The Reese Narrative.
Story time.
One day I came across a comment on Reese Witherspoon. About how she fits the description of a “Classic Bitchy Southern Bell”.Soon enough I also came across someone commenting on her by saying “Work on that tight smile because it makes you look judgmental”.
Low blow.
Of course, There is nothing new about comments and narratives like these which exist on the internet.
And so when we come across these cringy comments, we might simply roll our eyes and move on with our lives. Haters gonna hate. Assholes are keep going to be assholes. Right? Why would you get worked up. After all, this is a comment that has nothing to do with you.Or does it?
Well perhaps it’s time for a new narrative. One that actually matters.
Reese Witherspoon is a juggernaut.
She has had one of the most lucrative careers in Hollywood. Male or female. But what sets her apart and puts her on top, one of her most esteemed qualities,if you will, is her ability to speak her mind. Whether it is through #ask her more, #times up, or her company Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon is always clear about who she is, and where she stands. A fearless go getter. That is how Witherspoon landed on the top 100 list of power women 2020, and the list of America’s Self-Made Women 2020.
The profile.
Reese Witherspoon had the kind of career any actor would dream of. She had worked with incredible directors and actors.Frances Laurence, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson, Christian Bale, James Mangold, Meryl Streep, just to name a few.She had an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Award under her belt as well. But as more and more people started to presume that she had reached her peak and started dubbing her ‘irrelevant’, she then proceeded to do the unthinkable. Digging for quality materials herself. Soon she was producing these stories she deemed worthy enough, herself.
She was certainly not a newb when it comes to producing. Years earlier, she actually worked as a part time intern at Disney’s post-production department, in order to learn more, in her own words, about editing, visual correction, and sound mixing. And in the year 2k, she started a production company called type A films. So perhaps it was just a detour and creating films behind the scenes was always going to be her final destination. But what also pushed her to take such a big risk was partly the crisis at hand she had to manage.
“I couldn’t move on. This is my life”
Reese had already felt the noticeable drop in quality of the scripts that were arriving at her doorstep. Which were a few to begin with. But there was one really bad script that prompted her to ask her agent if anybody was seriously going to play that role. The returning answer was, “Yes. every Hollywood actress wants it right now.” Perhaps the problem with Hollywood studios at the time was that after the financial crisis they were taking fewer chances. The first to go was the 30,40 million dollar midrange movies, which is where actresses thrive. The script aforementioned that Reese passed on to others, the script which was described as “Misogynistic, and ridiculous” ended up getting two of the biggest actresses at the time.
“So after I went to visit these studios, I start telling people about this current pipeline and that there were barely any female leads in films, and the industry was in crisis and people were aghast. “ That’s horrible,” They said. And they changed the subject and moved on to their dinner and moved on with their lives. But I couldn’t change the subject, I couldn’t turn to some man and say What do we do now. This is my life. So I started my own production company, ‘Pacific standard films’ with a mission to tell stories about women.” Reese Witherspoon @ the 2015 Glamour Women of the Year
That was it. Realizing that there was a huge gap in the market, the lack of quality roles for actresses, Reese Witherspoon decided to trust in her own abilities one more time and self-funded her own production company. The first two projects she optioned: Gone girl, and wild. And the rest was history.
The Reese Narrative.
-Don’t be afraid to speak your mind.
#ask her more.
#ask her more was a 2015 campaign suggesting journalists on red carpets to ask actresses more than what they were wearing.
“It was based on this idea that these women worked really hard. It’s actually a job that you had to perform to a certain level in order to get the acknowledgment of being nominated by your peers or by any group or entity. So that instead of asking about the fashion on the carpet which is beautiful and amazing, but is not a creation of the actresses, bring it back to the work that these women were doing. Get it back to the idea of what really got you there. Which was the hard work, and dedication, that was extraordinary.” Reese Witherspoon, fast company interview
A few years ago, I read an article slamming on how hypocritical Reese Witherspoon and other Hollywood actresses were for being a part of #ask her more. Why? Because they get paid by designers to wear these gorgeous garments on their special night. The main question I want to ask back to these people is why in the world is that ever hypocritical.
The first issue in said assertion is the clear sexist undertone in the query itself. That the very idea of actresses being paid for wearing beautiful ball gowns and jewelry is absurd and snobbish. That they shouldn’t profit off these events. It is based on this idea that looking pretty and presentable is part of their job description. However, actresses and actors alike, attending these events are rare occasions. It is a time to promote their brand, to meet and connect with industry insiders. It is more than just a party. These Hollywood events are business events. Therefore, as a way to maximize their impact, actors work with their stylists to deliberately present their image in the way that feels most true to themselves. Beautiful garments are a part of their armor. Collaborating with specific designer houses to create these moments is what proves how much of a powerful businesswoman they are.
