The chance to seize the spotlight
Slamming the male winners at the Golden Globes for not speaking out about the women’s rights movement shows how little we still understand about what the movement represents.
This year’s Globes, traditionally the Oscar’s light hearted sibling, took a more serious turn following a year in which sexual harassment and inequality rocked Tinseltown.
Nearly all of the attendees wore black to show solidarity with the #TimesUp movement, started by a group of activists and Hollywood stars to fight back against sexual abuse.
Host Seth Meyers set the tone for the evening with his welcome to the ‘‘ladies and remaining gentlemen’’ in the room.
After a few cracks at accused harassers Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, Meyers left it up to the women in the room to have their say. And boy, did they seize the moment.
From Oprah Winfrey’s inspirational speech about feminism and race, to Natalie Portman introducing the ‘‘allmale’’ nominees for Best Director, women in the industry spoke up in a way rarely seen before. And yet criticism has been levelled at the men who didn’t speak out.
‘‘Wearing a black tuxedo isn’t enough,’’ NARAL Pro-Choice America tweeted. ‘‘We need men to SPEAK UP and stand beside us to fight to end sexual assault & rape culture.’’ Writing for The Huffington Post, Emma Gray said ‘‘Despite a sea of dudes in black suits wearing Time’s Up pins, not one man who was honoured at the Globes used his speech to stand in solidarity with women colleagues or even mention gender inequality, sexual harassment or abuse’’.
But gaining equality and stamping out sexual harassment isn’t just about men using their voices and their platforms. It’s about giving women their own. Of course men should support the movement. Any campaign to end sexual violence and harassment is doomed to fail if men don’t recognise their part in it, and take steps to address it.
But one of the key reasons the Globes were so effective is that women had the chance to seize the spotlight and use it in a meaningful way.
The ceremony itself was not without its issues. Actor James Franco, once accused of making advances towards a 17-year-old schoolgirl, won an award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. Fellow winner Gary Oldman, who won Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour, has been accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife.
Also problematic was the omission of Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig from the Best Director category, despite the film winning Best Musical or Comedy Picture and Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
But for once, at a major event watched by millions around the world, women were talking about the issues they face every day, fearlessly and without pulling any punches.
Winfrey hit the nail on the head when she said ‘‘...it’s here with every woman who chooses to say, ‘‘Me too.’’ And every man -- every man who chooses to listen’’.