What is an inclusion rider? Explaining Frances McDormand’s call to action at the Oscars.
by Maura Judkis and Stephanie Merry March 5 at 1:43 PM Email the author
1:21
What does an inclusion rider mean?
Frances McDormand used her Oscars best actress acceptance speech to highlight “inclusion riders.” Here’s how it could change representation in films. (Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post)
In one of the most powerful moments of the first #MeToo Oscars, best actress winner Frances McDormand invited all the other female nominees in the room to stand up and be recognized. Then she told the men to look around.
“We all have stories to tell and projects we need financed,” she said. “Invite us into your office in a couple of days, or you can come to ours, whichever suits you best, and we’ll tell you all about them.” Then she signed off with a phrase that sent many people to Google, or Merriam-Webster. “I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: Inclusion rider.”
What the heck is an inclusion rider? It’s a way to make Hollywood more equitable. Actors sign contracts when they are cast in films, and they have the ability to negotiate for riders, or additional provisions. An inclusion rider is a stipulation that the cast and crew in a film reflect real demographics, including a proportionate number of women, minorities, LGBTQ individuals and people with disabilities. Big name actors who have leverage in negotiations could put this stipulation into their contracts and drastically change representation in film.
[ Oscars 2018: ‘The Shape of Water’ wins best picture at awards show laced with social and political statements ]
The idea was developed by Stacy Smith, founder and director of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, and drafted with Kalpana Kotagal of the law firm Cohen Milstein and the producer and actor Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni. Smith spoke about it in a TED talk in 2016, and the idea has gained ground ever since.
When Smith heard McDormand’s call-out, she was thrilled. “How she acknowledged all the women standing up, and indicating that they had projects and ideas, was fantastic,” she told The Washington Post by phone after the Oscars.
Even though the inclusion rider might seem like an insidery Hollywood thing, she’s glad that the general public knows about it.
“The message of the industry is going out strong and clear that this matters and that it’s important and there are steps we can take to get there faster,” she said.
. . .
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/03/05/what-is-an-inclusion-rider-explaining-frances-mcdormands-call-to-action-at-the-oscars/?utm_term=.dc6a74e6c5f5
= new reply since forum marked as read
