Golden Globes 2018 showed the time is now for women to rise and shine
The new year has only just begun, and it has brought with it the distinct message that change is on the horizon. The 75th Golden Globe Awards held on Sunday evening at Beverly Hills, California was a shining, political tribute to solidarity and causes, from women’s rights to exploitation, black rights and rebellion.
Women lead
That we’re on the cusp of something big, a great change is evident in the kind of TV shows and movies that won at the gala event. The Handmaid’s Tale starring Elisabeth Moss won the award for Best TV Series in the Drama category, pitched against major series like The Crown, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, and This is Us. The show is about oppression, slavery and control of women in a dystopian future, bringing to a sharp focus the realities that many women live in poverty-stricken societies and dictatorships.
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, about a female stand-up in the late 1950s won best TV series (comedy); Lady Bird, which is a coming-of-age movie about the relationship between a strong-headed teenager and her mother won the prize for best film (musical/comedy); and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri about an angry mother’s drive for retribution over the rape and murder of her daughter won the award for best film (drama) along with three others.
Would these productions have stood a chance at another time in history, say in a previous year or decade? I doubt it. The Golden Globes have shows that the time is ripe for quantum leap in women’s empowerment, which has been simmering under the surface for decades already.
A case for causes
From the very step on the red carpet, activism was in the air with actors and actresses ditching their attention-grabbing designer gowns for black versions as a strong statement against women’s exploitation. One of the major causes for the evening was "Time’s Up", a movement started by women in the entertainment business after the Weinstein scandal, asking for equality and justice of women in all fields and vocations.
With a mission statement saying, "The clock has run out on sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace. It's time to do something about it", the movement saw expression in the fact that leading actresses ditched their spousal partners for activists, authors and attorneys as their "dates" for the evening.
Meryl Streep wore a plain black, off-shoulder gown as she walked the carpet with Ai-jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Amy Poehler walked in with Saru Jayaraman, co-founder and co-director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United). And Michelle Williams came with Tarana Burke, founder of #MeToo and senior director of the nonprofit Girls for Gender Equity.
Women’s rights were the rallying cry for the evening, and for a change (quite literally), the larger motive became bigger than the celebrities who were endorsing them.
Oprah's crowning glory
Becoming the first black woman to win the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an honorary award for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment”, Oprah Winfrey made history on Sunday evening with her rousing speech.
She said, “it is not lost on me that at this moment, there are some little girls watching as I become the first black woman to be given this same award.” She also spoke of how this year women “became the story”, about Recy Taylor and Rosa Parks, and the countless unnamed women who are continuing in the face of abuse and assault.
The speech marks a moment in history when change began in a fresh direction. The full impact of it will only be understood later in time, when this moment will be remembered by future generations as a point of inspiration.
Oprah’s speech was one of resilience and strength, and it rightfully earned her a standing ovation and a bid for president.
In action, direction
It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that the air was charged on Sunday evening, as even impromptu comments made history. Natalie Portman was quick in pointing out that the nominees for the best director were all men. While presenting the names along with director Ron Howard, Portman said, “Here are the all-male nominees” – a remark no one was expecting, but won her a favoured spot in the hearts of feminists for addressing the elephant in the room.
Singer, actor and director Barbara Streisand added to this by bringing attention to the fact that she was “the only woman to get the best director award,” in 1984, adding, “That was 34 years ago... folks, time’s up!” amid cheers from the audience.
Streisand drew attention to the fact that the industry needed more women directors, and that there are so many good films out there directed by women. “I am very proud to stand in a room with people who speak out against gender inequality, sexual harassment and the pettiness that has poisoned our politics.”
The Golden Globes Award ceremony addressed the “uncomfortable truths” amidst the glitz and glamour, and focused the attention of the entire world in an incredibly distilled and effortless manner. So much so, it is hard to imagine any other event in the recent decades to have articulated global issues with this kind of confident ease. Power positions, especially in cinema, are certainly due for a correction.
What Bollywood can learn
There was a grander narrative in place at the Golden Globes, as the proverbial floodgates have been thrown open for the role of women in cinema. Without doubt, this will have an impact on Bollywood and the way Indian actresses, especially younger ones, navigate the territories in the workplace and respond to sexual demands and favours of them.
There will hopefully be a trickle-down in the kind of movies we see being churned out over the coming years – more on the lines of Queen, English Vinglish, and Nil Battey Sannata – and less of those that endorse ridiculous gender stereotypes.
Additionally, it would be a refreshing change to see our actresses walk the red carpet with a fight for justice instead of another designer handbag. But will they be able to rally themselves around a single cause, what with their interpersonal differences? A strong message is certainly needed, and there’s hope that they will rise to the occasion.
Yet, one can’t help but wonder whether we will see speeches similar to these at the next desi award ceremony by our grand women – Rekha, Hema Malini or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Will Priyanka Chopra align herself to a cause larger than her personal ambition, or Katrina Kaif ruffle any feathers this year?
The new year has only just begun, and there is promise in the air.