What a fantastic career! Below are my favorite parts of the article…
Do you think activism and creativity are becoming more intertwined? Is there more of a relationship between things that people view as entertainment and as activism?
People are really waking up to a global responsibility, especially our generation, and I think the internet has a big part in it. I think it’s maybe just a time of so much strife in the world that it’s hard to ignore. Then there are brilliant comedians that make it something digestible but also infuriating. So yeah, I think entertainment and activism go very much hand in hand. Though I don’t want to say it’s an entertainer’s responsibility to also be an activist. I don’t even really think of myself as an activist. I just feel very passionate about these people who are going through a hard time.
And part of getting ahead in the entertainment world is now about your social currency, too.
I think about that a lot. When I started to get a backlash for my opinions, I looked at what other women and men in the industry that I respect are doing. Some of them are big philanthropists and quiet on social media [about it]. Their social media is about their product, and their product is them, and so they post their selfies and their behind-the-scenes pics and people like it and love it and they build their audience and they book their work and then they donate quietly, and that is really cool. Then there are other people I respect like Macklemore, who uses his voice constantly to try to make change in the world, and that’s really brave and scary, and I respect that, too. I don’t know which one I should be doing because it fucks me up to have to have those conversations. And I do, I engage with those people on Twitter, and I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do.
Also, it’s so cocky of me to think that I could change anyone’s mind, but I can’t do nothing. How am I not supposed to talk to these 100,000 people about something that’s tearing me up today? How am I supposed to act like it’s not happening? How am I supposed to post my happy selfie today when I’m actually really distraught about the murder that’s happening in the world? Maybe I should. Maybe this will be the downfall of my career if people stop following me and studios don’t want to be involved with someone this controversial—not that I am controversial in any way—I don’t know what is the right move or the more advisable career move, but life is long and complicated and you’ve got to do what you feel is right.
[quotes and image from adweek]
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