Oscars 2015: If we must #AskHerMore, actresses should turn down fashion bucks

Is the red carpet sexist? This awards show season, several pundits have suggested that we should be asking women about what they are doing, not who they are wearing.

A couple years ago, a social media hashtag cropped up urging people to #AskHerMore. And this year, there’s been a revolt against E! Entertainment TV’s mani-cam, with many actresses refusing to do the awkward finger crawl.

Today, supporting actress nominee Patricia Arquette called the mani-cam “silly” when speaking to host Ryan Seacrest. Instead of talking about her black-and-white dress, she spent time talking about her charity, GiveLove.org, which assists displaced children.

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Could it be a sign that this Oscars red carpet will be more about substance than style?

Perhaps. But let’s not forget how much actresses profit from the red carpet -- from multimillion- dollar dressing contracts, fragrance contracts and runway show appearance fees, all paid by fashion brands, which help to offset the lower earnings and shorter career spans of women in Hollywood.

So, if you demand that we #AskHerMore, you should also demand that actresses turn down the big bucks from fashion brands to wear their fashion looks.