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PEOPLE /ARTS Friday 1 december 2017
Steinem tries her hand at stand-up at Ms. foundation benefit

By JOCELYN NOVECK tion. "We're laughing to- a fast-moving cultural shift
AP National Writer day," Hirsch said pointedly, — what many have called
NEW YORK (AP) — Feminist as the audience cheered. a reckoning — would hap-
leader Gloria Steinem tried Onstage, Steinem riffed on pen, Steinem said: "I can't
her hand at a little stand- the French Revolution and say I was smart enough to
up comedy, taking the mic its potential parallels to the see it coming. But I do un-
at a Manhattan club in the current political and social derstand that change is
spirit of "laughing our way climate, equating Presi- cumulative, and that you
to the revolution." dent Donald Trump with reach a tipping point. And
Steinem joined a group of the French king. But she we are now at a tipping
female comics perform- earned her biggest laugh point. Until the mid-70s we
ing at a high-spirited fund- with a joke about Melania didn't even have a phrase
raiser Wednesday evening Trump: "A reporter asked for sexual harassment."
at Carolines on Broadway me what I would say to Me- She added that it was im-
for the nonprofit Ms. Foun- lania. I said, 'I have a guest possible to predict how
dation for Women, which room.'" lasting the changes would
works toward social, eco- Offstage, the feminist au- be, but "what I can be sure
nomic and reproductive thor — a frequent Trump of is that this is the first time
justice. The gathering was critic — attributed the sud- I've seen women being be-
dubbed "Laughter is the den cultural spotlight on lieved. It is profoundly dif-
Best Resistance." sexual misconduct in part ferent."
Not surprisingly, the stun- to the president himself. This was the 22nd annual
ning wave of sexual mis- "We should not neglect comedy event held by the
conduct allegations the fact that with this elec- Ms. Foundation; the comics
against powerful men — tion, people are so fed up performing included Judy
which earlier Wednesday and outraged that there's Gold, Ashley Nicole Black,
brought about the sudden an admitted, obvious sex- Dulce Sloan, Jen Kirkman,
downfall of NBC's "Today" ual harasser in the White Jena Friedman, and Liza
host Matt Lauer — was a House," she charged in an Treyger.
frequent subject of discus- interview, "that this is part of The group's president and In this photo provided by Ms. Foundation, Ms. Foundation
Founding Mother Gloria Steinem, left, and Ms. Foundation Presi-
sion. Caroline Hirsch, the what has lit a fire under the CEO, Teresa Younger, dent and CEO Teresa C. Younger attend "Laughter is the Best
club's owner, noted in her straw that was piling up for noted in an interview that Resistance" at Carolines on Broadway, Wednesday, Nov. 29,
remarks that Steinem had a long time." laughter was a crucial 2017, in New York.
often spoken of laughing Asked whether she could means of survival in difficult Associated Press
on the way to the revolu- have imagined that such times.q
Heather Graham turns Hollywood

sexism complaint into film

By SANDY COHEN
AP Entertainment Writer
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.
(AP) — Heather Graham
says she was so frustrated
by sexism and Hollywood
and the dearth of female
In this Aug. 31, 2013, file photo, actor Billy Dee Williams, famous perspectives onscreen that
for his role as Lando Calrissian in the "Star Wars" movie series, she made a movie about it.
rides atop a car in a parade during the annual Dragon Con She thought showing her
sci-fi and fantasy convention in Atlanta. experiences onscreen
Associated Press would be the only way to
Star Wars actor be heard in a system that
favored the powerful and
Billy Dee Williams silenced the powerless. But
that was before the flood
of sexual misconduct al-
to get legacy award legations surfaced against Actress Heather Graham takes part in the Women in Film
Harvey Weinstein and other
Hollywood power players. Speaker Series' "Sexual and Gender Abuse in the Workplace"
panel discussion on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, in West Hollywood,
NEW YORK (AP) — Williams is known for his "My only recourse was writ- Calif.
Billy Dee Williams will re- roles as Lando Calrissian in ing and directing a movie Associated Press
ceive the Hollywood Lega- the second and third films about it because I thought share her own experienc- I just thought how can I call
cy Award at the American of the original Star Wars it wouldn't change, but es with Weinstein after so myself a feminist and not?"
Black Film Festival Honors trilogy and as District At- now it is," Graham said many women came for- she said. "These other wom-
ceremony early next year. torney Harvey Dent in the Tuesday. "I really hope that ward. She said she met with en are so brave and I want
The ABFF says the award 1989 film "Batman." it changes in a meaningful Weinstein in the early 2000s to be with them."
goes every year to an artist Williams also starred on the way." to discuss possible film roles Graham said the rash of
who has "inspired genera- small screen in "Dynasty" Graham told guests at when he implied that she allegations and the seri-
tions and made an endur- and in the ABC miniseries Women in Film's sexual ha- could have her pick if she ousness with which they're
ing contribution to film and "The Jacksons: An Ameri- rassment panel Tuesday had sex with him. received reflects a cultural
television." can Dream."q that she was inspired to "It's scary to speak out but, shift.q