Golden Globes, the first major awards show in the post-Weinstein era, would have signaled a profound shift toward gender equity and a zero-tolerance policy for any form of sexual abuse in Hollywood culture. Most of the female attendees used the ceremony as platform for this message, donning black and declaring their commitment to the #MeToo movement and the newly-formed Time’s Up initiative on the red carpet and in their speeches. The same can’t be said for the men of the evening, who generally avoided the conversation as if Hollywood wasn’t in the midst of a hugely-publicized reckoning with powerful, abusive men.
Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic failed to ask the Globes’ male attendees (the majority decked out in Time’s Up pins) about combatting harassment or the impetus for wearing all black on the red carpet. Meanwhile, many women walking the carpet, including Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington, and Meryl Streep gave powerful statements about joining Time’s Up and wearing black. Eight actresses even brought activists from a variety of organizations aimed at reducing inequality as their dates for the evening. As Time put it, “The imbalance created a strange dynamic. Most men were able to spend their interview time plugging their projects, while the women were responsible for bearing the burden of taking on sexism in Hollywood in little soundbites.”
Of the 15 men who received awards onstage throughout the night. Notably, only two men stepped aside to allow their fellow female winners to speak. When Big Little Lies won Best Miniseries, David E. Kelley spoke for 45 seconds, then passed the mic to executive producer and star Reese Witherspoon. Later, producer Eli Bush stated, “the only person who should speak for Lady Bird is Greta Gerwig,” when the film won for Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy.
