The Golden Globe Awards 2018 has been the most talked about topic this year. From the dress code, to the speeches, to the controversy, but here’s why we hope that it goes down in history.
This year’s Golden Globes was all about movement, making a statement and standing together. A sea of blackness rippled across the red carpet in support of the ‘Times Up’ campaign which stands to stop sexual harassment. Both men and women dressed head to toe in black to show how the unfair, sexist aspect of the industry will no longer be approved of, and how we all stand together against the misogyny which has ruled the film business since forever. This message was an important one to portray, as recent events in the industry have caused major controversies that have needed to be addressed for a long time, prior to this movement of solidarity. While the likes of Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Justin Timberlake and many more donned their best all-black ensembles, some attendees shunned the protest entirely by wearing brightly-coloured dresses. Actress Blanca Blanco, model Barbara Meier, and actress Zenobia Shroff, decided to go against this dress code and instead wear bright colours. Social media users were quick to judge these women but after learning about their reasoning, I feel like their decision was brave, meaningful, and made more of an impact. Blanca Banco wore a red dress and responded to the negative tweets by saying “The issue is bigger than my dress colour.”
We knew straight away after hearing Seth Meyers’ opening speech that there would be no holding back this year… and rightly so! He used satire and sensitivity to tackle the subject which he addressed perfectly. From the very first line, “It’s 2018 and marijuana is finally allowed and sexual harassment finally isn’t.” to the comments on Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, Meyers was making sure that nobody was getting away easy. He even managed to go in on Trump which also made us all very happy. Another amazing moment from the awards was Natalie Portman’s call out of ‘All male nominees’ when reading out the best director nominations. There was a serious lack of female representation in this category and social media was quick to react. Figures like Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan were mentioned, but what about Greta Gerwig for Ladybird or Patty Jenkins for Wonder Woman? The award show ended with a speech from the nation’s favourite television host and presenter Oprah Winfrey, where she discussed sexual harassment, racial injustice and press freedom. Winfrey commented on Sidney Poitier, the first black male to win an Oscar, and also went on to thank the women who have ‘endured years of abuse and assault’. After the moving and powerful speech, Seth Meyers jokingly encouraged Oprah to run for president, which we all have to agree on!
We certainly cannot disagree that this year’s Golden Globes was eventful! It was also stylish and purposeful, which enabled celebrities to stand together and make a change for all men and women around the world!
Written by: Emily Brown
