She is a successful woman who migrated to the United States from Russia at a young age. At just 14 years old, she landed the iconic role of Jackie Burkhart on one of the 2000’s most famous shows, That ’70s Show. The show ran for eight cultish seasons and post that, she acted in movies that garnered millions of dollars each at the box office. Privately, she is a devoted wife to fellow actor, Ashton Kutcher and doting mother to daughter, Wyatt, with another baby on the way. Life seems perfect for this beautiful woman, but in a letter posted on her hubby’s website, aplus.com, she penned a letter that speaks about a career that is far from picture-perfect. Mila Kunis says that throughout her life in Hollywood, she has faced sexism just because she is a woman.
The letter is titled: You’ll Never Work In This Town Again
She begins the letter by going straight to the point
A cliché to be sure, but also what a producer threatened when I refused to pose semi-naked on the cover of a men’s magazine to promote our film…I was lived, I felt objectified, and for the first time in my career, I said “no”. And guess what? The world didn’t end. The film made a lot of money and I did work in this town again, and again, and again.
She continues by saying something that extends beyond Hollywood for women – facing life in general, in a workplace or even in society
We don’t want to be kicked out of the sandbox for being a “bitch”. So we compromise our integrity for the sake of maintaining the status quo and hope that change is coming.
She also speaks of her own experience in the industry throughout her career that has spanned nearly 2 decades
Throughout my career, there have been moments when I have been insulted, sidelined, paid less, creatively ignored, and otherwise diminished based on my gender. And always, I have tried to give people the benefit of the doubt; maybe they knew more, maybe they had more experience, maybe there was something I was missing.
After talking about a recent experience she had as a partner of her production company, she went on to talk about gender bias in society as a whole
Blind gender biases are embedded in every facet of our life. They are reinforced by our educational institutions: men dominate the figures we study in history, the luminaries of math and science and technology about whom we learn, and the authors of political discourse we are taught to revere.We are inundated with tales of male superiority that bind us to the architecture of our own relationships.
She then concludes by what she plans on doing in the future as part of the industry. Well, for one, she refuses to quit
I’m done compromising; even more so, I’m done with being compromised. So from this point forward, when I am confronted with one of these comments, subtle or overt, I will address them head-on; I will stop in the moment and do my best to educate.
And she ends with this extremely assertive sentence
I will work in this town again, but I will not work with you.
Though we really applaud Mila on her efforts to “educate” and not hide sexism under the carpet anymore, it’s much easier for her to talk her talk and walk her walk with a support system like her husband, her already established career behind her and a mass of fans that refuse to quit backing her. Previously, she has posed provocatively in a number of magazines, and also appeared nude in Friends With Benefits alongside Justin Timberlake. And what about women who are just starting their careers? Those who will be shunned forever before their lights can shine by a world that is so for men?
