Red carpets have traditionally been a celebratory to-do at award ceremonies like the Emmys or Oscars where women especially would plaster their faces in cakes of paint and squeeze their exquisitely teeny waists into the seams of the most glamorous haute couture Marchesa or Giambattista Vali. Even if you don’t fancy sitting through hours of celebrity banter watching its live stream or taped versions, however, this year’s Golden Globes’ buzz has been snaking its way through social media even beyond those who chase such shows to check up on how well their favourite TV series and films of the year that’s passed fared among their peers.
So it was impossible to miss the memo that everyone was to turn up all in black. It was as though Hollywood showed up to the death of the Harvey Weinstein’s, not just of the entertainment industry but of all sectors. This was planned as an act of solidarity to infuse meaning to an otherwise heartily entertaining evening as part of the #TimesUp movement, which, in less than a few weeks amalgamated the sentiments of all other social-media run movements promoting female empowerment that preceded it. Even watching the broadcast sent chills down our spines. We definitely didn’t mind the repeated interview question alluding to the nominees’ outfits — as is feminism, everyone has and deserves a different point of view but ultimately supports the same cause.
If there was one woman to sum up the evening, it’s Oprah. As the first black woman to win the Cecil B. de Mille Award, Oprah’s acceptance speech could’ve been a time to tribute her lifelong contribution to TV and film, but of course she was overcome by the power of the room and the earthquake women all over the Internet have created from the sum of their individual voices, exposing the corrupt men who’ve threatened their careers, opportunities and lives if they didn’t give in to their sexual demands. As a racial minority, gender unequal and powerhouse whose career in Hollywood spans the beginnings and ends of many others, Oprah’s wisdom reverberated throughout the Beverly Hilton ballroom, much to the tears of many men and women clad in full black suits and gowns.
Maybe social media has ruined privacy and raised a microphone operating 24/7 for anyone who knows how to use it, but founder of the now monumental #MeToo movement Tarana Burke couldn’t have been the first to break the silence against her sexual assaulter without it. Sexual harassment certainly wasn’t invented in 2017, but either due to its taboo or system of being perpetrated by men who own the power to silence their victims, many simply couldn’t speak out from fear of likely backlash.
But as many have now witnessed the many idols of Hollywood who’ve shared their experiences — Rose McGowan, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lawrence, Lady Gaga, Gabrielle Union, Gwenyth Paltrow, Evan Rachel Wood, Cara Delevingne, Ashley Judd, Laura Dern, Anna Faris, Ilana Glazer, just to name a few — their voices have been the straw to break the camel’s back on sexual misconduct and the gender oppression motivating it.
Fashion was not the only change to the Golden Globes. Celebrities were also encouraged to invite activists as their plus-ones who could not only more articulately verbalise the various causes supporting women but showcase the often unrepresented heroes championing empowerment. It’s important we know Emma Watson from her portfolio of activism as the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and remember Meryl Streep’s empowering acceptance speech when she was presented the Cecil B. de Mille Award last year, but to spotlight grassroots and their leaders are equally important and often overlooked.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an award ceremony worth watching without a good laugh. We’ve had controversial Ricky Gervais and sisterly duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler emcee The Globes in past years, but viewers were probably never as nervous for a host to do well as at this year’s run. As Seth Meyers of Late Night fame admits, taking on the task feels like being “the first dog they shot into outer space.” And for those who’re wondering, of course it’s okay to let a man host such a volatile room of attendees — after all, it’s men who need to play a role in this feminist movement for any real progress to enact.
Header image: Forbes
