By Maddie Sievers
My oh, my… 2017 was quite a year! Luckily, 2018 is off to an incredible start thanks to the Golden Globes, which took place on January 7. Most notably, the Time’s Up movement called out an industry full of gender inequality and sexual assailants. While the actual success of the movement has been met with mixed results, it’s undeniable that it was a night filled with good intentions that brought these systemic issues to the forefront, paving the way for future conversation and change.
In addition to Time’s Up, there were also many exciting moments for women, as well as for progress toward more diversity in Hollywood. Here are 15 things that made the 2018 Golden Globes an unprecedented awards show:
1.) Celebrities’ Activist Dates
Several actresses invited important activists fighting a wide range of societal issues to make the Time’s Up movement an even bigger talking point at the Globes. Among these include Tarana Burke (founder of the #MeToo movement) as Michelle Williams’ date; Ai-Jen Poo (director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance) as Meryl Streep’s date; and Saru Jayaraman (president of Restaurant Opportunities Center United) as Amy Poehler’s date.
2.) Celebrities Coming Together in Solidarity
The fact that more than 300 women of Hollywood came together, just weeks before the Golden Globes, to organize such a disrupting movement is astounding. Because of this, the vast majority of attendees wore black and many men chose to wear Time’s Up pins.
3.) “Why Are You Wearing Black?”
This important question was asked by the paparazzi in an attempt to shift focus away from actresses’ fashion choices, in turn providing opportunities to have their voices heard.
4.) Calling Out the Gender Wage Gap
Many actresses made jokes to expose pay differences between genders, one of the goals of Time’s Up. Debra Messing, for example, specifically cited former E! News anchor Catt Sadler for earning less than her male counterpart.
5.) Seth Meyers’ Monologue
Referring to the massive number of sexual harassment allegations against powerful men in Hollywood, the evening’s host began by saying “Good evening, ladies and remaining gentlemen.” Meyers somehow managed to make light of these negative issues while still being funny and respectful.
6.) Sterling K. Brown Winning Best Actor in a TV Series
The This Is Us star was ecstatic to be the first African-American to win in this category, as well as the fact that his role was written specifically for a black man and “could only be played by a black man.”
7.) Aziz Ansari Winning Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV Series
Ansari won this category for his work in the Netflix original series Master of None, and in doing so he became the first person of Indian descent to be named “Best Actor” for a TV category. So many firsts!
8.) Oprah Winfrey Winning the Cecil B. DeMille Award
Not only was she the first African-American female to win this prestigious award, her incredibly moving acceptance speech caused a standing ovation and questions of whether she would run for president!
9.) Natalie Portman’s Savage Introduction
Natalie Portman somehow managed to still blow away the crowd when she came on stage after Oprah’s speech. When announcing the nominees for the Best Director category, she threw some major shade on the fact that not a single nominee was female, succinctly saying “Here are the all-male nominees.”
10.) Lady Bird Winning Best Musical or Comedy Motion Picture
Although director Greta Gerwig didn’t make it into the boys club of Best Director nominees (ironically, considering Natalie Portman’s comment), Lady Bird also earned Saoirse Ronan Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Motion Picture.
11.) The Handmaid’s Tale Winning Best Drama TV Series
This dystopian Hulu original series, based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, was released during a time in which its themes were very relevant to many Americans, as alluded to by creator Bruce Miller and lead actress Elisabeth Moss during the ceremony.
12.) Nicole Kidman’s Acceptance Speech
During her Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie acceptance speech for her role in Big Little Lies, Kidman raised awareness for domestic violence, saying, “I do believe, and I hope, we can elicit change through the stories we tell and the way we tell them.”
13.) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Winning Best Musical or Comedy TV Series
This Amazon original series included a female creator, a plot featuring a determined heroine, and also earned its star Rachel Brosnahan the honor of Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series.
14.) The New York Times’ “The Truth Has a Voice” Commercial
The commercial, which debuted during the Golden Globes, stood out for being completely silent yet saying so much about the power of journalism and women.
15.) Future Recognition of Time’s Up at the Grammys
Time’s Up still has a lot of work to be done, and the next awards show of the year is following suit with the Golden Globes. Keep an eye out for stars wearing white roses in support of the movement!
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Featured image is from Daily Express.
The Spread 