Cate Blanchett denounced the impact of #Me too movement, suggesting it “was killed very quickly” by an industry eager to return to the status quo.
The actress’ remarks come after she was criticized online for her comments about Palestine, where she initially said it was a “sad state of affairs” that film festivals have suddenly become the place where people want to talk about the conflicts, wars and genocides happening around the world.
Cate Blanchett asks why #MeToo failed
Blanchett sparked renewed interest in the #MeToo movement after lamenting how quickly its impact seemed to be fading.
During a recent appearance at the Cannes Film Festival, the “Ocean’s 8” actress spoke with moderator Didier Allouch and reflected on how the movement “killed itself very quickly” in Hollywood.
“There are a lot of people who have platforms that are able to speak out with relative safety and say this happened to me, and the so-called average woman on the street is saying #MeToo. Why is this being shut down?” asked Blanchett, per Variety.
She continued: “What [the movement] There is a systemic layer of abuse, not only in this industry but in all industries, and if you don’t identify a problem, you can’t fix it.
Blanchett has already marched for #MeToo
The #MeToo movement gained momentum on social media in 2017 following multiple allegations of sexual abuse against film producer Harvey Weinstein.
At the time, several people exposed sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace at the hands of influential figures, while demanding accountability from industry executives and executives.
According to Time magazine, the #MeToo movement has led to the ouster, resignation or firing of more than 400 high-profile executives and business executives across various industries. Some of the most prominent figures who have faced professional consequences or investigations include Bill Cosby, former Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and Weinstein himself.
Cate Blanchett Slams Hollywood’s Gender Gap
Weighing in on the campaign’s limited impact on the industry, the two-time Oscar winner lamented that a major disparity still exists between the number of men and women working in Hollywood.
“I’m still on the sets and I’m counting every day, and it’s always, you know… there’s ten women and 75 men every morning,” Blanchett said.
“I like men, but what happens is the jokes become the same,” she continued. “You just have to prepare a little, and I’m used to it, but it gets boring for everyone when you go into a homogeneous workplace. I think it has an effect on the work.”
Blanchett led 82 women in a protest in Cannes
At the 2018 march, the “Lord of the Rings” actress was one of 82 women who protested the glaring gender divide in Hollywood.
Blanchett explained at the time that this figure represented the 82 female directors who have competed at Cannes since the festival’s creation, compared to 1,866 male directors over the same period.
“Women are not a minority in the world, and yet the current state of the industry says otherwise,” Blanchett said at the time. “As women, we all face our own challenges, but we stand together today on these steps as a symbol of our determination and commitment to progress.”
Cate Blanchett faces backlash over Palestine comments
Social media users immediately took to the comments section to criticize Blanchett for her remarks.
“I guess it’s no surprise that people whose lives are entirely devoted to pretending are disproportionately likely to believe imaginary stories like the Gaza ‘genocide’ hoax,” one X user wrote.
Someone else wrote: “She’s trying to sound smart but she’s stupid. She wishes organizations were more ‘opaque and honest’. Opaque is the opposite of transparent. She doesn’t know the meaning of words. She should look opaque and genocidal in a dictionary.”
“Are film festivals the only place to talk about global conflicts? Honestly, how out of touch are celebrities?” » said a third user.
Another reviewer noted, “This is precisely why actors like Cate and her fans talk about it so often at film festivals, where no follow-up action is expected except on-camera applause.” »