Close
Search
Menu Menu
[gtranslate]

Mikey Madison’s celebration of sex workers is important

Credit: NEON
By
Brighton, UK
0 comments
0 comments

The ‘Anora’ star thanked the sex work community in her BAFTA acceptance speech. It was a powerful and timely call to arms for a profession so often misjudged and maligned. 

‘You deserve respect and human decency’, Mikey Madison said as she took the BAFTAs stage in London last weekend. The 25-year-old, who exploded into the spotlight after an incredible leading turn in Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’, was accepting the award for Best Actress.

Her words, directed at the sex work community she tirelessly studied as part of the role (her character, Anora, is a young sex worker based in Brooklyn), were a simple yet powerful statement of solidarity with a profession still so often misunderstood in the mainstream.

Sex work has been a complex and charged topic for decades, despite shifting attitudes in recent years. It’s impossible to ignore the very real dangers that persist within the industry, including exploitation, trafficking, and violence – all of which disproportionately affect marginalised communities.

But that’s precisely why more open conversations around the industry are so important. Madison’s decision to acknowledge sex workers on a global stage, and with a narrative of genuine respect rather than voyeuristic curiosity or shallow pity, reflect the need to humanise those within the sex work community.

Madison’s speech comes after months of press in which the actress has remained vocal about her support for the women on which her character is based. In October last year, she expressed gratitude at the opportunity to preview ‘Anora’ for an audience of real-life sex workers and strippers.

‘I could probably cry talking about it. It’s the most important thing because the move is for sex workers. So that was really special,’ Madison said. ‘Just to walk in and all of these amazing women are clapping their heels, giving us applause. That was beautiful.’

By acknowledging sex work as a community, rather than an abstract social issue, Madison has invited her audience to rethink the way they talk about this specific type of labour.

Because ultimately, yes, it is labour. Despite the pervasive taboo around sex work, it remains one of the oldest professions in human history. And while the internet has given sex workers more autonomy than ever, it’s also exposed them to new dangers and fresh waves of moral panic.

‘I just want to say I see you,’ Madison said in her speech on Sunday. ‘I will always be a friend and an ally, and I implore others to do the same.’

Her dedication to the role of Anora, or ‘Ani’ as she’s nicknamed in the film, involved extensive research into the sex work industry, a process Madison says was vital to the performance. ‘I shadowed dancers and that was incredibly impactful to understand the etiquette of the club [Ani] works at, how difficult a job it is, and what it entails. I was able to pick up bits of conversation and add nuance to the character.’

Support for Madison has been immense, both following the release of Anora and the actor’s subsequent celebration of the sex work industry. Following her BAFTA win, netizens praised Madison for her choice of words.

‘That was a lovely speech from Mikey Madison’ said one comment.

‘Mikey Madison showing support for sex workers in her BAFTAs speech ugh I knew she was that girl’ said another.

But despite the shift in perceptions of sex work, there’s still room for change in the collective psyche. Too many people still view sex work through a lens of scandal or sympathy, rather than acceptance. And even those who do support women in the industry are often reluctant to accept they may – in many instances – find the work empowering.

Despite heavy media coverage suggesting otherwise, Madison’s speech wasn’t radical; it was simply human. Maybe that’s what made it land so powerfully. It wasn’t performative allyship, nor was it a glib soundbite crafted for headlines. It was a straightforward declaration: sex workers deserve respect.

This undermines long standing assumptions that sex workers are victims of an exploitative system. And while this is certainly still the case in many instances, there are also thousands of women and men who enter into this line of work of their own accord.

Even still, regardless of the reasons they may choose sex work, painting these individuals are victims immediately disempowers them. In ‘Anora’, Madison’s character is far from a helpless young girl. Despite the immense obstacles thrown at her, she’s headstrong, determined, and sure of what she wants.

The film never asks us to pity her, but to cheer her on in the face of adversity. It asks us to witness her life without casting judgement.

Until we take this approach when looking at the wider sex work community, we’ll continue to uphold stigmas that further push sex workers into the shadows. And it’s here that they’re most vulnerable.

Writer Brighton, UK

I’m Flo, (She/Her) a remote writer at Thred. I recently completed a Masters in Visual Anthropology, and seek to interrogate the ways digital spaces can amplify marginalised voices in the arts and cultural sectors. Follow me on LinkedIn or ping me some feedback via email.

Popular

Keep up with thred by signing up to our planet-positive newsletter!

More from thred.

Ancient Egyptian mummies still smell pleasant after 5,000 years
Credit: Thred
Offbeat

Ancient Egyptian mummies still smell pleasant after 5,000 years

Even after spending millennia entombed in stone sarcophagi, some ancient Egyptian mummies still emit a surprisingly pleasant scent, research has discovered. In a recent study combining science with sensory exploration, researchers have discovered that ancient Egyptian mummies, some preserved for over 5,000 years within their sarcophagi, emit surprisingly pleasant aromas. The researchers noted these mummies release scents described as ‘woody,’ ‘spicy,’ and ‘sweet.’ The revelation sets a new path...

By Nairobi, Kenya
Why Japan’s government created a state-mandated dating app
Credit: Unsplash
Media

Why Japan’s government created a state-mandated dating app

In light of the country's low national birth rates and worsening lonely deaths epidemic, a government-mandated dating app has been created for Japanese citizens. Can the state's involvement solve the cultural issues driving these worrying trends?  The declining birth rate in Japan has been declared by the country’s former prime minister Fumio Kishida as “the biggest crisis Japan faces”. This so-called “crisis” is due to a number of factors including

By Manchester, UK
The true cost of being single
Credit: Universal
Design

The true cost of being single

Free and thriving – or just paying more rent? Let’s break down the economics of singledom. Breathe a sigh of relief, for February is almost over. It’s that special time of year when couples throw cash at overpriced dinners, smugly split the Uber home, and post a well-lit shot of each other on social media. As for the single population? We’re left to pay the infamous ‘single tax’. But is being...

By Brighton, UK
New NTIA study shows young people ‘priced out’ of nightlife
Credit: Unsplash
Media

New NTIA study shows young people ‘priced out’ of nightlife

Fresh research by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) shows that young people in the UK are going out less than they were a year ago.  It seems like Gen Z may be unable to go out in the evenings due to financial pressures. New research conducted by Obsurvant on behalf of the NTIA indicates that less young people are attending nightclubs. Money pressures, safety concerns and transport hindrances all play...

By Bristol, UK
Accessibility