Jeremy Renner Says It's Not His Job to Help Female Co-Stars Get Equal Pay, and I'm Annoyed
Jeremy Renner talked to Business Insider about the income inequality debates rampant in Hollywood, and his thoughts may annoy you just a tad. (Read: You'll be seeing red in the next six seconds.)
"That's not my job," Jeremy told the news outlet Tuesday. "I don't know contracts and money and all that sort of stuff...I do what I'm good at, that's what I focus on." (He did, however, say he supports income equality.)
Is anyone else ticked off by this answer? Yes, it isn't Jeremy's technical job to make sure his female co-stars receive equal pay, but the Oscar nominee has power and influence. He can certainly use those tools to help the ladies out if he wants to, but it seems like he doesn't. And that's complete crap, in my opinion.
Especially when you compare his response to Bradley Cooper's recent interview with Reuters. Bradley told the news agency he's taking an active role in making sure his female counterparts and he receive equal pay for the same work. "Usually you don't talk about the financial stuff, you have people," he said. "But you know what? It's time to start doing that."
And that's exactly the kind of role Jeremy should take in this debate. It's easy to just say, "I support income equality" but do nothing about it. Actions speak louder than words, and it will take action (starting from influential people like Jeremy) to make any sort of headway in this problem—in Hollywood and around the United States.
I'm all for saving the environment, but that means jack-shit if I just wear an "I Love Trees" T-shirt and call it a day. I'm a huge feminist, but if all I do is say, "I'm a feminist," then that helps no one. I'm an avid supporter of transgender rights, but if I don't take time to educate my friends on proper trans language, then what's the point? Are you sensing a pattern here? Simply voicing support or agreement on an issue is pointless. You have to put your money where your mouth is.
And with a net worth of $35 million, we know Jeremy has a lot.