Jennifer Lawrence Has Had It With The Gender Wage Gap, And So Have I

In an essay released this week from Lena Dunham's "Lenny Newsletter," actress Jennifer Lawrence revealed her thoughts on feminism and the gender-based wage gap.

The Hollywood actress depicted how she felt after she discovered she had made drastically less than her male costars in "American Hustle."

Lawrence stated:

I'm over trying to find the ‘adorable’ way to state my opinion and still be likable! F*ck that. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It’s just heard.

"The Hunger Games" star explained she regrets giving up on negotiations too early for the movie, due to the fear of coming off as a "spoiled brat," and she slammed the outrageous double standard women face not only in Hollywood, but everywhere in the world.

She went on to tell a short story about a recent personal experience with a male coworker:

A few weeks ago at work, I spoke my mind and gave my opinion in a clear and no-bullshit way; no aggression, just blunt. The man I was working with (actually, he was working for me) said, 'Whoa! We’re all on the same team here!' As if I was yelling at him. I was so shocked because nothing that I said was personal, offensive, or, to be honest, wrong. All I hear and see all day are men speaking their opinions, and I give mine in the same exact manner, and you would have thought I had said something offensive.

Lawrence's story is not too unfamiliar with many other experiences women have faced in the workplace.

As women, we are programmed to want people to like us, but does that mean we have to give up on what we want (and need), in order to avoid seeming like "spoiled brats?"

Conventional, old-fashioned (men) have been denying the fact a wage gap exists for quite some time, stating it's all a "sham," and that we're all just angry feminists.

But, numerous studies have shown women earn roughly 79 percent of what men earn.

Many men have counter-argued the cold, hard statistics by claiming the reason we make less is due to the fact we take time out of our careers to care for our homes, families, husbands, etc.

Yet, this argument can be immediately shut down by a perfect example: Jennifer Lawrence.

Lawrence is a single, 25-year-old woman with no children.

She has been a part of various extremely successful movies, and this exemplifies not only her talent, but also her determination and motivation to succeed.

So, what's the deal?

I don't know about you, but all of this hit me like a big "WTF."

I mean, if Jennifer Lawrence is having issues and is being affected by wage inequality, is there any doubt that an ordinary woman such as myself will experience the same thing?

At the very least, I salute Lawrence for bringing to light an issue so many men (and women) sweep under the rug.

So, to the gender-based wage gap and the men who try to justify it (as Lawrence so aptly stated): "F*ck that."