The+Hollywood+Criteria

Assignment description: http://iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com/Project ** Project Proposal **  My topic I chose is on the highest paid female and male actors and actresses in Hollywood. I chose to research about this topic because I am oddly intrigued by actors and actresses. I am guilty of buying //People Magazine//, //Us Weekly//, and other magazines because I like to read about the world of celebrities. I am also guilty of watchingVh1 which talks about celebrities and has short documentaries on many of the well known actors and actresses in Hollywood. I love to watch movies with the more well known actors and actresses such as Will Smith and Jennifer Anniston. However, the thing that has always befuddled me was why Will Smith or any other of the male actors has made so much more money compared to the female actresses in Hollywood. I have come to this questionable conclusion from watching Vh1 and from reading magazines, but I don’t really know if is even true, so I would like to do further research into that topic.

My essential question is: “What are the expectations for the highest paid female actresses and the highest paid male actors in Hollywood?”

First, I will find the top three highest paid male actors and the top three highest paid female actresses in Hollywood. Then, I will research on these actors and actresses and compare their physical appearances, the types of roles they played in movies, and the types of movies they acted in the past which will then help me determine the expectations of the highest paid male actors are compared to the female actresses.

**Editorial** [] For my editorial, I couldn't really focus on my essential question because there is not really a side I can choose so I went with another direction for my editorial that relates to my essential question. My editorial is about the payroll of actors and actresses however, I focused on whether these actors and actresses are overpaid or not. In my editorial,I explained that actors and actresses are overpaid, especially the actors.

Are Actors and Actresses Overpaid

The average actor gets paid about $809 per day, or $2,808 per week (Medina, Victor). Actors and actresses are paid exceptionally well compared to "regular" working people. Do these actors and actresses who get paid an average of about $10 million or more per movie deserve their high paychecks?

The three highest paid actors and actresses ofHollywood in 2009 through 2010 were paid between $27 million to $75 million ("Hollywood's Highest-Paid Actors - Forbes.com."). Johnny Depp, being the highest paid male actor during that time acted in four movies, earning himself an average of $75 million.

Depp is known for his versatile roles, and for that, he is seen as one ofHollywood’s most talented actors. Although he was nominated for many awards during 2009 to 2010, he did not win any for the four movies he acted. The question is quite simple, although Depp is known as a talented actor, did he really deserve his $75 million? Sure, he has won numerous awards before, but he happened to win zero during 2009-2010. Awards are not a huge determinant in an actor’s and actress’ paycheck, but it could be a supportive plus. Depp did not deserve what he was paid. $75 million is too much. No matter how good an actor or actress is, they should not be paid $75 million in just one year. All they do is act. They might fight the bad guys and save millions of lives in movies, but they don't do it in real life. There are millions of people who work harder than actors and actresses, but yet they don't even earn close to what the actors and actresses are making. Actors are entertainers; we can live without them. However, we can’t live without policemen, doctors, teachers, and other occupations because they impact so many American lives. Theses are the people who should be receiving higher paychecks instead of actors and actresses. They straight up deserve it. Not only do they work harder, they have a more positive impact on people than actors and actresses do. Theses workers saves lives, they teach children, who are the future of our nation, they keep this country organized and running, they keep us fed and clothed; they make it possible for us to live. They deserve the pay over the actors and actresses. The next question is why these actors and actresses get paid so much?

It's because of us. We are the ones who are paying to see them. It cost about $10 per person to watch a movie at the movie theaters. Multiply that by the millions of people who go to the movies each weekend. Imagine how much money that is. Not only do actors and actresses get paid for just simply acting in a movie, they get paid after they are done acting as well. The actors earn continuous royalties after their movie is produced from the box office earnings to DVD's sold to other factors. They do deserve some percentage of the money earned in the box office and in other sales, but not continuously. The money in our economy is already unevenly distributed; we don't need it to be more uneven. Hollywood is overrated. The dilemma is not only thatHollywood actors and actresses are overpaid, but the males specifically are overpaid. Sandra Bullock, the highest paid female actress in 2009 through 2010 earned only $56 million as compared to Depp's $75 million. There are many reasons as to why actresses are paid less than actors.

