In an interview with Vulture.com to promote her new movie Youth, Jane Fonda is asked about her famous dance parties, which include Catherine Keener, Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Page, Jake Shears and soon, James Corden. Let’s sit with that a minute and imagine what that scene must be like. I am a spontaneous dancer, more than one dinner has been burned because The Mister slaps on some serious R&B (or 80s pop – it’s a confusing household). I am just putting it out there, Jane, in case you need someone to round out your Virginia Wheel.

In addition to epic dance parties, Jane discusses the movie and what was it like to work with Paolo Sorrentino vs. other directors. Those quotes are fun and you can read them all on Vulture. The later part of the interview deals with her thoughts on Jennifer Lawrence’s pay gap essay and inequality in general:

On being paid equally with male actors:
This is gonna sound really weird, but I never paid attention.

On Jennifer’s point that women don’t pay attention but men do:
You know what? I have no idea what I was paid to do Youth. No idea. I’m gonna do a movie with Robert Redford again, and I’m gonna pay more attention now, because of the conversation.

On her joke about the ex-husbands on Frankie and Grace making the same amount as Jane and Lily Tomlin:
I know! Because this is a real issue. Meryl Streep has talked about it a lot, too. The thing is, it’s not just true of movies — it’s true across the board… You know, I made 9 to 5, I produced that movie, and pay equity was an issue that was raised then. A lot of the other issues that have been raised for workers have been dealt with since, but not pay equity. No, no, no. We’re still out there.

On the lack of women-helmed movies:
… it’s a business, bottom line, and it’s an expensive business. When your job is on the line and you’re earning millions of dollars as a studio executive, you tend to be conservative and go in the direction of what’s familiar and comfortable. What’s familiar is someone that looks like you — a white male, probably. The good news is that you can’t solve a problem until you name it, and now it’s being named. We have to shame studios into changing it…

[From Vulture.com]

I am trying really hard to stay on task and not launch into a fawning soliloquy on how much I love 9 to 5. Or that ohmigod – Paul and Corie together again! #BarefootInTheParkHEARTEYES!

But I digress…

I expect children of Hollywood dynasties (Jane’s father was Henry Fonda, her brother is Peter Fonda) likely don’t pay as much attention to the business side because they probably use the same business people as their relations. That is why what Jane says here is so great; she is not parsing out a few pat phrases or worse, implying it’s not an issue. She is not taking a hall pass on this; she realizes people in her position play into the problem by letting others have the control. She doesn’t need the money but that isn’t the point; by acting as a result of the current conversation, she furthers the discussion.

I like the example she is setting here, I really do – and I think I should discuss it further with Jane… at her place, maybe with a few friends over, possibly moving rhythmically to one of Catherine Keener’s great playlists.

Check out the cast of Youth – it has Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, and Rachel Weisz and it looks intriguing. Jane comes in at about 2:00:

Jane Fonda is shown at the premiere of Youth on 11-17-15 and at the Hollywood Film Awards on 11-10-15. Credit: FameFlynet and WENN

Jane Fonda on pay equity: It was an issue when 9 to 5 came out, it’s still an issue

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Jane Fonda on pay equity: It was an issue when 9 to 5 came out, it’s still an issue

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