11/10/2015
Studio head Gianopulos was the first man to be honored at Variety's annual Power of Women event, and he thinks few should follow him.
"I hope someday very soon the concept of honoring men for empowering women will be obsolete and seem ridiculous," the chief executive of 20th Century Fox said Friday as he was recognized for employing more female department heads than any other Hollywood studio.
"We're living through an era where women are making astonishing, even revolutionary, creative contributions on a daily basis," Gianopulos said. "And there's no reason that in any part of the entertainment business women shouldn't be provided with the same opportunities in the same numbers and with the same compensation as their male counterparts."
His remarks were enthusiastically received at the luncheon that celebrated the philanthropic contributions of such stars as Anna Kendrick, Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow and Winfrey.
The private, three-hour event at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel was part pep-talk for gender equality and part call to action for charitable work that, as Winfrey put it, allows each woman to "live from the heart of yourself and give (back) what you have been given."
told a story of a lonely Christmas when her family was too poor to afford gifts, and how much it meant when a group of nuns visited their home with food and toys. That experience borne in her a desire to help others, she said, which she has acted on throughout her career. Ava DuVernay, who introduced Winfrey, said the mogul has donated more than $350 million from her personal coffers to colleges and charitable organizations. Winfrey was recognized specifically for her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which will graduate its fifth class of students this year.
spoke of the power of to give voice to young people, as she does through the Trevor Project, which provides support and services for gay, le***an and transgender youth.
Studio head Jim Gianopulos was the first man to be honored at Variety's annual Power of Women event, and he thinks few should follow him. "I hope someday very soon the concept of honoring men for empowering women will be obsolete and seem ridiculous," the chief executive of 20th Century Fox said Fri…