Professor Katy Gilpatric from Kaplan University foundthat out of 300 of the contemporary cinema movies that she researched, only 112 of those 300 films which is only 37% had at least one lead female action character ("Hollywood's Highest-Paid Actors - Forbes.com."). This goes to show that there are not as many movies with lead female roles compared to lead male roles.There is less opportunity for a female to get a leading role in a movie so they have less opportunity to make more money. There is no question that the highest paid actors and actresses in Hollywood make more than they deserve. Especially the highest paid male actors. They earn almost 1/3 more than what the female actresses mate. However, both actors and actresses still earn an excessive amount of money per year which instead should be distributed among workers who actually deserve it.

**Research Paper** For my research paper, I researched the top three highest paid actors and the top three highest paid actresses in 2009-2010. From there, I discovered the similarities between the actors and the similarities between the actresses which I determined them to be factors of being so highly paid in Hollywood. I found that the expectations for being the highest paid actor in Hollywood is completely different than the highest paid actress in Hollywood. Here are two links that show you the highest paid actors during and the highest paid actress during 2009-2010. ACTORS: [] ACTRESSES: []

 The Hollywood Criteria  In Hollywood, only a select group of actors and actresses are paid over $25 million annually ("Highest Paid Actors of Hollywood in 2010 « Bloggers Corner." and "Top 10 Highest Paid Hollywood Female Actresses 2010 – 2011"). Through 2009 to 2010, these were the top three stars that made the list of the highest paid actors and the highest paid actresses in Hollywood: for the actresses, Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz, and Reese Witherspoon, and for the actors, Johnny Depp, Ben Stiller, and Tom Hanks ("Highest Paid Actors of Hollywood in 2010 « Bloggers Corner." and "Top 10 Highest Paid Hollywood Female Actresses 2010 – 2011."). The criterion of being one of the highest paid actors inHollywood is completely opposite then from being one of the highest paid actresses inHollywood. For actresses, physical appearance, age, their awards won previously, and their personal lives make more of an impact on their annual paychecks than for actors. On the contrary, for actors, the role they play in movies, the numbers of movies they act in, and their previous years of fame are more of an impact for them. Every factor that matters for a highly paid actress does not matter for a highly paid actor and every factor that matters for a highly paid actor does not matter for a highly paid actress.

 During 2009-2010, the top three highest paid actresses who not only had similar physical appearances, but also led similar lives during that busy year, were paid around $25 million to $60 million. Ranking at second and third on the list, Cameron Diaz and Reese Witherspoon both earned an average of $32 million, while Sandra Bullock earned an average of $56 million, earning her spot as number one on the list (Top 10 Highest Paid Hollywood Female Actresses 2010 – 2011"). Strangely, these three women had many similarities that did not pertain to the movies they acted in. There were other aspects of these women that determined their annual paycheck such as their marital status. 7 out of the 10 highest paid actresses in 2009-2010 were not married (Pomerantz, Dorothy). At the time, Bullock was going through a divorce, Diaz was dating, and Witherspoon was single. When actresses are married and have children, they are too preoccupied with their families to be the huge movie stars. These three successful actresses were able to focus on their career instead of their married lives. In a marriage between an actor and an actress, the actor seems to be the bigger star because he can be. The actress is always criticized for not being the motherly figure she should be to her children, but it's okay for the husband to be away for months for a movie because he’s making the family income. For example, Angelina Jolie is criticized for not the stay at home mother she promised, Brad wanted her to slow it down, spend time with Shiloh and has more biological children." In US magazine, according to an "expert": "Angelina's behavior may cause problems because it's hypocritical. Either you want to build a stable family or you want to be a woman with the career who's flying off here, flying there, doing this film, doing that film. But you can't have it both ways." Actresses can’t have it both ways. While Bullock was away from her husband making her movies, her husband cheated on her with another woman, and as a result, Bullock filed for divorce that same year (Pomerantz, Dorothy). Married actresses can never seem to grasp that huge spotlight because their relationship is a bigger factor to them. There are so many married actors who are on the top because they know that their wives will be faithful to them. We often hear of incidents where an actress has cheated on their husband. Married actresses feel that it will happen to them so they don’t push as far forward in their careers.

