Golden Globes
In the wake of Harvey Weinstein, and countless other sexual harassment and abuse stories coming to light, the Golden Globes became more than just an award show this year. Taking the opportunity to speak out against this violence, all guests were asked to wear black, in solidarity for victims of assault and harassment. Nearly everything was influenced by this theme, even host Seth Meyers’ opening monologue started with “Welcome ladies and remaining gentlemen”.
Besides the more comedic side, the idea for the night was reiterated more seriously by countless award winners and speakers, most notably by Oprah Winfrey. Oprah took the stage as she received the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, to deliver her now legendary speech tackling the heavy topics of race and sexual assault. As the first African-American woman to win the award, she recalls watching the Golden Globes as a child, and seeing Sidney Poitier become the first African-American man to win the award for best actor. Diversity and representation have become especially hot topics recently, and she talks about how powerful seeing people like you winning such a prestigious award really is. Events like this plant seeds of hope, hope that the future will be more equal for everyone, and that no matter what our ethnicity, or nationality we can succeed. In addition to this, Oprah took the opportunity to build upon the theme of the evening to address the problem of sexual assault and harassment in the film and television industry. As a survivor of assault herself, her words hold even deeper meaning. Taking the time to speak of the courage that victims of harassment have in speaking out about their abuse, she highlights the terrible nature of this culture of abuse.
Oprah’s speech even sparked much debate and conversation about the possibility of her running for president in 2020. The speech inspired many people to look towards her as a leader, even more so than she already is. Her message to all girls watching, that there is “a new day on the horizon”, just pushed this idea even more into people’s minds. Her speech however was not meant for this purpose. She did not speak that day as a campaign, but instead to look forward to a new day and an end to sexual assault. A time where no one has to say anymore, “Me too.”