When Amy Schumer began working on The Leather Special with Netflix, she had just come off an Emmy nomination for Inside Amy Schumer and a major movie, Trainwreck. She was a hot commodity. So, why was she initially paid around £7 million less than male comedians were?
Variety pointed out in their feature on equal pay that Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle both created comedy specials with Netflix. The only difference is that they were both paid £16 million. Schumer was only offered £9 million. When Chapelle and Rock's salaries made headlines, Schumer turned right around and asked Netflix for more. Although the exact number is unknown, Schumer "received significantly more compensation after she raised the question of fairness."
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Drake once said, "Know yourself. Know your worth," and Amy Schumer certainly knows her worth. Along with the comedienne in the fight for equal pay are some of your favorite actresses. Emmy Rossum from Shameless stepped up, pointing out that her job was just as demanding as her male co-star's, William H. Macy. House of Cards' Robin Wright spoke up and although she still never made the same amount as Kevin Spacey, she was promised other incentives. Even Jennifer Lawrence, who was once considered the highest paid actress in the world (that role is now being played by Emma Stone), wrote a personal essay about finding out she was paid less than male co-stars. Unequal pay is all around us and it's up to women across the country to set things right.
Remember, women have it hard, but the wage gap is even bigger for women of colour. These women and more know that sometimes all it takes is speaking up for what's right. Take a page from Amy Schumer and get what's yours!
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