 Also Bullock, Diaz, and Witherspoon are in their mid-30s and 40s (Pomerantz, Dorothy.). This means that they are at a more stable part in their lives where they are not out partying and experimenting. They know what they want. Also these women are at an age where they are not likely to get pregnant. Actresses can’t afford to get pregnant “because when they become pregnant whiles active in the movie scene, it pushes them to the back ground” (Inusah, Mustapha A.). Ghanaian actress, Soraya Menshah quotes that “new actresses should not rush in the industry but to take their time to learn more about the field before making any entry into the game. Movie stars are not to be desperate to feature in movies. When it is your time, you will definitely shine” (Inusah, Mustapha A.) These women have had many years of experience in the film industry. That is why they were so successful.

 Along with their age and social lives, Bullock, Diaz, and Witherspoon also are attractive women. Joanna Sotomura, an actress I interviewed quoted, “Women tend to be looked as the interest or prize to be won, so that adds pressure to be sexually appealing and composed” ("Interview."). Bullock, Diaz, and Witherspoon are not only sophisticated women who know how to act, they are also appealing to the eyes. Caucasians with either blond or brunette hair and a slim body; these women have the full package. 10 out of the 10 highest paid female actresses in 2009-2010 were Caucasian with either blond or brunette hair with slim bodies (Pomerantz, Dorothy.). Although this is not the best thing to admit, being good looking is a benefit for actresses.  The last benefit for a highly paid actress is winning an award. All three actresses have won an at least one award for their movies. On Hollywood.com, it said that “after Julia Roberts won her Oscars, she skyrocketed on the bankable charts. Robertsis now the highest-paid female star, commanding a $20 million paycheck.” (Bowen, Kit.)Sandra Bullock used to get $10 million per film, however that rate went up after she won an Oscar for "The Blind Side" in 2010 (Medina, Victor.). Having won an award shows that the women are worthy to be paid so highly.

 Oddly, Bullock’s, Diaz’s, and Witherspoon’s movies in 2009-2010 were not similar in any way. Their audiences were different, their movie genres differed, and their roles they played in the movie, from the type of character they played to their size of their role, differed. Strangely, all the factors that do not affect a highly paid actress’ paycheck affect a highly paid actor’s paycheck.

 The top three highest paid actors in 2009-2010 were Johnny Depp who earned an average of $75 million, Ben Stiller who earned an average of $53 million, and Tom Hanks who earned an average of $45 million ("Top 10 Highest Paid Hollywood Female Actresses 2010 – 2011"). Unlike the Bullock, Diaz, and Witherspoon, these three actors have all been apart of at least three movies during 2009-2010. The number of movies that Depp, Stiller, and Hanks have made has been a part of has been a huge factor to their annual earnings. Each of these men were a part of four movies in 2009-2010. That is a great number of films in just one year. For actors, there are a lot of small parts that are available that aren’t as picky as compared with small part for actresses. Also, many actors can get paid a lot if they are the main character in the movie. There are a lot of movies where a male is the main character. Therefore, for actors, the number of movies they act in comes down to a remaining factor. Besides narrowing the factors that effects their paychecks all the way down to the number of movies these actors are in in just one year, the bigger picture is the roles they have played in previous movies.  Reputation matters. Although Depp had never won a Golden Globe Award before, he still managed to take the number one spot for highest paid actor in 2009-2010. Depp is known for his diverse roles. His reputation to play weird characters such as the Mad Hatter in //Alice in Wonderland// and Willy Wonka in //Charlie and the Chocolat Factory// has gained him a huge amount of fans and the respect of not only others actos but of producers as well (//The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)//). This is why he earns so much. His reputation as a flexible actor has earned him the big bucks.

