When the winners took the stage at the 75th annual Golden Globes Sunday night, many of their acceptance speeches touched on taking a stand against sexual misconduct and gender inequality in Hollywood.
The evening began as many of Hollywood’s A-listers walked the red carpet wearing all black.
It was a directive made by a new campaign called Time’s Up, which hopes “to shift the focus back to survivors and on systemic, lasting solutions” to sexual violence, a note from the organizers on Facebook ahead of the red carpet read.
But onstage, their messages continued.
Oprah Winfrey
When the TV magnate became the first black woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award, Winfrey gave a moving speech reminding those in the audience, and those watching at home, that a power shift is happening.
Winfrey, 63, who said she was inspired to become an actress after seeing Sidney Poitier win the exact same award in 1982, added that she values “the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this.”
“What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I’m especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories,” she said, referencing the “Me Too” movement.
Winfrey continued, “Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell and this year we became the story … it’s not just a story affecting the entertainment industry.”
The creator of the OWN network mentioned the recent death of Recy Taylor, who fought to bring six white men to justice for allegedly raping her in 1944, according to the New York Times. She was 97.
“Justice wasn’t an option in an era of Jim Crow,” Winfrey said onstage Sunday night. “The men who tried to destroy her were never persecuted.”
“For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up,” Winfrey said, receiving a standing ovation. “Their time is up!”
Winfrey concluded by saying that women like Taylor “and some pretty phenomenal men” have been “fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders to take us to the time when nobody ever has to say, ‘Me too,’ again.”
The actress, who won the award for best actress in a limited series for her role in “Big Little Lies,” thanked her mother, Janelle Kidman, during her acceptance speech, noting that she was an activist.
“Because of her I’m standing here. My achievements are her achievements…Thank you Janelle Kidman for what you fought for so hard,” she said onstage, clutching her award.
“And this character that I played,” she continued, referencing the role of Celeste Wright, “represents something that is the center of our conversation right now — abuse. I do believe and I hope we can elicit change through the stories we tell and the way we tell them. Let’s keep the conversation alive. Let’s do it.”
Rachel Brosnahan
When “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star won the Golden Globe for best actress in a TV comedy, she emphasized the need for more shows and films centered on women, saying: “There are so many women’s stories out there that need and deserve to be told.”
She also encouraged the audience to “continue to hold each other accountable” when it comes to injustice.
For the second year in a row, Moss won best actress in a TV drama, this year for her role in “The Handmaid’s Tale.” During her acceptance speech, Moss, 35, quoted Margaret Atwood, the author of the dystopian novel on which the show is based.
“We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edge of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories,” Moss said, quoting Atwood.
In her own words, Moss thanked Atwood, saying of her award, “Margaret Atwood, this is for you, and all of the women who came before you and after you who were brave enough to speak out against intolerance and injustice and to fight for equality and freedom in this world. We no longer live in the blank white spaces at the edge of print. We no longer live in the gaps between the stories. We are the story in print and we are writing the story ourselves.”
When Laura Dern won the Golden Globe for best supporting actress in a limited series for her role in “Big Little Lies,” she spoke about the dysfunctional culture surrounding abuse and harassment.
“Many of us were taught not to tattle. It was a culture of silencing and that was normalized,” she said onstage. “I urge all of us to not only support survivors and bystanders who are brave enough to tell their truth but, to promote restorative justice, may we also please protect and employ them.”
Dern, 50, concluded, “May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture’s new north star.”
Toward the end of the night, the “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” star accepted the Golden Globe award for best actress in a motion picture drama.
During her acceptance speech, McDormand, 60, said, “It was really great to be in this room tonight and to be a part of the tectonic shift in our industry’s power structure. Trust me, the women in this room tonight are not here for the food, we are here for the work.”
