Sunday night’s Golden Globe Awards ceremony wasn’t just a celebration of the year’s top creations in cinema and television; it was an uninterrupted opportunity for the industry to strengthen the spotlight on sexual harassment and gender inequality in Hollywood.
The Seth Meyers-hosted ceremony, which aired live from The Beverly Hilton in California, was plagued with political and social references, from red carpet fashion to presenter monologues and acceptance speeches.
Though you should note “The Handmaid’s Tale” took home the award for best drama TV series and Rachel Brosnahan for best actress in a musical or TV comedy, it proved hard to return to work Monday morning without knowing about the following notable moments:
- Stars go dark (with a splash of red)
The carpet was almost the only splash of color seen at the Globes arrivals, as nearly every celebrity attendee donned black dresses and suits to protest gender inequality and sexual harassment in the industry. The #WhyWeWearBlack movement saw participants such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Mariah Carey, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks. A scarce pop of red was seen on actress Blanca Blanco, who told Refinery29 that her color choice does “not mean I am against #timesupmovement.”
- Seth Meyers’ opening monologue
Faced with the task of hosting a ceremony focused on heavy issues, Meyers didn’t shy away from including harassment and those who have faced accusations of misconduct in his opening address. On former top producer Harvey Weinstein, Meyers said: “Harvey Weinstein isn’t here tonight because, well, I’ve heard rumors that he’s crazy and difficult to work with. But don’t worry. He’ll be back in 20 years when he becomes the first person ever booed during the In Memoriam.” He added other celebrities such as Jessica Chastain and Amy Poehler to deliver punchlines.
Taking aim at President Donald Trump, Meyers delivered a joke about Oprah Winfrey not being qualified to run for office in 2020. “In 2011, I told some jokes about our current president at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner … I just want to say, Oprah, you will never be president. You do not have what it takes,” he joked.
- Oprah delivers ‘unifying’ speech
Winfrey’s acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille award easily became the most talked-about moment of the evening. She was met with a standing ovation for her nearly 9-minute long address that delivered an empowering message to viewers: “A new day is on the horizon … when nobody ever has to say ‘Me Too’ again.” The speech caused quite the stir on social media, with viewers calling it “unifying,” “empowering” and “inspirational.” Fans began rallying once more for Winfrey to run for president in 2020.
- Natalie Portman calls out best director noms
What’s up with the male-dominated best director nominations? That’s what Natalie Portman wanted to know. The actress took to the stage with Ron Howard after Winfrey’s speech ended to present the winner for best director, but it seemed she took it upon herself to run a little off script. “And here are the all-male nominees,” she said and was met by a glance from Howard. Portman’s point: The female directors for popular films such as Greta Gerwig of “Lady Bird” and Patty Jenkins of “Wonder Woman” didn’t receive nods.
