The "ICE OUT" pins seem to be one of the hottest accessories on the red carpet. Have you ever wondered how all those activism pins for various causes get onto tuxedo lapels and gowns at awards shows?
We always imagined that Mark Ruffalo himself is out there passing them out at the foot of the red carpet.
But it turns out that the pins for years have been disseminated to celebs via Hollywood PR firms that have been retained by the non-profits that champion the causes.
These days there’s a log jam of competing pins. GQ posted a story on Wednesday with the headline,”How ‘ICE OUT’ Pins Became the Celebrity Accessory of the Moment.” A Vanity Fair story last month had the headline, “‘ICE Out’ Pins Are All Over New York Fashion Week and the Red Carpets — What’s Next?”
Turns out the pins are the brainchild of an activist coalition including Latino group Maremoto, progressive advocacy group Working Families Power, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the ACLU.
Maremoto was founded by community organizer Jess Morales Rocketto, a former Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris campaign operative.
We reported on Tuesday that the pins are being promoted for the orgs by a powerhouse Hollywood PR firm ID PR, which reps clients such as Serena Williams, Christopher Nolan and Seth Rogen. (ID came on board after the Golden Globes.)
Letters to SAG nominees, seen by P6H, said, “I’m reaching out on behalf of Be Good-ICE Out Campaign to ask [star] to join us in sharing our vital message of solidarity at The Actor Awards (SAG).” The letter continued later on, “Would [star] be open to wearing a Be Good-ICE Out pin at the upcoming The Actor Awards? We can share sample talking points here and are happy to provide you with any additional information needed. Please let us know the best address to send a pin.”
A veteran PR pro told us that stars get sent lots of pins each awards season from which to choose.
“We get dozens of things as options for clients,” said a rep. “It’s a longstanding tradition, we make clients aware that we have them if you’d like them…. It’s never presented in any way that’s any type of demand. It’s an option.”
At last year’s Oscars, several celebrities wore the red Artists4Ceasefire pin including Ruffalo, Billie Eilish, Ramy Youssef and Mahershala Ali to call for “the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.” But those red pins, which feature a hand with a black heart, have come under fire due to the image’s purported origins.
Critics claim it is a Palestinian resistance symbol that stems from a 2000 incident in which two Israeli soldiers were lynched and the killer proudly showed off his bloodied hands to cheering protesters. Hen Mazzig, an Israeli influencer who is popular with stars like Debra Messing and David Schwimmer, says the pin is “traumatic for Jews” and doesn’t expect it to make a repeat showing on this year’s red carpet.
“Most of the people who were wearing red pins were doing so out of ignorance and a desire to be ‘morally superior,’” Mazzig says. “Now that time has passed, and other events have taken the stage, I doubt the red pins will make an appearance. But isn’t that just as frustrating? To make a cause part of your fashion statement, pretending it actually matters to you, and suddenly it isn’t the cool thing to stand on. To me, and the Palestinians stuck under Hamas’ cruelty, it’s not just a trend.”
