Photo Courtesy of Rosa Clemente
The Golden Globes kicked off 2018’s award season on Jan. 7. At the award show, which celebrates television and movies, the Hollywood community decided to make a statement against sexual assault, misconduct, and pay inequality. The movement that was highlighted during the Golden Globes is called “Time’s Up.” Created to urge the media to spend equal time covering the stories of sexual assault survivors from less glittering industries as it does on Hollywood, the movement has coalesced in recent months. To support the initiative, almost every Golden Globes attendee wore all black and many wore a “Time’s Up” pin. After countless actors, directors, and executives have been found guilty of sexual misconduct, it was nice to see such a large statement saying that aberrant behavior would no longer be tolerated.
Host Seth Meyers also addressed sexual misconduct in his opening monologue. His first words of the night were, “Good evening ladies and remaining gentlemen.” He continued to respectfully poke fun at the prevalent issue throughout the night. Meyers also joked about President Trump, saying: “We’re all here tonight courtesy of the Hollywood Foreign Press. A string of three words that could not have been better designed to infuriate our current president […]The only name that could make him angrier would be the Hillary Mexico Salad Association.”
Keeping with the political theme of the night, Oprah Winfrey’s acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille award, an award for outstanding contribution to the world of entertainment, sparked rumors of a possible 2020 presidential campaign. Oprah’s speech addressed issues of racism, sexism, freedom of the press, and more. She also spoke about the “Time’s Up” movement and voiced support for women around the world from all workplaces, not just entertainment, who are victims of sexual assault. She said, “I want tonight to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault. Because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue.”
Oprah also told the story of Recy Taylor, a young black woman in 1944 who was raped by six white men on her way home from church. The men threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone, so she reached out to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Rosa Parks, who would go on to become a civil rights icon, took on Taylor’s case and fought hard, but unfortunately the men were never prosecuted because, “Justice wasn’t an option in the era of Jim Crow.” Taylor died a few days prior to the Golden Globes and Oprah spoke on the importance of her life: “She lived as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men. 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. Their time is up.”
In addition to the focus on sexual assault, the night also celebrated, as it does annually, television and movies.
The Shape of Water
was the most nominated film of the night, with seven nominations. However, the big winners were television series
Big Little Lies
and the motion picture
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
, each winning four Golden Globes. Other motion picture winners included
Coco
for best animated motion picture,
Lady Bird
for best musical or comedy motion picture, and
The Greatest Showman
for best original song with “This Is Me.” Other television winners included
The Handmaid’s Tale
for best drama television series and
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
for best musical or comedy television series.
The Golden Globes was just the beginning of this year’s award season. Coming next, the Screen Actors Guild Awards will take place on Jan. 21 on TNT and TBS, the Grammy Awards will on Jan. 28 on CBS, and the Academy Awards on March 4 on ABC.
