As many of you know, the 75th Annual Golden Globes took place last week and there was an insane amount of girl power present. The #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke, quickly spread all over the world, especially Hollywood. This movement is something many women can relate to, from all religions, ethnicities and social classes, and it encourages women and men all over the world to open up about their sexual assault experiences. Tarana has provided an amazing way to spread stories, create a safe space for victims, and spread awareness against sexual assault.
The Time’s up movement came to be after countless celebrities released their personal stories, many involving Harvey Weinstein. When a vast majority began to realize how big the problem was, a protest began encouraging Golden Globe attendees to wear black in support of the victims. The colour stands for solidarity and putting an end to sexual violence. Many people came dressed in black, in fact, there were very few who did not participate; take a look at the crowd.
The red carpet was full of exciting events, including Giuliana Rancic asking, “Why are you wearing black?” instead of the usual “Who are you wearing?”. Let’s not forget that when being interviewed by E!’s host, Debra Messing called out E! for its’ gender pay gap.
Many celebrities brought female activists as their date to the Golden Globes. To name a few, Michelle Williams, of course, brought #MeToo’s founder Tarana Burke. Meryl Streep was accompanied by the director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo. Emma Watson brought Marai Larasi, the director of the British black feminist organization Imkaan. Shailene Woodley invited Calina Lawrence, a Native Activist. Amy Poehler stood alongside Saru Jayaraman, the president of Restaurant Opportunities Centers. And there were many MANY more.
When it came time for the actual ceremony, amazing speeches were made from men and women about the awareness of sexual assault. Seth Meyers’ opened the night with a monologue calling out many, including Hollywood’s high-profile predator, Harvey Weinstein, and even the president of the United States. Take a look at his speech here.
The woman whose speech stole the night was definitely (hopefully future president) Oprah. Her inspirational speech discussed matters concerning race, gender and the fight for equality. “For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up.” Oprah’s most memorable quote of the night left everybody cheering. Take a look at her exceptional speech here.
Following Oprah’s speech, Natalie Portman presented the best director award when she exposed the realities of the gender gap. While presenting the nominees, Natalie said “And here are the all-male nominees.” This was just the cherry on top of the whole night, confirming the harsh reality that while there were speeches about acknowledging women in the industry, many of whom are activists, those beliefs were still not put into play. Many responded with “What if the best directors just happened to be men this year?”, and that is where many people are mistaken. There were quite a few female directors who should have been nominated including the director of Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig, and the director of Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins.
The 75th Golden Globes flourished with feminism and we couldn’t be happier about it. This movement isn’t going away until there is equality for all women. Let’s hope the Oscars ceremony acknowledges these women, without Natalie Portman needing to step in.