The 75th annual Golden Globes happened directly after a year where some of Hollywood’s most powerful men have been exposed for the sexual assault, molestation and abuse in their pasts. Hollywood celebrities came together on the night of Sunday, January the 7th to not only present and except awards, but to also make a stand for the #MeToo movement.
Over three hundred women in the industry devised the plan for everyone to dress in all black, and all the women followed through and did as they were asked. Alongside them over half of the men followed their lead. With everyone wearing black it strengthened the sense of unity for everyone involved. Simultaneously, all the women and the majority of the celebrities at the event wore #TimesUp pins. The purpose of the Times Up movement was to signal an end to the silence on issues such as sexual assault, abuse and the wage gap – which in the past has been all too easily swept under the rug. All throughout the night, the usual jokes were made, but this time they had a different kind of truth and touched on equality.
One of the moments that night that has been especially talked about is the acceptance speech made by Oprah Winfrey for the Cecil B DeMille Award. This passionate speech certainly touched the heart of many people, those who were physically there and those who were watching. Oprah ultimately summed up what the Times Up movement stands for in one quote: “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.” She ended her speech by saying, “When that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me too’ again.” The crowd granted her with a heartfelt standing ovation.
Of course there is a skeptical side to all this, many people have commented on the fact that this movement is shallow, because it is being made by A-list celebrities wearing fancy dresses. While this is an understandable criticism, this movement is making some sort of difference. The fact that this movement was televised during an awards show means it had the chance to reach people who would otherwise not watch it or care. In the day and age we live in, celebrities have the opportunity to widely influence our nation and spread the word about certain things very quickly. After all, we have a celebrity reality star as our president.
The Golden Globes this year certainly did not disappoint. The topic of equality was front and center, which is especially important after the year of exposure hollywood has had when it comes to sexual assault. The Times Up moment quickly gained traction and took off all around America, now dozens of people are aware and even contributing to it themselves.
By Jill Miller
The Claw 