Ever thought about equal gender pay and pay equity together—that too in the entertainment industry? No, it isn’t a PR move. It is the moment to celebrate the progressive and symbolic decision.
‘Everyone is treated the same on The White Lotus,’ producer David Bernad told The Hollywood Reporter. Surprisingly, it does not follow any kind of hierarchy. ‘They get paid the same, and we do alphabetical billing, so you’re getting people who want to do the project for the right reasons, not to quote The Bachelor,‘ said David Bernad.
That is a practice producer Bernad, The White Lotus creator Mike White and HBO adopted when they made the show’s first season, which was shot on location in Hawaii in late 2020 in the midst of the COVID pandemic. ‘It’s a system we developed in the first season because there was no money to make the show,‘ Bernad added. ‘And it’s not negotiable.’
The White Lotus has established itself as one of HBO’s flagship shows. The Hollywood Reporter reported that The White Lotus series regulars make about $40,000 an episode, or roughly $320,000 for the eight-episode season — a far cry from the ballooning salaries of other TV mega-hits. Casting director Meredith Tucker added that the process makes it much easier for them to deal with demands.
‘You tell people this is what it is. And some won’t do it — and honestly, you can’t hold it against people who need to make a living,’ he said, adding that only the series regulars agree to come onboard at the given pay scale.
Equal treatment based on payment provides a strong message that talent and effort should define compensation, not gender or hierarchy. This choice also reminds us that attaining wage equity is a structural decision rather than a logistical impossibility. Producers and networks can make it happen if they choose. High-profile programs lead the way and drive the business and society towards more ethical, inclusive criteria.
The gender pay gap affects most industries, with women generally earning less than their male counterparts — and Hollywood is no different. Female actors earn around US$ 1.1 million less than male actors with similar experience, as revealed in research findings.
Women actresses earn around US$ 1.1 million less than male actors with similar experience, as revealed in research findings.
The pay for an actor or actress is often influenced by several factors, including the financial performance of their past projects, the specific genre of the films or shows, and their overall popularity, which can be gauged through both traditional cinema and their online presence, particularly in terms of fan following on various social media platforms.
In light of this, their value and experience determine their payment. If we lived in an egalitarian society where everyone was treated equally, we would expect there to be no salary disparity between men and women, and certainly not one that was so big.
This egalitarian world can now be attainable as a result of the road that has been demonstrated by The White Lotus‘ equal treatment of its artists. It ought to serve as a model for the purpose of providing a just and equitable wage to all individuals working in the industry as well as in all other fields of labour. It sets a great example in addressing the longstanding issue of pay discrimination in the entertainment industry or any other and it offers a broader lesson to what pay equity truly entails and why it should be addressed instantly.
The importance of equal pay in any and every industry
According to the World Economic Forum, there is no country on earth where women make as much as men for the same work. It predicts the global gender pay disparity may take up to 170 years to close.
The gender pay gap is a phenomenon where women find themselves on the shorter end of the paycheck compared to their male colleagues. In simpler terms, it is the average difference in earnings between men and women doing the same jobs. It’s about unequal treatment rooted in age-old beliefs. The trend of not hiring more women or giving them equal pay is fuelled by patriarchy, lack of education, and old-fashioned prejudices.
No lasting improvements in the economic status of women can be expected as long as women’s time and talents are valued less than men’s, whether it’s in the entertainment industry or any other. Pay equity matters because it is a glaring injustice and subjects millions of women and families to lives of entrenched poverty and opportunity gaps.
Pay equity matters because it is a glaring injustice and subjects millions of women and families to lives of entrenched poverty and opportunity gaps.
In addition, women have a much lower degree of social protection coverage than males do. This disparity is essentially a reflection of and reproduces the fact that women have lower rates of labour force participation, greater levels of temporary and precarious work, and informal employment. The combination of all of these factors results in women having lesser incomes, savings, and pensions, as well as gendered poverty in their later years.
Promoting equal pay also helps to address an important cause of the gender pay gap, namely, pay discrimination. It also contributes to enhancing overall gender equality in the world of work. Addressing gender pay differentials is crucial for several reasons.
By reducing women’s financial dependence, it enhances their influence and status within households and communities. It aims to improve the unequal domestic division of labour between men and women, as well as the allocation of women’s time between paid and unpaid work throughout their life cycle.
Additionally, it seeks to challenge and change stereotypical views regarding women’s aspirations, preferences, capabilities, and perceived suitability for certain jobs. Furthermore, it plays a significant role in making women and their families less vulnerable to poverty, thereby decreasing the likelihood that low-income households, particularly those headed by women, will experience or remain in poverty.
This initiative will also contribute to increasing women’s pensions and reducing the risk of poverty in old age, ensuring sustainable recovery for women during economic crises.
This initiative will also contribute to increasing women’s pensions and reducing the risk of poverty in old age, ensuring sustainable recovery for women during economic crises. Moreover, it alleviates pressure on families to work longer hours, decreases reliance on child labour, lowers turnover rates, and boosts productivity. Ultimately, it enhances the capacity of enterprises to attract and retain top talent.
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