# Thinking Gillian Anderson doesn't look like Scully any more = sexism? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948 "2016-01-23T05:56:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/81 "2016-01-23T23:32:40Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Originally Posted by Daily Beast > “I’m surprised that more [interviewers] haven’t brought that up because it’s the truth,” Anderson says of the pay disparity, first disclosed in the Hollywood Reporter. “Especially in this climate of women talking about the reality of [unequal pay] in this business, I think it’s important that it gets heard and voiced. It was shocking to me, given all the work that I had done in the past to get us to be paid fairly. I worked really hard toward that and finally got somewhere with it. > > “Even in interviews in the last few years, people have said to me, ‘I can’t believe that happened, how did you feel about it, that is insane.’ And my response always was, ‘That was then, this is now.’ And then it happened again! I don’t even know what to say about it.” > > She stammers for a moment, at a loss for words. “It is… sad,” she finally says. “It is sad.” (Sources told the Hollywood Reporter Anderson and Duchovny ultimately took home equal pay for the event series.) wow!!! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/82 "2016-01-23T23:35:45Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > According to her [Daily Beast interview](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/22/gillian-anderson-i-was-offered-half-duchovny-s-pay-for-the-x-files-revival.html), Anderson was paid less than Duchovny for the first three years of _The X-Files_ (I don’t see that the article says by how much) but was then able to negotiate an equal salary. That’s why she was so surprised to be offered half what he was getting for the new miniseries. That is stupid, yeah. Hard to say that doesn’t have anything to do with sexism. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/83 "2016-01-24T00:12:02Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > That is stupid, yeah. Hard to say that doesn’t have anything to do with sexism. Why is it hard to say that? Are all actors supposed to get paid exactly the same for some reason? ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/84 "2016-01-24T00:16:20Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Why is it hard to say that? Are all actors supposed to get paid exactly the same for some reason? No, of course not. But if women with equal or greater experience and acclaim are consistently paid less than men for comparable roles, it’s reasonable to hypothesize that gender discrimination is involved. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/85 "2016-01-24T00:18:58Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > No, of course not. But if women with equal or greater experience and acclaim are consistently paid less than men for comparable roles, it’s reasonable to hypothesize that gender discrimination is involved. But as mentioned earlier…how many would watch a Big D less X files vs how many would watch an Andersonless X files? Talent or experience has not much to do with this. One role is apparently more pivotal than the other pop culture wise. Big D MIGHT actually be the crappier actor. While Anderson might be the better actor who has spent the past 15 years doing high quality Shakespear plays and musicals. Which means jack all for this movie. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/86 "2016-01-24T00:35:49Z")
You guys saying that Scully was a sidekick\* are living in a different reality than I am. Mulder and Scully were clearly equal in terms of story and importance. - I’m sorry, “eye-candy” :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > On the flip side, Anderson COULD have INSISTED on equal pay for equal work. But apparently she did not. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my fucking god! You sweet summer child, that’s just precious. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/87 "2016-01-24T00:36:03Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > No, of course not. But if women with equal or greater experience and acclaim are consistently paid less than men for comparable roles, it’s reasonable to hypothesize that gender discrimination is involved. Beside the fact that they aren’t comparable roles, unless you can show that she has generated more revenue in Hollywood than he has then you don’t have an argument. Every inequity in pay between a particular man and woman is not due to sexism. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/88 "2016-01-24T00:37:58Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > You guys saying that Scully was a sidekick\* are living in a different reality than I am. Mulder and Scully were clearly equal in terms of story and importance. He was the star of the show, his role was the one important to the concept of the show, not hers. An X Files without the guy who believes in alien CT would be the story of an extremely dull FBI agent. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/89 "2016-01-24T00:40:41Z")
[QUOTE=zweisamkeit;19041 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my fucking god! You sweet summer child that’s precious [/QUOTE] Well, apparently she did NOT insist on equal pay. Because she did not get it. AND she isn’t running around saying she did and was refused and therefore there is no movie with her in it. So, she was either stupid at the negotiating table or she sold out for less. QED. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/90 "2016-01-24T00:44:41Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > On the flip side, Anderson COULD have INSISTED on equal pay for equal work. But apparently she did not. Why would you think that she didn’t? She [insisted on equal pay](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/22/gillian-anderson-i-was-offered-half-duchovny-s-pay-for-the-x-files-revival.html) back in the 1990s and then had to do it again for the same role 20 years later. What’s particularly depressing about this for me isn’t so much that Anderson had to fight the same battle all over again. It’s that she did what women are always being told we _should_ do if we want equal pay – she negotiated for it – and although she succeeded (twice!) there are still people here saying she that she doesn’t deserve to be paid as much as her male co-star or assuming that she was only offered less because she didn’t ask for equal pay. ETA: Added link to Daily Beast interview I cited earlier, because you apparently didn’t read it the first time. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/91 "2016-01-24T00:54:21Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Why would you think that she didn’t? She [insisted on equal pay](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/22/gillian-anderson-i-was-offered-half-duchovny-s-pay-for-the-x-files-revival.html) back in the 1990s and then had to do it again for the same role 20 years later. > > . If she insisted on it and didn’t get it…that’s really not insisting. Thats asking for it (and I’m not saying she doesn’t deserve it…hell see my posts a few posts back). INSISTING on it is GETTING IT or telling the story of how you insisted on it, they refused, and THAT is why you aren’t in the current movie. