A year ago, the Golden Globes were literally draped in black. Just months after Hollywood was turned upside down by the #MeToo Movement and the Harvey Weinstein allegations, actresses showed up on the red carpet wearing black, some with activists on their arms instead of romantic partners. The tone was a serious one, and everything from the acceptance speeches to the lapel pins reflected the mood.
Now that Time's Up has just turned a year old, what did the Golden Globes look like in 2019, and where are we in the fight against sexual misconduct and inequality in Hollywood? Let's take a look at a rundown of the big and little moments made by Me Too last night.
Host and Best Actress nominee Sandra Oh opened the awards with a few lighthearted jokes about race and gender equality but also had some serious words about diversity for the audience in the show's first segment that echoed the more serious tone of last year's Globes.
"I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change," she said. "And I'm not fooling myself, I'm not fooling myself. Next year could be different; it probably will be. But right now, this moment is real. Trust me, it is real. Because I see you. And I see you. All these faces of change. And now, so will everyone else."
Next up, Lady Gaga won for Best Original Song for a Motion Picture and had something to say to the three men sharing the stage with her.
"As a woman in music, it is really hard to be taken seriously as a musician and a songwriter," she said, blinking back tears. "These three incredible men . . . they lifted me up, they supported me."
Patricia Clarkson, who won for best supporting actress in a limited series or movie made for television, also thanked a man she worked with for not negatively affecting her career or personal life.
“You demanded everything of me except sex, which is exactly how it should be in our industry,” Clarkson said of Sharp Objects director Jean-Marc Vallée.
Finally, Regina King won a Golden Globe for her supporting role in If Beale Street Could Talk. After thanking the usual round of colleagues, friends, and family, she turned to a different topic.
“And I just want to say that I’m going to use my platform right now to say in the next two years, everything that I produce, I’m making a vow — and it’s going to be tough — to make sure that everything that I produce that it’s 50 percent women,” she said, as the walk-off orchestra went silent to allow her to speak. “And I just challenge anyone out there who is in a position of power, not just in our industry, in all industries, I challenge you to challenge yourself and stand with us in solidarity and do the same.”
Aside from women speaking out, there were a few moments that left some female viewers wondering whether time is really up for industry men who are rumored to mistreat women.
E! red carpet host Ryan Seacrest was called out early in the night for wearing a Time's Up bracelet, after being accused of sexual harassment by one of his stylists last year. While E!’s parent company, NBCUniversal, conducted a third-party investigation, his accuser said that none of the ten key witnesses she named were interviewed.
Although many celebs skipped speaking to him at last year's Oscars, many of the big stars stopped to chat just months later.
Ryan Seacrest showing off his #TimesUp bracelet. Help. pic.twitter.com/IFzCIinkJY
— Kate Aurthur (@KateAurthur) January 6, 2019
Michael Douglas, who won a Best Actor Award for his lead role in the comedy The Kominsky Method, was also celebrated despite last year's accusation by a colleague that he masturbated in front of her during a meeting at his apartment. Again, the allegation remained just that – and Douglas has since said that he fully supports the Me Too movement.
SANDRA OH: Tonight’s a night of change.
FIRST AWARD: Michael Douglas.
— Sean O'Connor (@seanoconnz) January 7, 2019
Then, in the biggest moment of the night, Bohemian Rhapsody cinched the win for Best Drama Film, beating out a number of favorites. But the director of the movie, Bryan Singer, wasn't mentioned or thanked by anyone – and he certainly wasn't there. Why? The director has been accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct, from making actors strip on set to raping a 17-year-old boy in 2003. (Singer has denied all allegations).
Talking big Hollywood change talk and then giving the Bryan Singer film top honors is too on the nose.
— Craig Bro Dude (@CraigSJ) January 7, 2019
In many ways, this year's Golden Globes felt like a microcosm of Hollywood in the wake of the Me Too and Time's Up movements. People (almost exclusively women) are still speaking up and taking a stand, but many of the accused are still accessing roles and winning awards. Part of the issue is, obviously, that accusations don't mean much without evidence and can fade away quickly, especially if you're talented or likable. The other part of the issue is that so much is still taboo and difficult to discuss, especially in the moment – that Singer wasn't mentioned at all while his movie was praised is very, very strange.
In the end, Regina King might have found the best way forward as we head into the new year: through actionable change. Her statement will almost certainly lead to a more equitable and safer workplaces for women in Hollywood – and more opportunities for them as well.
