Our fraught political and cultural climate escalated into a moment of reckoning when New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey broke the Harvey Weinstein story in early October. The #MeToo movement originally started by Tarana Burke in 2006 went viral and dominated the news; it was inescapable and, in a way, oppressive. All the things we try not to think about as women just to get through our day were brought to the forefront. For me, it was confronting a memory I’d worked hard to suppress: A man twice my age grabbed me and kissed me when I was drunk at a Christmas party and I was so humiliated that I didn’t even tell my husband for ten years.
I would like to believe this moment of reckoning is leading to a lasting, tectonic shift in our culture, as Frances McDormand put it, but I just don’t know. Woody Allen remains untouchable, working consistently, while actresses who work with him are called upon to explain their choice rather than the studios who do. 53% of white women voted for Donald Trump after the “grab them by the pussy” comments were made public. Who’s to say Harvey Weinstein and his ilk can’t rebound for a second act in a few years?
Wear Black Tomorrow with us because #TIMESUP ! @RWitherspoon @iamrashidajones @brielarson @kerrywashington @TraceeEllisRoss #WhyWeWearBlack . pic.twitter.com/HtFTojuXoU
— Tessa Thompson (@TessaThompson_x) January 7, 2018
That’s why, instead of ranking and evaluating the various black looks worn last night, I want to focus on the reason that so many Golden Globes attendees wore black: in solidarity with women and men who’ve experienced sexual harassment and assault and to support the launch of the Time’s Up initiative. That said, I want to acknowledge, as Jessica Morgan of Go Fug Yourself told Vox, “It is not a personal or intellectual weakness to like clothes and be interested in them.” I’m not here to judge or tell anyone the right or wrong way to provide or consume coverage of this red carpet.
But after a lot of consideration, business as usual doesn’t feel quite right to me. Here’s what does: First, I want to share the link for anyone able to donate to the Time’s Up legal defense fund. And below, I’m including a rundown of some of the women in black who stood out particularly to me, but without commentary. I would love to include each and every attendee who participated in this blackout, but it’s not feasible – everyone on the red carpet, as far as I could tell, chose to wear black.
Even if you think this was an empty gesture, or share some of these valid concerns about the way this protest was handled, at least some of the focus has to stay on the protest itself and the systemic harassment that prompted it, no matter how painful it is to talk about. I really would like to believe a new day is on the horizon, rather than a fleeting moment, but we have to put the work in.
“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.” – Laura Dern
**All photos via E! unless noted elsewhere
Michelle Williams with Tarana Burke, Senior Director of the Girls for Gender Equity
Debra Messing
America Ferrera and Natalie Portman
Tracee Ellis Ross in Marc Jacobs
Meryl Streep in Vera Wang with Ai-Jen Poo, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)
Viola Davis in Brandon Maxwell
Laura Dern in Armani Prive with Mónica Ramírez, the co-founder of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas
Salma Hayek in Balenciaga and Ashley Judd in Elie Saab
Connie Britton
Emma Watson with Marai Larasi, executive director of Imkaan (UK)
Alison Brie in Vassilis Zoulias
Sarah Jessica Parker in Dolce & Gabbana
Jessica Chastain in Armani Prive and Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji
Amy Poehler with Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley
Nicole Kidman in Givenchy
Gal Gadot in Tom Ford
Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen
Bonus: Reese, Gal and Eva Longoria
Did you have a favorite look? Let us know in the comments.
To me, you are perfect.
Loved the Golden Globes – what a great movement ! Wearing black gave a voice to the TimesUp movement ! I was impressed. I wrote my Golden Globes post on the silhouettes of the dresses that showed so well in black .
“ The Golden Globes: Black Dresses, Protest and Exciting Silhouettes” check it out !
Jandrew
Dress The Part
http://www.jandrewspeaks.com