Okay, I know no one really cares about the Golden Globes, but I’m going to talk about it anyway. The Golden Globes is like the Oscars, but with more booze. Actors and musicians line the read carpet in hopes of being honoured by the Canadian Foreign PressAward. In the middle of the show, they get up, drink wine and/or champaign, and have a few laughs with their fellow celebrity-people.
To be honest, it’s not my favourite awards show, but it is getting increasingly more interesting. The focus of the night is no longer strictly about what the hottest stars are wearing (well, maybe a bit), but it’s also about the political statement they want to make that night. For this particular show
First of all, let’s talk about Meryl Streep, recipient of theCecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement. The award, which is absolutely well-deserved, was followed with an acceptance speech that summed up Hollywood’s fears and concerns following the American election. The words Hollywood, foreign, and press, Streep said, are all being vilified right now. With poise and elegance, Streep then launched into a speech that touched on so many critical elements of humanity that it proved once again why she is so deserving of the lifetime achievement award.
“This instinct to humiliate, when it’s modelled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kinda gives permission for other people to do the same thing,” she said. “Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”
She also plugged the Committee to Protect Journalists, saying that journalists need protection so they can continue to dedicate their lives to sharing truths and keeping people of power accountable.
Rachel Wood, who was nominated for her role on HBO’s Westworld, strutted the red carpet wearing a custom suit by Altuzarra. While many women opt for a suit rather than a dress, Wood is not usually one of them. She says she has worn dresses to every award show before this one, but she wanted to make sure young girls knew it wasn’t a requirement.
“And I love dresses, I’m not trying to protest dresses, but I wanted to make sure that young girls and women knew they aren’t a requirement. And that you don’t have to wear one if you don’t want to, and to just be yourself because your worth is more than that. So this year I said I’m going as an homage to Marlene Dietrich and Victor Victoria, and David Bowie because it’s his birthday.”
Tracee Ellis Ross won an award for best actress in a comedy television show (Black-Ish) and gave a very simple and elegant acceptance speech. She dedicated the award to “all of the women, women of colour and colourful people whose stories, ideas and thoughts are not always considered worthy and valid and important.”
And then there was Claire Foy, who won for best actress in a drama TV series for her role as Elizabeth II in Netflix’s The Crown. In her acceptance speech she thanked Queen Elizabeth for her inspiration. “I think the world could do with a few more women at the centre of it, if you ask me.”
And these were just the highlights.
The 2017 Golden Globes wasn’t the best awards show I’ve seen, but it certainly wasn’t the worst. At least the actors and actresses were given the opportunity to discuss causes close to their heart and make this awards show into more than just an opportunity to wear outrageous dresses and diamond jewelry. And for that, I’m thankful.