 Like Depp, Stiller also never won a Golden Globe Award before (//The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)//). However Stiller was able to be the second highest paid actor in 2009-2010 because of his reputation as the funny guy. Stiller’s previous movies such as //Meet the Parents//, //Zoolander//, //There’s Something About Mary//, and many more comedic movies are have earned Stiller the huge fan base. Stiller is a popular actor and that is why is paid so much. <span style="color: #17ba97; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Although Depp and Stiller had never won a Golden Globe Award, Hanks had back in 1988, 1993, 1994, and 2000 (//The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)//). Hanks was able to make $45 million dollars in one year because he was a recognizable actor who had exceptional performances in his roles in //Forrest Gump// and //Cast Away//. Hanks earned a huge reputation for his previous performances which benefited his paycheck in 2009-2010 because producers want big time actors in their movies. They are willing to pay a huge sum for them because they know that they will bring in the massive number of viewers. The previous years of fame, the roles they played, and the number of movies they acted in were the factors to determining why Depp, Stiller, and Hanks were the highest paid actors.

<span style="color: #17ba97; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Look at Hanks, he may not look like Brad Pitt, but it doesn’t matter because he is still is earning more than Pitt. Stiller is married and has two kids and he was still able to be a part of four movies. Joanna Sotomura quoted in her interview,” Men are seen as funnier and therefor allowed to get away with a lot i.e. a sloppy appearance (Seth Rogan), infidelity (Brad Pitt), and flat out arrogance (Charlie Sheen)” ("Interview."). It is obvious that a highly paid actress’s standards are stricter than a highly paid actor’s.

<span style="color: #17ba97; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Over the decades, there have been two unheard of and not talked about criteria that have evolved in Hollywood, one that enforces standards for the highly paid actors and one that enforces standards upon the highly paid actresses. Actresses must be attractive, middle aged, not married, and have had won an award previously while actors must have a reputation from their past and must have played significant roles in their movies. As a result of these different standards in the film industry, this proves that it matter what gender you are in Hollywood.

Annotated Work Cited

<span style="color: #2f6a68; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 125%;">**Product description** <span style="color: #15ac1f; font-family: Georgia,serif;">I have decided to make a magazine as a product for my project. It makes perfect sense to make a magazine because my topic is on actors and actresses. The best way for actors and actresses to be exposed to the public is by the media and I think that a magazine is an efficient and entertaining way to teach readers about the expectations of the highest paid actresses and actors in Hollywood. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: #15ac1f; font-family: Georgia,serif;">This is my front cover of my magazine. I named my magazine //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Celeb Magazine // because there is//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> People Magazine //but my project focuses on the expectations of actors and actresses and the highly paid actors and actresses are known as “celebrities.” The highly paid actors and actresses are no regular “people,” they’re “celebs.” In my magazine, I focused mainly on actresses because there expectations are based more on their image than on their talent. The celebrity magazines never talk about how good of an actress or actor a person is, instead, they talk about their social lives and their physical image. That is why my magazine mainly has pictures and articles about actresses. In order for an actor to be one of the highest paid in Hollywood, they have to have some sort of previous fame. Also the types of movie they act in and the roles they play determine whether they can be one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the celebrity magazines such as //People// and //Us Weekly// don't talk about the movies, that's why my magazine focuses on mainly the actresses because their expectations deal with image. I will educate my readers by having short articles in the magazine that I will write about the actresses social lives and will have pictures on actresses that deal with their bikini bodies and their style. I believe these things will emphasize the expectations of what it takes to be the highest paid actor or actress in Hollywood.