After the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault allegations, which were subsequently followed by dozens of other men being accused of similar crimes, it seems that women and men in the spotlight are fed up. So it was little surprise to viewers when actresses used the Golden Globes, one of the most illustrious red carpet events of the year, to further voice their political opinions.
As a sign of solidarity for the victims of sexual assault, several prominent actresses got together before the Golden Globes and asked that everyone in attendance wear black. Their collective action became known as the #TimesUp movement, and was a carte blanche call for an end to gender inequality, sexism, sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood.
Still, no matter how well intentioned their efforts were, the internet will always find the speck of dirt in an otherwise noble cause. Whether it was an ill-conceived response to the protest or a thinly veiled attempt to profit off of it, a cause like this never stays unspoiled for long — not in 2018 at least.
So here, in no particular order, are the top five “so awkward I had to leave the room and read about it later on Twitter” moments of this the 2018 Golden Globes.
Whatever-Her-Name-Is Wears Red
Yes, during a night where everyone had pretty much agreed to wear black, someone HAD to wear not black. Blanca Blanco, whom, no shade intended, no one had really heard of prior to this debacle, wore a red dress that stood out much more than any scarlet “A” ever could at an all-black event. She then even proceeded to shame people who shamed her, claiming her outfit has nothing to do with the disrespect taking place in Hollywood and that anyone who shamed her was part of the problem.
There are always those who have to go against the red-carpet activism in hopes it will grab people’s attention. The stunt did exactly what many think she wanted it to do, and had people asking “who is she?”
The Hypocrites in Black
Many people dressed up in black to show their support, but unfortunately a handful of those who did are in fact at the very source of the problem. Celebrities such as Justin Timberlake and Blake Lively showed up in their ebony attire with their families and their #TimesUp patches, but have yet to denounce director Woody Allen, whom they’ve both recently worked with.
Blake Lively even claimed that Woody Allen was “empowering to women” after his children spoke out about his sexual assault on his daughter, Dylan Farrow. Farrow, who wasn’t invited, called some of these celebrities out on Twitter about claiming to be against injustice while still working with Allen.
Celebrities Talking Sh*t about E! News on E! News
On a much lighter side, except for those from E! News, many people stood in solidarity with Catt Sadler. While being interviewed for E! News by E! News workers, celebrities including Debra Messing, Eva Longoria and Reese Witherspoon defended Catt Sadler, who recently quit after finding out she made significantly less than her male counterpart, one of the issues that fueled the creation of the #TimesUp movement.
This activism on the red carpet was meant to bring about these conversations even if it made people (or entire networks) feel uncomfortable. As awkward as it was for E!, it was a fantastic moment for Catt Sadler.
Invitations Lost in the Mail?
With such heavy coverage on a relatively exclusive event, it wasn’t hard to notice that some people were missing. Many of the women who spoke out in the #MeToo movements and came out against powerhouses, such as Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein, as well as many women who have denounced the problems battled by the #TimesUp movement, were not invited to the Golden Globes. A few celebrities brought activists as “dates” to the event, but so many weren’t even in the building to tell their stories, especially those who started the conversation.
Given all the ups and downs of this year, particularly with the women’s rights movement rising, it would have been a nice time to have awards for survivors of sexual harassment, those who had the courage to present and bring the issues to light, instead of the people who turned a blind eye to such sufferings or simply put on a black dress for show. Dylan Farrow was left out, as well as Nancy Kerrigan, who had to watch as Hollywood fangirled over Tanya Harding, and several others dropped the ball. Activism on the red carpet means being inclusive and everyone needs to be in attendance, including those who aren’t deemed “red-carpet worthy.”
Lena Dunham on Lena Dunham
Whenever there is controversy, Lena Dunham is probably not far behind. In her defense, this didn’t technically happen at the Golden Globes; it happened after the event, but it’s still very necessary to address as a “help me baby Jesus” moment. Lena Dunham took to her personal Instagram and posted a picture of her and the #TimesUp crew with a “sweet” caption.
However, shortly after the picture went up, Tessa Thompson commented under it, graciously claiming that Lena Dunham hadn’t really done much of anything and basically jumped in the picture and claimed all their hard work. Then, Tessa Thompson, guilted by fans and most likely some behind-the-scenes figures, had to post an apology to Dunham despite the fact that she was just telling the truth.
What outraged people even more was that Lena Dunham, not long ago, came under fire for the exact same action: humiliating a woman who accused Dunham’s friend of sexual assault, calling the woman a liar on Dunham’s social media. For someone who cares so much about the #TimesUp movement, Lena Dunham was expected to be more accepting of traumatized women as they come forth.
On the contrary, Lena Dunham bashed a woman of color for telling her #MeToo truth, then faulted Thompson, a woman of color, for exposing Dunham’s personal wrongdoings. Thompson later went on to say it wasn’t meant to be an apology, but an attempt to re-center the conversation and proceeded to say that she stands with Aurora Perrineau.
A Golden Globes That Starts The Conversation
With a special shout out to Natalie Portman, who made sure that people were uncomfortable when she introduced the best “all-male” directors, these were the most upsetting and uncomfortable moments of this year’s Golden Globes. Although the good ultimately outweighed the bad, it’s hard to appreciate all the beautiful things we have if there isn’t a little ugly.
Red-carpet activism is a difficult thing to execute, and while some do it with grace, others can miss the mark. It’s important to remember that while a lot of these things were uncomfortable, discomfort is sometimes necessary to get a point across. One thing is for sure, the conversation has begun.
