Golden Globe Guests Focus on Time’s Up Movement

Typically entertainment awards shows such as the Golden Globes are spectacles of colorful and extravagant dress, but not this year.

On January 7, 2018, guest after guest arrived to the Golden Globes wearing all black.

Why? Because, Time’s Up.

Time’s Up is a movement against sexual assault and harassment which was officially founded on January 1, 2018, just a week before the awards.

The movement is coupled with an organization called the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

This fund is designed to provide legal support for those who have faced sexual assault, harassment, or abuse, particularly in the workplace.  

Similar topics have been in the news recently with the #MeToo movement surfacing on various social media platforms such as twitter, instagram, and youtube.

Using the hashtag #MeToo, countless women have come forward to share their accounts of sexual assault and harassment and to spread the message that this type of interaction is not normal or acceptable.

The movement has also revealed the vast magnitude of the problem as public figures and regular civilians alike have come forward.

Some of the women who have come forward include members of the Gold medal Olympic gymnastics team such as Simone Biles, and Aly Raisman who reported sexual abuse by USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar.

Nassar joins other prominent men in their industries such as Harvey Weinstein in facing serious allegations by numerous women.  

It is clear that people are starting to take a firm stand on this issue and protest a system that would allow such events to take place over long periods of time, in silence, with no consequences for the abusers.

Keila Aurelio, a Junior at Dimond High School said, “I think the Time’s Up thing at the Golden Globes was really important. It was showing people that these celebrities care about the issue and that there are so many people fighting for a change. I feel like if someone was watching that, they would feel like they had support from all these people they look up to in facing such a hard thing, which sometimes people really need.”

Celebrities supporting Time’s Up with their attire at the Golden Globes included Emma Stone, Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon.

Theirs’ and others’ dresses will even be auctioned off by the designers and the proceeds will be donated to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

This stance at the Golden Globes is made even more significant by the fact that sexual misconduct allegations have surfaced against Weinstein, Louis C.K. and other influential Hollywood men in recent months, and the Golden Globes is, in large part, a Hollywood gathering.

Theodis Talbert, A senior at Dimond, said, “I think it’s a really good thing that they are doing, especially using their platforms to bring awareness to the seriousness of the issue. I think it shows a step in the right direction definitely, but I also think there needs to be more of a systematic change. I think there is a long way to go in addressing sexual misconduct in the workplace.”

There may be a long way to go, but Talbert is definitely right in that it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Mauri Butzke, a Sophomore at Dimond, said, “I didn’t even watch the Golden Globes but I have definitely still heard of Time’s Up and I definitely support it. I think it’s cool that the action these celebrities made is reaching people like me who don’t normally watch all of the Hollywood stuff, but still like these people from movies.”

Whether a major Hollywood fan or not, taking a stand against sexual misconduct is something everyone should be a fan of.