccer) in England in the 1920s and attracted crowds, and fan support, as enormous as the mens game. BBC article on it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33064421/the-secret-history-of-womens-football
The Football Association decided that it was unladylike and banned women from using any of their grounds or facilities, so women stopped playing, so the game fell away. And now, people argue that it isn’t watched as much or valued as much, and so it’s totally fair that women average around 20k a year in a top team, while men average hundreds of thousands a week in a top men’s team.
You can’t separate visibility and status from historic gender inequality. Women just aren’t credited with being funny, and partly (even mainly, I’d argue) that’s because the entertainment industry is staffed mainly by men at every level. So the assumption is that they aren’t as valued. The only reason it’s a more clearcut argument with acting is that we’ve always needed women actors (though in Shakespeare’s day they managed with teenage boys instead) to perform roles, so it’s less clear that they deserve less, even though on the whole their roles still tend to serve a man’s protagonist story. With comedy, you can be a lone wolf. And so women are far rarer.
I simply don’t buy that women don’t make as many people laugh. Schumer makes me laugh, though I wince at some of her statements, and it’s not great that she’s apparently a plagiarist as well. She still makes me laugh, though – can’t deny that. And a lot of male comics do nothing for me at all.
I do think we’re luckier in the UK, though. I mean, we’ve got a longer history of hugely successful women comics so it’s less of a huge deal when one breaks out. Though I’d still put money on them being paid less than comparable men.
I love to watch stand-ups but I really dislike Amy, I can’t get pass all the stealing jokes and attacking other women in the industry because they called out what she was doing. There’re many more deserving talented women in comedy – I won’t pretend to like or suport Schumer just because I believe that the comedy world it’s really sexist. I prefer to suport names like Ali Wong, Rachel Bloom, Cristela, Tina Fey…
She’s not worth the same as Chapplle. She’s not funny and I wouldn’t go see her for free telling jokes she’s stolen. Every time Dave comes to my city it’s sold out immediately! Don’t much care for Rock either, never thought he was funny but he is a legend.
People are worth whatever somebody is willing to pay. Everyone should get as much as they can. That may not always be equal to what another person gets for the same job. Market forces rule
She’s not worth the same as Rock or Chapelle. Chapelle especially. His special was more talked about than every other Netflix special combined. They have a track record, and they’ve made specials before that people re-watch again and again (which matters a lot to a streaming company like Netflix). Schumer is currently hot (or was when she signed that deal anyway, coming off of Trainwreck), but she doesn’t come with that track record. She’d only done two specials before, and neither were classics.
She is worth more than half what they are. If she ended up with something like 15 million, that seems fair. It acknowledges her fame, but also that she is currently on a lower tier than the legends in the game.
Anyway, she got a good deal. I doubt, say, John Mulaney or Bo Burnham or Ali Wong got anything like even 11 million for their specials, and those three created the best and most recommended specials Netflix has on offer.
I think the question is “Does Netflix believe that Amy Schumer would pull in the audience that Chapelle/Rock will?” If they don’t, tell her that and offer her a salary based on what they think her commercial value to their platform is and let her take it or leave it. If they do, offer her the same rate as Rock and Chapelle.
Schumer shouldn’t be underpaid, but neither should Rock/Chapelle, who should take this into account the next time they negotiate a payment with Netflix.
I don’t find her humor funny at all and she is on my list of “I wished she’d go away”
I’m glad Amy realized that she’s not a legend on par with Chris and Dave. Otherwise she looks like a white woman crying for equality, by exploiting black men (who’ve been historically dehumanized), as if that’s actual feminism.
Perhaps she deserves more pay but certainly not the same pay as two legends who’ve been in the comedy game for decades.
Imagine Amy demanding equal pay with Jerry Seinfeld if he put out a similar comedy special – everyone would accuse her of being ridiculous. So why is it ok for her to expect the same with two other comedy legends?
This is not a simple feminist issue of equal pay because it involves comparisons to two black men with considerably more experience than Amy, which adds the complex layer of race to the matter. White feminism isn’t known for being in favor of intersectionality and it doesn’t do well in examining its troubling past of ignoring issues related to feminist POC. The issue of race deserves more consideration in this situation.