Hollywood's Hypocrisy: The 2018 Golden Globes (for femininitymagazine.com)

Is there anything more ironic than a room full of rich people wearing black in solidarity with sexual assault

victims, giving a standing ovation to a 101-year-old man who is a known rapist?

The 75th annual Golden Globe Awards came and went pretty quickly. While we all laughed at Seth Meyer's Harvey Weinstein jokes and shed a tear for Oprah, the entire atmosphere and applied context of the award ceremony still leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of some.

It's great when actresses of all backgrounds decide to show their solidarity through their clothing and it's all good when actors do the same, there's no denying that the Time's Up Movement is one that carries a lot of importance. But is it still great when we take a step back to realize just how many of Hollywood's elite would actually stand in unison with sexual assault victims when no media was around to capture it? Or when the victims were those of someone they work with?

Prominent actresses of all ages, from the ever so talented Viola Davis to Saoirse Ronan, who has not stopped receiving praise for her performances, showed up to the awards clad in black to show their solidarity with victims of sexual assault. Yet, it becomes uncomfortable, almost unbearable, and suffocating to keep ignoring certain aspects of the guests' past just because they turned up wearing black and a pin. 

What about actors like Armie Hammer who, albeit a notable performance in Luca Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name, stood up for director Roman Polanski when asked about his conviction for the rape and drugging of a 13 year old girl? What about young and upcoming actor Timothée Chalamet, who is starring in pedophile and rapist, Woody Allen's new film? Who, when asked about his recent collaboration with Allen, he avoided giving a straightforward answer.

We could give Chalamet the benefit of the doubt, assuming that he took on this role because he is not, in fact, an established actor and no matter how much we despise Woody Allen, his films still receive a great amount of praise and awards. It is still hypocritical to be parading in black and speaking about standing with sexual assault victims when you can't denounce an old man who has sexually abused children, especially since the production of his latest film is done. 

The same could be said for Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig, who was asked in the press room about her feelings on the Woody Allen allegations taking into account that she has worked with him in the past. The director seemed to be nervous and caught off guard which is why her attempt to give a diplomatic answer didn't work out that well, leaving people with an uneasy feeling. And while it is illogical to call actors and actresses hypocrites just for working with Woody Allen in the past, it would be a step in the right direction for them to denounce him or express any regret they may have for their collaborations with him, taking an example from Ellen Page, David Krumholtz, and Emma Stone. This is why we applaud Greta Gerwig who issued a statement only two days following the press interview expressing her thoughts and regret for working with Woody Allen in 2012. While it does seem pretty far fetched that an actress would not have been aware of the, at the time, 10 year old allegations against Allen, it's important to note that Gerwig's statement seemed genuine and during this time, anyone who denounces a prominent figure in hollywood like Woody Allen, possibly risking a lot, deserves to be taken seriously and applauded. 

It's also noteworthy to point out that the winner for Best Actor, James Franco, who proudly wore a Time's Up pin, has been involved in numerous situations with underage girls, the most notable being the one where he arranged to meet up in a hotel room with a 16 year old girl through Instagram, and has been reported as an overall creep who tried to force himself on them by a lot of women who have worked with him.

Moving on from that, there is also a case to be made for the multiple actors, actresses and very prominent directors who signed the 2009 petition for the release of Roman Polanski after his arrest in Switzerland, but then the internet wouldn't be able to hype up Natalie Portman for saying "all-male directors" when she was announcing the Best Director nominees. We need more female directors to be nominated but we also need you to not support child rapists, Hollywood. In cases like these, we have a duty to stand back and realise that being a good actor or actress and a good director has nothing to do with being a decent human being; separating the artist and the person is good when it comes to maybe being rude not when some are rapists.

However, the highlight of the night, and by far the most hypocritical moment, was 101-year old Kirk Douglas showing up in a wheelchair with his daughter in law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, saying God knows what and receiving a standing ovation. A standing ovation for the man responsible for the rape of actress Natalie Wood during a ceremony whose main focus was sexual assault victims. Truly one of the most mind-boggling moments that just went over everyone's heads. 

Among the hypocrisy that was practically oozing out of the Beverly Hilton Hotel that night, however, there were some gems that deserve to be brought to light. Viola Davis opted for an afro to show young black girls that their natural hair is elegant and graceful no matter what their employer might say, actresses Debra Messing and Eva Longoria used their privilege as prominent stars who would certainly not get their interview cut short to call out the news channel E! for their mistreatment of Catt Sadler who left the network after finding out she was being paid half of what her male equivalent was. And of course, Oprah Winfrey's acceptance speech for the Cecil B. Demille award left many, if not all who watched, amazed and emotional, proving once again how fit she is for presidency. These are a few of the ways actors and actresses can use their privilege to point out injustice and inspire change without making it about themselves and how charitable they are.   

The bettering of our society and how we treat sexual assault victims is important, we can't afford to be denying people their right to support such great causes such as the Time's Up Movement, however, it is our duty to step back and realize that while a televised award ceremony that talks about sexual assault is important and a step in the right direction, it is also just that; an award ceremony that will breed little to no change where it matters. Find your local organizations that help victims of sexual assault and share them or donate if you can, be inspired by great speeches but don't just stay at that, refuse to pay for films made by people who are pedophiles and rapists because being neutral and thinking you have no voice is what got us here in the first place and people being brave and speaking up is what sparked a movement that will change lives.