Second, the purpose of #ask her more isn’t in slamming down the focus on the fashion entirely. Actresses are privileged enough to have regular exposure to the power of fashion after all. The root problem was that the reporters were only asking actresses about who they were wearing when they were there to celebrate their work, not show off how beautiful they are. Fashion is not frivolous. So many inspirations and references are involved in the process of creating these works of art. So much time and energy were poured into creating the details of the dress. There would be nothing wrong with appreciating such craftsmanship. But the questions that are being asked is not about the beauty of these gowns. The deep meaning and artistry behind these gorgeous gowns. It’s about how ‘pretty’ they look in these dresses. Who looks prettier. Fashion itself is deeply intellectual. It is the questions that people ask that take out the meaning, the intelligence out of the conversation. In the end, the ultimate purpose of awards shows is in honoring the work of art, and those that were involved in creating these art. While fashion can play an important role, it isn’t the main focus of the night. The reason why everyone is there in the first place. That should never be lost.
#Times up.
The power of Hollywood is in its ability to reach places. The privilege entertainment insiders have over stirring up conversations. Whether that means they have the responsibility to stand up for societal issues is a whole other conversation. And of course, the sheer volume of the voice doesn’t guarantee that there will be any wisdom in the content itself. But in the end, they do have the option to speak up for things that matter to them. #metoo movement, which spread like wildfire within few days after the allegations fist came out, started from Hollywood. Perhaps this is a good example of Hollywood starting good trouble. If there is one thing last year’s imagine fiasco has taught us is that, the bigger the issue, the more thoughtful, careful you need to be when approaching said issue. When the National Farmworkers Women’s Alliance wrote a letter to Hollywood actresses to give out support all the while simultaneously underlining difficulties low income female workers have to face in speaking up against sexual assault, Hollywood responded. And times up movement was thus born. Reese Witherspoon was among those few who spearheaded the creation of the times up charity. Although there were disappointments along with the achievements made through the times up initiative since its inception, there is no denying that this event will mark a significant change in the industry.
-Take Ownership
Reese Witherspoon says in her own words she’s happiest when she turns the page and starts a new chapter and tries something that people wouldn’t expect. Others may be comfortable if you stay in your own lane. But who does that serve, right?
#hello sunshine
What do you do when you reach an impasse in your career. OR when you feel like you’re working inside an industry that is built to make you fail. Like many other industries in the world, Hollywood was and still is an industry with various diversity issue on every echelon. The gates are so closed off it is almost a miracle for you to get the foot in the door. Of course it would be a different story if you know someone who is going to grant you access from the inside. But even if you’re in, there are no guarantees either.
“When I was 25, I started a production company at a movie studio that made exactly 1 in 5 years. I walked away from that experience with a real feeling of defeat. That I was trying to work inside a system that was not built for me to succeed.” Reese Witherspoon @ the 2015 Glamour Women of the Year
They say the most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. Hollywood has various appeals to those who wish to enter the industry, but longevity won’t certainly be a part of that package. And because job security is such a rarity in Hollywood, even though everyone is aware that sexism and racism are so rampant in Hollywood, many seem to simply focus on accepting that fact. Simply focus your energy on making peace with it, rather than trying to break the cycle. Reese Witherspoon had two options, to make peace with the fact that most roles she’ll be offered from now on will simply suck. Or if you can’t deal with the mediocrity, exit the industry. The door is to your left. But she came up with a different solution.
If you’re not getting any good scripts, make good scripts. Out of her own frustrations, Hello sunshine was born.
“Hello sunshine is a mission based company focused on putting women’s story at the center of storytelling.” Hello sunshine
There are various reasons why one would decide to start a company. Maybe it was your goal from day 1, to start your own company. But if not, you were inspired, most likely, to start up based on problems you encountered in real life. The reason why Reese Witherspoon wanted to start her own production company came out of necessity, out of the real life problem she was personally facing. But it was created to solve more than just her own issues. You don’t start a company if it’s purely based on your own experiences. If the kind of problem you faced was something only you’d uniquely experience. Then you find a solution, deal with it, and move on. You create a company because you need to solve a collective issue that many others are facing as well. To tackle down deeply rooted problems, that need consistent effort.
“Women have been silenced from a lot of the traditional storytelling process. Hello, sunshine hopes to fill the gap in female created and female driven content by ushering in a wave of storytelling that will live across all platforms, from digital to Tv to Film.” Mary Beth Ferrante