 |
| Oprah's Golden Globe speech (NBC News, 2018) |
We're approaching the end of awards season with the Academy Awards on the horizon this weekend. Awards nights have often been places for celebrities to say their piece on issues close to their hearts, but this year's ceremonies have been statement central; from all-black dress and Time's Up pins to the speeches themselves, the acknowledgement of sexual harassment within the industry has been inescapable. But what impact has this really made?
Frances McDormand Golden Globes speech (NBC, 2018)
When Frances McDormand was awarded the Best Actress Golden Globe in January, she enthused about the feeling of change that the evening presented: "It was really great to be in this room tonight, and to be a part of this tectonic shift in our industry's power structure" (NBC, 2018). The news outlets, as always, had varied opinions; Hadley Freeman wrote for the Guardian that Hollywood men didn't do enough to show solidarity, while The New York Times praised how little time it took for Harvey Weinstein to be booed, and The Telegraph's Celia Walden criticised the 'back-patting' hypocrisy of all in attendance. All in all, it seems you can never please everyone.
It has recently been announced in the New York Times that no all-black dress code will be organised for the Academy Awards on Sunday. From the perspective of ABC, the channel that broadcasts the Oscars in the US, this can be seen as something of a relief, given last year's low in viewership; discussion of prescient issues have a habit of killing viewing figures: "Whenever stars use the platform to support progressive causes and make political statements, large numbers of viewers turn the channel, according to academy insiders, who cite minute-by-minute Nielsen data for past shows" (NY Times, 2018).
Time's Up, on the other hand, are backing off from the Oscars because they don't want the movement to be seen as a red-carpet-only event; a small group of representatives held a press conference on Thursday night to discuss the hard work its members are now doing to initiate change for women in the workplace. Though there will be a moment in the ceremony acknowledging the organisation, the broadcasters are free to focus on the 90th anniversary celebrations and end awards season with the glamour and style casual viewers expect.
Organised protests at awards ceremonies are a good way of getting a message out there; feminist scholar Laura Portwood-Stacer states that if activism is properly organised, as it was at the Golden Globes, it can be very successful. In just 60 days, Time's Up has raised 21 million US dollars in donations. As all eyes are on Hollywood during awards season, it would have been astounding if nobody made use of the ceremonies to raise awareness, and likely incredibly awkward if it had gone unacknowledged.
The first step towards changing the industry is acknowledging the issues publicly, which has certainly been done now. Time will tell what impact Time's Up has and what changes have been made to the industry.
Read more:
- The Guardian discusses the undiscussed controversy of Gary Oldman's nominations
- Ideas on how men can show support for #MeToo
- Entertainment Weekly interviews Jimmy Kimmel about hosting the Oscars again
See 'Bibliography' tab on home page for all references.
It has recently been announced in the New York Times that no all-black dress code will be organised for the Academy Awards on Sunday. From the perspective of ABC, the channel that broadcasts the Oscars in the US, this can be seen as something of a relief, given last year's low in viewership; discussion of prescient issues have a habit of killing viewing figures: "Whenever stars use the platform to support progressive causes and make political statements, large numbers of viewers turn the channel, according to academy insiders, who cite minute-by-minute Nielsen data for past shows" (NY Times, 2018).
Time's Up, on the other hand, are backing off from the Oscars because they don't want the movement to be seen as a red-carpet-only event; a small group of representatives held a press conference on Thursday night to discuss the hard work its members are now doing to initiate change for women in the workplace. Though there will be a moment in the ceremony acknowledging the organisation, the broadcasters are free to focus on the 90th anniversary celebrations and end awards season with the glamour and style casual viewers expect.
Organised protests at awards ceremonies are a good way of getting a message out there; feminist scholar Laura Portwood-Stacer states that if activism is properly organised, as it was at the Golden Globes, it can be very successful. In just 60 days, Time's Up has raised 21 million US dollars in donations. As all eyes are on Hollywood during awards season, it would have been astounding if nobody made use of the ceremonies to raise awareness, and likely incredibly awkward if it had gone unacknowledged.
The first step towards changing the industry is acknowledging the issues publicly, which has certainly been done now. Time will tell what impact Time's Up has and what changes have been made to the industry.
Read more:
- The Guardian discusses the undiscussed controversy of Gary Oldman's nominations
- Ideas on how men can show support for #MeToo
- Entertainment Weekly interviews Jimmy Kimmel about hosting the Oscars again
See 'Bibliography' tab on home page for all references.
Comments
Post a Comment