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/92 "2016-01-24T00:56:44Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > But she’s _older_. Older women are, by definition, worth less. > > Female actors, especially older ones, are routinely paid less than their male counterparts, regardless of their achievements or degree of fame. How anyone could even entertain the thought that Gillian Anderson was offered half of Duchovny’s salary because she no longer looks like Gillian Anderson boggles the mind. > > I’d have to agree that the stupidity of the notion far outweighs any sexism involved. And I do think there’s some sexism involved in the way that we evaluate the attractiveness of older men and women. For a funny take on this, see I[nside Amy Schumer: Last F\*\*kable Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPpsI8mWKmg). **Soundtrack definitely NSFW.** > > What I hear the OP saying is that Gillian Anderson is worth less money because she is well beyond her last F\*\*kable Day. > > Nija’ed! How is it “sexist” that men prefer younger women? Is it sexist that men are judged on how tall and muscular they are, and women aren’t? Is there some law I’m not aware of, that says both sexes have to be attracted to the same things, and apparently it’s men who have be the ones to change their tastes? Anyway, the idea that Gillian Anderson is paid less because she “looks less like Scully” is an unsupported speculation by the OP. If anything she’s aged better than Duchovny. Duchovny has been the star of the successful American show _Californication_ while Gillian Anderson has been working in the smaller and less lucrative British TV market. He has more star power than she does these days, and has a stronger negotiating position because he’s been paid more. (According to the Internets, his net worth is $60 mil and hers is $25 mil.) Why would studios pay an actor more than an equally valuable actress? They’re so sexist that they like to hand out tens of millions of dollars to men just for the hell of it? If an actor and actress have equal market value, and they pay the woman half as much as the man, they could have paid the man half what they paid him as well. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/93 "2016-01-24T00:57:56Z")
1. Didn’t The X-Files run for at least a couple of seasons without Mulder? 2. I think I see one issue with those insisting lower pay for Anderson is okay: their arguments can work, but only if you assume the playing field is already generally level. If you don’t hold that assumption, well, it works less. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/94 "2016-01-24T01:01:55Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > How is it “sexist” that men prefer younger women? Is it sexist that men are judged on how tall and muscular they are, and women aren’t? Is there some law I’m not aware of, that says both sexes have to be attracted to the same things, and apparently it’s men who have be the ones to change their tastes? What’s sexist is the idea that an actress playing a law enforcement agent must meet the sexual tastes of the men in the potential audience, or, rather, a certain segment of men in the potential audience. It’s not a sexual role; why should her fuckability enter into it? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/95 "2016-01-24T01:18:36Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > What’s sexist is the idea that an actress playing a law enforcement agent must meet the sexual tastes of the men in the potential audience, or, rather, a certain segment of men in the potential audience. It’s not a sexual role; why should her fuckability enter into it? It is a sexual role. Men and women paired on television have an implied sexual tension that frequently turns into real sex. Men are sexually attractive for more of their life than women, that’s not sexism. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/96 "2016-01-24T01:20:22Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I think you’re probably more in tune with Anderson and the X-Files than the average citizen and lack of recognition isn’t as amazing as your bias makes it seem. > > Edit: I’d suggest that probably goes for the SDMB in general, given the demographics and general geekery. I’ve never seen an episode of the x-files and she was instantly recognizable to me as Gillian Anderson/Dana Scully. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/97 "2016-01-24T01:24:00Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > If she insisted on it and didn’t get it…that’s really not insisting. She did get it. I’m not sure why you’re having such a hard time processing this information, but this is now the third time I’ve explained (with a [cite](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/22/gillian-anderson-i-was-offered-half-duchovny-s-pay-for-the-x-files-revival.html)) that Anderson successfully negotiated the same salary as Duchovny after the first three years of _The X-Files_ and did so again for the new miniseries. She was surprised and angry about being offered half as much as Duchovny was getting for the miniseries because she had already fought this battle 20 years ago, and **she did not accept their low offer**. If the studio really thought Anderson wasn’t worth as much as Duchovny and that they could successfully bring back _The X-Files_ without her, they presumably would have just replaced her at that point. I’m sure there are plenty of actresses in Hollywood willing to be Scully 2.0 for half (or less) of whatever they’re paying Duchovny. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/98 "2016-01-24T01:24:51Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > 1. Didn’t The X-Files run for at least a couple of seasons without Mulder? Only one season, IIRC, and it was generally considered terrible, because X-Files was about Mulder and Scully. (As partners, not Mulder and his sidekick, or Mulder and the Chick He Keeps Around Because She’s a Hot Redhead.) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/99 "2016-01-24T01:30:07Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > She did get it. I’m not sure why you’re having such a hard time processing this information, but this is now the third time I’ve explained (with a [cite](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/22/gillian-anderson-i-was-offered-half-duchovny-s-pay-for-the-x-files-revival.html)) that Anderson successfully negotiated the same salary as Duchovny after the first three years of _The X-Files_ and did so again for the new miniseries. She was surprised and angry about being offered half as much as Duchovny was getting for the miniseries because she had already fought this battle 20 years ago, and **she did not accept their low offer**. Okay. Looks like you are right that I was confusing what happened in the past with what eventually shook out recently. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948/100 "2016-01-24T01:32:56Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I’ve never seen an episode of the x-files and she was instantly recognizable to me as Gillian Anderson/Dana Scully. That’s nice. I never implied that no one would know who she was, just saying that I personally didn’t so didn’t find it unfathomable that anyone would say she looked “less like [our memories of] Scully” than her male counterpart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-gillian-anderson-doesnt-look-like-scully-any-more-sexism/743948.md?page=6)