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Cate Blanchett condemns media coverage of women on the red carpet

The actor doesn't really think it's important where she got her dress from

Helen Nianias
Wednesday 15 April 2015 05:58 EDT
Comments
Apparently Cate Blanchett wore the most expensive dress at this years Oscars
Apparently Cate Blanchett wore the most expensive dress at this years Oscars

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There's been a recent outcry from female actors against the mundane questions and endless focus on their appearance at red carpet events.

Now, Cate Blanchett has once again spoken out against the routine objectification of women in the public eye.

Blanchett told Harper's Bazaar Australia that the industry has taken a turn for the superficial in recent years.

“Since I’ve been strutting the red carpet, things have changed a lot.

“The way women are asked about those red carpet moments. Oh my God. It’s just a dress!”

Blanchett, who won an Oscar in 2014 for her performance in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, argued that the coverage distracts from public appreciation of their craft. “[People] forget the fact that women are up there because they’ve given extraordinary performances,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful excuse to dress up and have F.U.N. But let’s not forget the work.”

In the interview, Blanchett added that there is a line that many reporters cross, and joked that: “Next it will be, ‘What brand tampon are you wearing?’”

Blanchett is a face for Armani perfume, and has previously complained about how she's treated at events. At the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2014, she was horrified when she noticed E!'s "Glam Cam" panning up and down her body.

Blanchett bent down to give the E! network a piece of her mind
Blanchett bent down to give the E! network a piece of her mind

She admonished the camera operator, saying: "Do you do that to the guys?"

Actors such as Scarlett Johansson have voiced similar concerns. The Her star said she got asked the "rabbit food questions" compared with her male colleagues.

Actor Amy Poehler launched an initiative this awards season, called #AskHerMore. The objective was to make reporters and the public aware of the gender bias when it comes to coverage of women in showbusiness. Social media users sent in alternative questions from the usual "who are you wearing?" to show what people really want to know.

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