Patricia's Speech & False Solidarity

I was hard at work during the Oscars last night thanks to a Redbull and the lack o' organization in my office. While I worked away, social media buzzed in the background. I was happy to hear when Patricia Arquette, honored for her work in Boyhood, mentioned equal pay. I mean, what woman wouldn't love that, amirite? "To every woman who gave birth to every tax payer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else's equal rights. It's our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America."

In the distance, as I prepared for the week I thought "good". And then, the real shit hit the proverbial fan.

If this was a children's book, it might be called Patricia and her patronizing ways. In the press room Patricia continued. I am going to say that perhaps, still high from the rush of seeing Meryl woop at her speech and two or three shots of celebratory liquor on her way to the press room influenced what she said next. I mean, I hope it did. Because, y'all. How do you explain this?

"It's time for women. Equal means equal. The truth is the older women get, the less money they make. The highest percentage of children living in poverty are in female-headed households. It's inexcusable that we go around the world and we talk about equal rights for women in other countries and we don't. One of those superior court justices said two years ago in a law speech at a university that we don't have equal rights for women in America and we don't because when they wrote Constitution, they didn't intend it for women. So the truth is even though we sort of feel like we have equal rights in America right under the surface there are huge issues at play that really do affect women. It's time for all the women in America, and all the men that love women and all the gay people and all the people of color that we've all fought for to fight for us now."

I HAZ questions! When did Patricia fight for the gay people and the people of color? Did I miss this memo? Let me find out my mail hasn't been forwarded after I changed my address!

Also, didn't this speech start with the whole equality thing? Are there no women in the "gay people and people of color" world that she just presented to us? You got some 'splaining to do!

This morning I flashed back to #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen because this is a perfect representation of what folks were trying to bring to light with that hashtag.

Madam! I don't owe you shit! I've been out here with my sleeves rolled up trying to do the work so that WE CAN ALL have equal pay, equal rights, equal justice. For her to imply that somehow she needs MY help to make sure that she lives further within her privilege because some how I owe it to her is simply absurd.

Solidarity is for white women, indeed, Patricia. Carry on with your pretty dress and your privilege.

I am having a minor rant in order for me to purge this out of my system and have a productive day. Did you catch the Oscars last night? What did you think of this speech?