Issa Rae has criticised what she described as the influence of 'rich white men' as she accepted an award at Variety's L.A. Power of Women event in Beverly Hills.
The Insecure creator made the comments on Wednesday, 23 September, while accepting Variety's Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Rather than delivering a conventional inspirational speech, Rae acknowledged that she had struggled to find an uplifting message to share with the audience.
'This is all men's fault,' she said. 'Like it's rich white men to be specific for this moment, and I hate that I'm not passing the Bechdel test, but it is hard to feel like a powerful woman when men keep fucking everything up.'
The remark drew laughter from the audience before Rae turned to the wider issues that had influenced the tone of her speech.
She explained that she had initially questioned why she had been selected for the honour, but ultimately accepted the recognition. Preparing what she considered an appropriate speech, however, proved difficult amid her concerns about the entertainment industry and the wider world.
Issa Rae says “this is all men’s fault. Rich, white men to be specific…It's hard to feel like a powerful woman when men keep fucking everything up…It’s hard to feel inspired when you feel helpless and useless.”
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Issa Rae Opens Up About Feeling Powerless
Rae said she had struggled to deliver the kind of celebratory remarks normally associated with an awards ceremony.
'This country has just been countrying,' Rae said, before referencing El Niño and artificial intelligence. She also spoke about the difficulties facing creatives and the wider problems she saw affecting the entertainment business.
Her reference to the Bechdel test added another element to her comments about gender and representation. The test, associated with cartoonist Alison Bechdel, is commonly used to examine the representation of women in films and other works of fiction, particularly whether female characters have conversations with each other about subjects other than men.
Rae then described her own state of mind while preparing the speech.
'So that's where I'm at, just, like, mentally,' she said. 'And that's why I wrote a speech that sounds like this, but it is very hard to feel inspired when you feel helpless and useless.'
Her remarks came as she reflected on the challenges facing creatives, including the rise of artificial intelligence. Rae's comments reflected her frustration with what she described as wider problems affecting the industry and society.
She also questioned why she had been selected for the Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year Award, saying the state of the industry had made it difficult for her to approach the occasion in a purely celebratory way.
Rae Says She Will Still Use Her Power for Good
Despite her frustration, Rae's speech ultimately returned to how she can use her own influence and the opportunities available to her.
She said she can choose who she works with, who she platforms and where she directs her resources. She also emphasised the importance of using whatever success she has to support people within her community.
'I can use the power I do have to pour into my little community to make sure whatever success I'm lucky enough to have doesn't stop with me,' Rae said.
Rae, who created, executive-produced and starred in HBO's Insecure, has built a career spanning acting, writing, producing and entrepreneurship. The series premiered in 2016 and concluded in 2021 after five seasons.
Her film credits include Barbie, American Fiction and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, all released in 2023. In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Rae provided the voice of Jessica Drew, also known as Spider-Woman.
At the Power of Women event, Rae acknowledged that frustration and discouragement can make it difficult to see where individual action can make a difference. But she said feeling discouraged would not stop her from trying.
'Because, as discouraged as I may get, I'm never going to stop trying,' she said.
Her closing remarks returned to the influence she said she could still use, including through her professional choices and support for others.
