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‘Blackout’ on Globes red carpet for harassment victims
LOS ANGELES, Jan 8, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Usually at the Golden Globes, the red
carpet is awash in color.
This year, it was a total blackout.
Hollywood’s A-listers on Sunday turned out en masse in black — a sartorial
show of force to draw attention to sexual harassment in showbiz and other
industries, a culture of abuse revealed in the downfall of mogul Harvey
Weinstein and others.
Women and men alike strutted into the Beverly Hilton for the gala event in
their finest, the wide majority of them in basic black, with only the
slightest hints of color.
Many men wore pins supporting the Time’s Up initiative launched by hundreds
of prominent women in Tinseltown to shine a light on sexual misconduct —
starting with Sunday’s “blacklash.”
“People are aware now of a power imbalance. It’s led to abuse in our
industry. (…) It’s everywhere,” Meryl Streep, who was vying for a Globe for
her work in media drama “The Post,” told E! network on the red carpet.
The women behind the Time’s Up initiative have called special attention to
their “sisters” in less than glamorous blue-collar jobs.
Streep — who has come under fire over her denials that she knew about
Weinstein’s misconduct — brought Ai-jen Poo, the head of the National
Domestic Workers Alliance, as her plus one.
The three-time Oscar winner said Hollywood’s men and women now felt
“emboldened to stand together in a thick, black line.”
Indeed, the men of Hollywood took some flack ahead of the gala for saying
they too would wear black, with some remarking that they would have worn
tuxedos anyway. But many donned black shirts as well, and offered their
impassioned support for the movement.
Nominee Denzel Washington pointed out: “It’s important tonight but it’s
important to follow through. It’s important to see what’s going to happen a
year from tonight.”
David Thewlis, who starred in last year’s box office smash “Wonder Woman”
and wore a Time’s Up pin, said the initiative had launched a vital dialogue
and admitted he had not been aware of the scale of the problem.
“As a father, as a husband, why wouldn’t you be 100 percent in support of
this?” Thewlis told AFP on the red carpet.
– ‘Awakening’ –
Streep was not the only actress who walked the red carpet with an
activist.
Michelle Williams (“All The Money in the World”) arrived with Tarana
Burke, the creator more than a decade ago of the “Me Too” movement that
exploded on social media in the wake of the revelations about Weinstein as
women recounted their experiences online.
Amy Poehler entered with Restaurant Opportunities Center United president
Saru Jayaraman.
The protest movement did not preclude Tinseltown’s finest from making
fashion statements.
Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones, who starred in last year’s hit TV series
“Feud: Bette and Joan,” opted for a daring sheer lingerie-inspired black gown
with plenty of artfully placed sequins — and emerald green earrings.
Alicia Vikander’s gown had a rather Victorian buttoned-up bodice with full
coverage, sheer sleeves — and a bare back.
For the most part, the pops of color were minor — a streak of bright green
eyeshadow here, a snippet of white fabric at a neckline there, or an orange
sash at the waist.
But Meher Tatna — the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press
Association, which organized the event — caused a stir when she appeared in
a bright red ensemble with metallic accents.
A source close to the HFPA said: “She supports the women here tonight. As
part of her Indian culture, she chose to wear a red dress.”
BSS/AFP/RY/9:20 hrs