‘Time’s Up’: Draped in Black, Golden Globes Takes on Sexism

Time’s Up is a new anti-sexual harassment and assault initiative launched by Hollywood bigwigs.

Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, Edgar Ramirez, Laura Dern and Eva Longoria supporting Time’s up movement.

(Photo: Twitter)

The 75th Golden Globes, to be presented in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday night, will be the most prominent and public display yet for the "MeToo" movement that has swept through Hollywood and left a trail of disgraced men in its wake. What has long been, first and foremost, a star-studded primetime party may this Sunday take on the tenor of a protest rally.

Out of solidarity with the victims of sexual harassment and assault, many women have said they will be dressing in black for the Globes. It's a plan that, on the red carpet and on the stage, will ensure the spotlight remains on the film industry's endemic gender imbalances.

“That will be really powerful,” Allison Janney, a supporting actress nominee for the Tonya Harding tale I, Tonya, said earlier this week. “I will be in a black dress and be proud to be standing there with the other actresses.”

This year's recipient is Oprah Winfrey, who earlier called the fallout following the allegations against Harvey Weinstein "a watershed moment" for women.

Winfrey is among the hundreds of women in the entertainment industry who have banded together to form Time's Up, an initiative to advocate for gender equality among studio and talent agency executives. It has also created a $14 million legal fund for victims of sexual harassment.

Time's Up, a new anti-sexual harassment and assault initiative launched by Hollywood bigwigs, unveiled a new commemorative pin that features the black and white logo.

Time's Up — whose members include many Globes attendees, including Reese Witherspoon, Gal Gadot and Emma Stone — unveiled itself on Monday with full-page newspaper ads.

But already there is fresh fodder for its cause. The University of Southern California's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released its latest findings Thursday on diversity in directing. By examining the top 100 films of 2017 in box office, researchers found that just 7.3 percent of the movies were directed by women. That's an increase from 4.2 percent the year before, but still below the decade-ago high point.

“Diversity in the director’s chair is virtually nonexistent and gender in the executive ranks of major companies remains grossly imbalanced,” the study concluded.

That lack of change will be on display Sunday, too, where five men will compete for best director despite several potential nominees in Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Dee Rees (Mudbound) and Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman). The category will be much watched when Oscar nominations are announced 23 January.

Actress Eva Longoria told The New York Times that there’s a misconception that this is a silent protest.

Instead of asking us who we’re wearing, they’ll ask us why we’re wearing black. We’re using that platform and using our voices to say we can change this ideology, and shatter the sexism that teaches men that women are less.

Eva Longoria to <i>NYT</i>

(With inputs from the Associated Press)