11 Moments We’re Talking About From The 2017 Golden Globes

by Erika W. Smith

Even if you didn’t watch the Golden Globes last night, stories and photos from the awards ceremony are probably dominating your newsfeed right now. And with all the headlines, it can be hard to dig out the important (Meryl Streep criticized Donald Trump in a speech and he, of course, sent out an early-morning tweetstorm about it) from the unimportant (Kendall and Kylie ate pizza at an afterparty). We’ve rounded up the things that we at BUST HQ are talking about the most. Tell us what your favorite (or least favorite) moments were on social media.

1. Meryl Streep’s speech

Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award not to thank her manager or her family, but to call attention to the dangers of a Donald Trump presidency. After discussing that time Trump mocked a reporter’s disability, Streep said, “This instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kinda gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.” Of course, Trump responded on Twitter, tweeting: “Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn’t know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never ‘mocked’ a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him ‘groveling’ when he totally changed a 16 year old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media!” To which we have one thing to say to Trump: Sad!

2. Tracee Ellis Ross’s win

Tracee Ellis Ross won Best Actress In A Comedy Series for her performance on Black-ish….and became the first black woman to win the Golden Globe in this category since 1982. That’s 35 YEARS. In her speech, Ross said, “This is for all the women of color and colorful people whose stories, ideas, and thoughts are not always considered worthy and valid and important. But I want you to know that I see you. We see you.” Ross’s win is well-deserved, but the Golden Globes need to do way, way, WAYYYY better with recognizing the talents of women of color.

3. Casey Affleck’s win

On the other hand, Casey Affleck won for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama despite multiple allegations of sexual harassment. Affleck appeared to address the allegations in his speech, saying, “It’s my kids who give me permission to do this because they have the character to keep at bay all the noise that sometimes surrounds people who live publicly.” Although Affleck won, conversation about his allegations and about the number of white men who succeed in Hollywood despite harassment, abuse, and/or assault allegations is reigniting. (See also: Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, etc.) People also pointed out how insulting it was that Brie Larson had to present Affleck with the award; Larson has won accolades for portraying sexual assault survivors in the movies Room and Short Term 12 and has spoken out for sexual assault survivors many times, including during the Stanford rape case.

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4. #HiddenFences

On the red carpet, Jenna Bush Hager (yep, George W.’s daughter) asked Pharrell about his work in “Hidden Fences,” a movie that does not exist. She apparently combined the only two nominated movies with majority black casts, Hidden Figures and Fences, in her mind. Later in the night, Michael Keaton ALSO said “Hidden Fences” instead of Hidden Figures when announcing Octavia Spencer’s nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Twitter had a field day, but the point is that in an awards show that continuously fails to recognize the achievements of people of color, it didn’t look good. And about that…

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5. Moonlight’s losses

The night kicked off with Moonlight actor Mahershala Ali losing the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor — Drama to Nocturnal Animals actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Then, Moonlight continued to lose almost every category it was nominated for, usually to La La Land (the exception: Moonlight won Best Motion Picture — Drama, which La La Land wasn’t eligible for because it’s a musical). Many pointed to Moonlight’s losses (as well as Hidden Figures’ losses) as evidence of awards shows’ failure to recognize people of color, and predicted that the Oscars would do the same.

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6. Diego Luna speaking Spanish vs. the “LOL-Sofia Vergara-speaks-English-as-a-second-language” bit.

Though a few were nominated, no Latinx people took home awards at the Golden Globes. In light of that, the two times that Latinx people took to the stage stood out in contrast against each other. Star Wars actor Diego Luna casually presented an award in Spanish, while Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara took part in a scripted and unfunny bit about her mispronouncing “annual” as “anal.” This isn’t Vergara’s fault, as the piece was scripted and assigned to her, but it highlights how far awards shows have to go towards recognizing Latinx people as actors and filmmakers rather than as punchlines.

7. Viola Davis’ acting

After five nominations, Davis took FINALLY home the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama for her role in Fences, but what really got people talking was her acting the hell out of her introduction for her friend and former costar Meryl Streep’s Cecil B. DeMille award. Davis’ stunning performance underscored the fact that despite her enormous talent and 20-plus year career, she is only just beginning to get the recognition she deserves. As Davis said when she won an Emmy in 2015, “And let me tell you something, the only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

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8. Claire Foy’s speech

The Crown star Claire Foy won Best Actress In A TV Series — Drama and thanked Queen Elizabeth II, who she portrays in the series, as well as advocating for more powerful women everywhere. She said, “”I really, really, really wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for some extraordinary women, and I’m going to thank them. One of them is Queen Elizabeth II. She has been at the center of the world for the past 63 years, and I think the world could do with a few more women at the center of it, if you ask me.”

9. Jimmy Fallon and Trump

Although Fallon made several jokes about Trump, people couldn’t forget how he humanized and promoted Trump last year by having him on his show, joking with him, and even ruffling his hair. Fallon’s criticisms of Trump didn’t go very far compared to Streep’s speech.

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10. Ladies in suits

While plenty of women took to the red carpet in gowns, quite a few ladies rocked suits instead, including Evan Rachel Wood, Octavia Spencer and Kathryn Hahn. Twitter applauded these women for looking good and breaking the unwritten gender code for the red carpet. Wood explained the reasoning behind her suit by saying, “I’ve been to the Globes six times. I’ve worn a dress every time. And I love dresses. I’m not trying to protest dresses. But I want to make sure that young girls and women know they aren’t a requirement and that you don’t have to wear one if you don’t want to. Just be yourself, because your worth is more than that.”

 

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11. Lola Kirke’s “Fuck Paul Ryan” pin

Though you might have missed it, Mozart in the Jungle actress Lola Kirke wore a “Fuck Paul Ryan” pin and talked about the importance of supporting Planned Parenthood on the red carpet. That’s the kind of red carpet interview we like to see! (She’s also making headlines for not shaving her armpits, which we also applaud.) She told ELLE: “I’m wearing a Fuck Paul Ryan pin. Paul Ryan is talking about defunding Planned Parenthood. I think that, along with a number of other decisions that are being talked about being made by the new administration, is atrocious. As a person with a platform, no matter what size it is, I think it’s important to share your views and maybe elevate people that might agree with you, that maybe won’t feel like they can have the same voice. My body my choice, your body your choice.”

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Top photo: NBC screenshot, all others via Twitter

 

More from BUST

Tracee Ellis Ross Is ‘A Woman Who Speaks Up For Herself’: BUST Interview

We Need To Talk About The Casey Affleck Allegations

Lola Kirke Talks ‘Mozart In The Jungle,’ Meeting David Bowie And Going Barefoot At The Golden Globes: BUST Interview

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