The topic of feminism was prominent at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, especially on the red carpet leading up to the event.  It began with a post made by Reese Witherspoon on her Instagram account that included the hashtag #AskHerMore.  In this post, Witherspoon was strongly encouraging journalists to ask actresses on the red carpet questions that do not pertain to their dresses or their appearances that night.  Instead, she wanted actresses to be able to respond to questions about the work that they have done.  She wants actresses to be known for more than just their dresses.  Witherspoon also suggested that questions about designers and dresses should be asked after all the awards were given out.

Feminism also came up again in a speech made by Patricia Arquette when she accepted her Academy Award for best Supporting Actress in the film Boyhood.  Her entire acceptance speech was dedicated to the cause of feminism.  Arquette started off her speech by saying “To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights.” Arquette called for equal wages and right for all women in the United States.  She said, “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”  Her words were met with loud cheers from actresses Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez.

The cause of feminism has been growing steadily thanks to celebrities raising awareness about it.  Talking about social issues at large events such as the Oscars can go a long way to correcting the issues. Celebrities are beginning to use their influence in more positive ways, not just focusing on their appearance. Hopefully, along with spreading the feminist message, this will show girls that their looks are not the only thing that matters.