Monday, January 8, 2018

Oprah, 'Big Little Lies,' and 'The Handmaid's Tale' win and say #TimesUp at the Golden Globes


The Golden Globe Awards took place last night and, like last year, Hollywood got political.  Unlike last year, it wasn't about bashing Trump, although Seth Meyers did some of that.  Instead, it was about fighting against sexism and for women's equality.  CBS This Morning summarized the theme of the evening in Oprah and Time's Up put women at center of Golden Globes.

The Golden Globes made history with a message of female empowerment that put women at the center of the glitzy awards show. Women and men attending the ceremony wore black to call attention to gender inequality and sexual misconduct in Hollywood and beyond. Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier reports.
For all her cultural heft, I've only mentioned Oprah once before when John Oliver made a running joke out of her at this year's Emmys even though she makes an appearance in "Food, Inc."  It's about time I mentioned her again.  The idea of her running for President in 2020 would make for interesting blogging, but I'm not convinced that the Democratic Party is as ready for a celebrity takeover the way the Republican Party was for Trump in 2016.  Keep reading to see if I'm right.

The story extended well beyond Oprah.  Follow over the jump for other clips about the social justice theme of last night's awards.

Seth Meyers set the stage with his monologue at the 2018 Golden Globes.

Host Seth Meyers addresses sexual harassment in Hollywood, President Donald Trump and more at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
As I wrote, Meyers did some Trump bashing, but he had plenty of jibes for everyone.  He also floated the "Oprah for President" meme.  Like I said, I'm not convinced, even if it would be fun.


Other than Oprah and Meyers, the winners that had to most to say about the struggle for women's equality came from television, especially from "Big Little Lies," a series I have mentioned whenever I've blogged about awards shows since last year's Golden Trailer Awards.  It began with the first winner, Nicole Kidman Wins Best Actress in a Limited Series at the 2018 Golden Globes.

Nicole Kidman accepts the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Laura Dern gave an even stronger statement for equality and justice when she accepted Best Supporting TV Actress.

Laura Dern accepts the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Reese Witherspoon capped off the theme of women's empowerment in her acceptance speech for Big Little Lies winning Best Limited Series.

David E. Kelley and Reese Witherspoon accept the award for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
I've been tossing this show aside for months because it was neither speculative fiction or expressly political, but last night it proved its worth to me as a subject of serious blogging.  That's why I think it's a serious threat to "Stranger Things" at the PGA Awards and will make for a crowded, high-quality field for Drama Series at next year's Emmy Awards.

The other threat to "Stranger Things" at the PGA Awards is "The Handmaid's Tale," which won in two of the three categories it was nominated in.  That its winners would make a strong statement for women's rights and fighting against patriarchy and reaction came as less of a surprise to me than "Big Little Lies" given the show's much more explicit theme.  When Elisabeth Moss Won Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama at the 2018 Golden Globes, she delivered as expected.

Elisabeth Moss accepts the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
I thought Moss would be favored, and I was right.  I also thought the show itself would win its category and it did.  Here is Executive Producer Bruce Miller accepting the award for Best TV Series, Drama, where he also makes a statement about the show and its real-world message.

Executive producer Bruce Miller accepts the award for Best Television Series, Drama at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
I'm glad to see that "The Handmaid's Tale" represented speculative fiction so well at the Golden Globes.  Now to see how this show fares at the rest of the awards shows that recognize television, beginning with the 2018 Critics' Choice Television Awards and ending with the Saturn Awards.

Even comedy got into it as Rachel Brosnahan mentioned women's stories that need to be told and holding each other accountable as she accepted her award for Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy at the 2018 Golden Globes.

Rachel Brosnahan accepts the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Before the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated this show, I had never even heard of it.

I will complete the circle by returning to Oprah and her receiving the Cecil B. de Mille Award.


This is the number two trending video on YouTube as I type this.  It deserves it.

I'll have more on the speculative fiction winners in movies tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

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