Let's talk #MeToo at the Golden Globes: monologue, red carpet & more

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS — 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards — Pictured: Host Seth Meyers — (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC) /

With the #MeToo movement in full swing, the 75th Golden Globes ventured where no awards show has gone before by wading into the waters of serious activism.

It was impossible to avoid #MeToo at the Golden Globes this year. With the black dress code and abundance of shiny ‘Time’s Up’ lapel pins, the show was orchestrated to make waves as the many famous faces of Hollywood stood together to make a bold statement. But, leading up to the show, many wondered if the event would simply be a stage for empty gestures and self-congratulatory pats on the back. Could a sea of pretty people in black – coincidentally the most slimming of colors – really make a lasting and meaningful impact?

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From the get go, things seemed different on the red carpet. The tired “who are you wearing” standard query was replaced with a more captivating (and interesting) “why are you wearing black”, prompting attendees to provide thoughtful and original opinions on the subject. Sure, they were all parroting pre-written, agent-approved blurbs, but the passion and care that went into considering and crafting these statements illustrated that these were words they relished delivering.

Several stars also chose to invite activists to the show in lieu of the traditional date. Michelle Williams ceded most of her time to her guest, founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke, while Emma Watson seemed to be in awe of her newfound friend, Marai Larasi of British organization Imkaan. Even Hollywood golden girl Meryl Streep sung the praises of Ai-jen Poo, the director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JANUARY 07: Activist Marai Larasi and Emma Watson (R) attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) /

This inclusivity was a fantastic start to the evening, bringing advocates from all corners of industry to the table to a kind of coming out party for the #TimesUp movement, an initiative set to tackle the insidious reach of sexual harassment in all workplaces. In fact, as the night progressed, the all black ensemble of the crowd almost seemed to reveal itself as a joyous funeral for the patriarchy at large. Ding dong, the tolerance of toxic power is (hopefully) dead.

As the curtain lifted on the show, there was much to discuss. Promo material for the event promised that host Seth Meyers would have “a lot to talk about,” and he certainly delivered. As the first person to helm an awards show since the New York Times broke the Harvey Weinstein story and #MeToo started to subsequently gain momentum on social media, Meyers unleashed a scathing monologue that lambasted predators – such as Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinsten – by name while deftly touching on broader topics such as equity in the workplace.

In an inspired bit that didn’t quite land, Meyers shared the punchline love with the audience as he recreated one of the bits from his late night show, “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell”. However, in a group taking the message of the night so seriously, the delivery of even game line readers such as Jessica Chastain and Billy Eichner felt somewhat hollow. While the segment may have landed better had Amber Ruffin and Jenny Hagel delivered the lines aside Meyers like they do on the show, it was an admirable attempt in illustrating that everyone in the room was on the same page in regards to calling for gender and ethnic parity in Hollywood.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JANUARY 07: In this handout photo provided by NBCUniversal, Presenters Carol Burnett and Jennifer Aniston onstage during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images) /

From then on, whenever ladies were given a chance to shine, they did. The womanly camaraderie radiated through the room as lovely presenter pairings graced the stage. Most notably Jennifer Aniston’s genuine awe and excitement as she presented alongside the legendary Carol Burnett sparkled through the screen and right into everyone’s hearts. In fact, Burnett calling Aniston “kinky” might just have been one of the best moments of any awards show ever.

But the real zeitgeist-shaking moments came when winning women took the stage and utilized their time to call for action. Sadly, some female winners – most notably Greta Gerwig and Saiorse Ronan of Lady Bird – didn’t riff on the traditional acceptance speech, but others shone with the brightness of a thousand suns, working to usher in the dawn of a brighter tomorrow.

When Oprah took the stage to accept the Cecil B. DeMille award, she delivered a whopper of a speech that got not one but TWO standing ovations. Makes sense. Standing O stands for ‘Oprah’, right?

Oprah provided a laser focus on the strength of women in all walks of life, building up to a crescendo and a credo for the new path before us as a society when it comes to gender equality. She capped her mellifluous speech with a call to action for girls everywhere.

"“So I want all the girls watching here to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me Too’ again!”"

It had all the makings of a presidential speech, and Twitter responded in kind as #Oprah2020 started trending ever skyward. In Oprah we trust.

But the real heart of the night belonged to Laura Dern, who spoke with eloquence, urgency, and poise about the true benefit to the collective #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. She reminded viewers of her role in Big Little Lies and invoked hope that the new gold standard will shift to one that the youth of tomorrow so desperately deserves.

"“Many of us were taught not to tattle. It was a culture of silencing, and that was normalized. I urge all of us to not only support survivors and bystanders who are brave enough to tell our truth, but to promote restorative justice. May we also please protect and employ them. May we teach our children that speaking out without fear of retribution is our culture’s new North Star.”"

In showcasing passionate people talking about the problem of sexual harassment in earnest, and creating a very real platform for change with the Time’s Up initiative and fund, the red carpet activism at the 75th Golden Globes transcended the usual platitudes and empty gestures that too often pepper these types of events, and became something real. Hollywood is great at telling stories, but today the industry seized upon an opportunity to write their own future by modeling ideal behavior that every field should follow when faced with harassment in the workplace. And in doing so, the 75th Golden Globes may have just marked the meaningful beginning of a sea change that’s been on the horizon for a long time.

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Let’s talk about #MeToo at the Golden Globes

By Erin Qualey | Jan 8, 2018

With the #MeToo movement in full swing, the 75th Golden Globes ventured where no awards show has gone before by wading into the waters of serious activism.