2018 has kicked off with a bang – and we’re 100% ready for the year of female sisterhood.
In the run up to this years Golden Globes award ceremony, 300 female Hollywood actors, directors, producers, writers, and other industry professionals launched a new movement: a coordinated effort against sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry, aptly named #timesup, to imply that the clocks have run out on the male abuse of power in Hollywood – or any industry for that matter.
The movement was introduced to the public with an open letter signed by hundreds of Hollywood’s biggest female names including Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria. The letter gave a nod to all survivors of unwanted sexual advances, not just in the entertainment industry but all over the country. It pledged to hold those guilty accountable and strive to change perceptions on the treatment of women nationwide.
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This month at the 75th Annual Golden Globe awards, the times movement officially made its mark with almost all attendees wearing black to show support of the movement – both men and women. Why black? Because it’s a colour that everyone has. But although an entire award ceremony arriving in black might seem a little funeral-eque, the organisers stressed that the colour was not meant to be negative – it was in fact a celebration of the tremendous contributions of women in the entertainment industry. We were well and truly slayed after Oprah’s iconic speech which informed all girls watching that a new dawn is on the horizon, where men and women are equal in all sense of the term.
But while the golden globes (and Oprah’s timeless wisdom) galvanised us for a new era where women take the spotlight, the movement was anything but a publicity stunt. At the recent Women’s March in the US, the influence of #timesup was crystal clear as hundreds of thousands of people all over the world wore #timesup t-shirts and held signs in solidarity to the movement as they marched.
With so many positive female-lead projects coming our way this year, the #timesup movement is nothing short of a callout for women to support each other, listen to each other and empower each other – and a reminder that we are in charge of our own stories.
Us women already know that we’re amazing and powerful, but sometimes seeing your heroes take a very public stand against social injustice gives you the push you need to call yourself into action. All that badass female energy both at the Golden Globes and at the Women’s March gave us an inkling that 2018 actually may not be as terrible as last year, or even the dreaded year of 2016. It truly is our year – so let’s shine.
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