Feminism was in the air at last night’s Golden Globes.
Although men clearly outnumbered women among nominees (zero women were nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay, or Best Original Score), women stole the show in more ways than one.
First of all, let’s talk about Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Last year at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards, Tina and Amy made Hollywood history as the first women to host the show without a male counterpart. Ever. Even better, last year marked the first time that the awards show featured two female hosts! But Tina and Amy did not merely host the show, they were hilarious and were immediately booked to host in 2014. Rejoice!
Last night, Tina and Amy came through once more, entertaining men and women alike and incorporating many jokes with a feminist flair.
For his role in Dallas [Buyers Club], he lost 45 pounds — or what actresses call being in a movie.” – Tina Fey on Matthew McConaughey and sexism in Hollywood
“Meryl Streep is so brilliant in Osage: August County, proving that there are still great parts in Hollywood for Meryl Streep over 60.” – Tina Fey on ageism in Hollywood
Additionally, the two comedians poked fun at the traditional ‘Miss Golden Globe,’ a title given to a woman whose duties have always included merely standing in the background and holding the winners’ things as they give their speeches, by introducing the world to Mr. Golden Globe – a.k.a. Amy Poehler dressed in drag as Tina’s illegitimate adult son Randy.
In the name of gender equality this year, please welcome Mr. Golden Globe, my adult son from a previous marriage, Randy.” – Tina Fey
However, Tina and Amy’s performance was not the only win for women last night.
Even before the show began, acts of feminism went viral. Elisabeth Moss, winner of Best Actress in a mini-series or TV movie for Top of the Lake, flicked off the ridiculously stupid red carpet ‘mani-cam,’ a camera with the sole purpose of judging women’s manicures. Afterwards, instead of apologizing, Elisabeth said, “I can’t believe I’m the first person to do that.”
Frozen, a Disney movie about love between sisters and one of two female protagonists’ self-acceptance, won for Best Animated Film. A Disney film that doesn’t involve a ‘damsel in distress’ looking to be saved by a big, strong man? I like the sound of that.
Bing aired a commercial celebrating the heroic women of 2013 in all their glory, including everyone from Malala Yousafzai to Deb Cohan, the now famous woman who inspired the world as she danced her heart out before going under the knife for a double mastectomy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyB7bzYRoqY
Emma Thompson very bluntly dismissed the idea that girls must wear high heels in order to look sexy when she threw her undoubtedly extremely expensive Louboutins behind her and said, “I just want you to know, this red, it’s my blood.” I don’t know about you but I’m also not a big fan of the oh-so-painful 5″ heels. Ouch! Let a girl wear flats!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF4DjPNCVJI
As the music began signaling Amy Adams, winner of Best Actress in a Comedy for American Hustle, to wrap up her acceptance speech, Amy sternly looked into the camera and said, “You cannot play me out of talking about my daughter!” Three cheers for moms everywhere!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT1NpCrayXs
Finally, Cate Blanchett touched on the gender inequities that exist in Hollywood during her acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama when she said, “It’s been an extraordinary year not only for cinema, but for roles for women in particular.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc2GM-hfAcg
However, even with for all the positives of last night’s award show, let us not forget that women still have a long way to go until full gender equality exists in Hollywood. For example, Woody Allen received the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award amid much controversy due to his alleged sexual molestation of a 7 year old girl and marriage to his much younger adopted daughter.
I don’t know about you but at next year’s awards show, I want a woman to win the lifetime achievement award and the award for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and/or Best Original Score.
For more information on sexism in Hollywood, check out the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
Cover photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons.
