It is officially my favorite time of year. And I know what you’re thinking, “The holidays are over, isn’t that everyone’s favorite time of year?” And while I do love the holiday season, it is officially award show season now and I am beyond thrilled. I don’t really remember when I started to become obsessed with award shows, but I have watched them for as long as I can remember. I look forward to them every year and try my very best to never miss a ceremony. This wonderful time of year began Sunday when the Golden Globes, an awards ceremony that recognizes excellence in film and television, aired and kicked off this illustrious time of year.
While I sat watching, I took a few notes about what went down during the three-hour ceremony, and while there were some moments that were a little “eh”, I’m only going to touch on the positives (because let’s be real, there’s enough negativity in the world already). Here are some of my favorite, or “golden”, moments from the ceremony!
Everyone Looked Like Royalty
One of the best parts about award shows is seeing everyone in attendance get dressed up in fabulous dresses and suits, and this year was not an exception. Everyone looked like royalty on the carpet. A few of my favorite looks were Lady Gaga (who, let’s be real, stole the show anytime her presence was known), Constance Wu, Emily Blunt, Lupita Nyong’o, Saoirse Ronan, and Timothee Chalamet. There were so many others, but these are just a few of the plethora of glamorous stars.
Emma Stone Apologized for “Aloha”
While this year was an amazing step in the right direction as far as representation and diversity goes, there are still cases of whitewashing and misrepresentation. Co-host Sandra Oh touched on both of these while telling a joke during the show’s opening monologue. “Crazy Rich Asians is the first studio film with an Asian American lead since Ghost in the Shell and Aloha”. The latter two films featured Asian characters played by white actresses, one of whom is Emma Stone. This joke prompted her to yell “I’m sorry!” from the crowd. While they didn’t show her face, it was distinguishably her voice apologizing.
The Carol Burnett Award
I grew up watching and loving the comic genius that is Carol Burnett. This year they started a new award, to honor lifetime achievement in television. This award is called the Carol Burnett Award, and obviously, she is the first ever recipient. Steve Carell (aka one of the loves of my life) presented this award and now I am obsessed with this pairing. Burnett spoke about how thankful she was to have been able to do her show when she did, and how she paved the way for comedians today.
Sandra Oh Winning and Her Parents Being Adorable
Sandra Oh, co-host and nominee, won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Television Series-Drama for her role in Killing Eve. She became understandably emotional, as she made history three (yes THREE) times. She was the first person of Asian descent to host the Globes, the first woman of Asian descent to win multiple Globes, and became the first Asian woman in 39 years to win the award for leading actress in a drama series. Talk about girl power! What really made this moment even more incredible, was her parents reaction. Her dad gave her a standing ovation, and both looked emotional and proud when Oh became emotional while thanking them, and honoring them in Korean. Sandra Oh is a living legend and I am here for it.
Emily Blunt and Dick Van Dyke
I am a simple girl. I love Emily Blunt. I love Dick Van Dyke. I love Mary Poppins. So when these two graced the stage to present the introduction about Mary Poppins Returns. There’s really nothing to this moment except for that I love them and their film, so that’s all.
Glenn Close’s Acceptance Speech
This is probably my favorite moment of the entire ceremony. Glenn Close has been in the business for 45 years, and is an incredible talent. And yes, while I was bummed that Lady Gaga didn’t win the award for Best Actress for a Drama, Close’s emotional acceptance speech was enough to make everyone forget that Gaga was the front-runner. Close was obviously caught off guard when her name was announced, but then went on to move the audience to tears and on their feet. She spoke about how her mom was subservient to her father her entire life, and felt un-accomplished with what she had done in her life. She continues on, “And it was so not right and I feel what I’ve learned through this whole experience is that, you know, women, we are nurturers, that’s what’s expected of us. We have our children. We have our husbands if we are lucky enough, and our partners, whoever. But we have to find personal fulfillment. We have to follow our dreams. We have to say, ‘I can do that and I should be allowed to do that'”. This is a mood we should all go into 2019 with. Believe that we can do whatever we want to do, and do it, no matter what anyone says. This inspirational speech was my favorite moment of the ceremony, and hopefully gives you the motivation to go after your goals and dreams as well.