The 2018 Golden Globes held an important message this year as actors and actresses wore black to support the Time’s Up movement.
This past year has been signifcant for standing up for the inequalities in our society. One of the main movements that is being focused on right now is the Time’s Up movement. According to Time’s Up Now, the movement is a unified call for women in the entertainment industry and women everywhere.
One of the actors who was wearing a pin in solidarity with the victims of sexual assault and harassment at the Golden Globes was James Franco. A couple days after the awards, five women accused him of sexually inappropriate or exploitive behavior, according to Variety. The five women were students of Franco’s Studio 4 or Playhouse West.
After the accusations against Franco were revealed, people were shocked.
“I am not sure what is true or real surrounding James Franco being accused of sexual harassment. I guess I want to have faith in him, that he wouldn’t be so open about sexual harassment if he was actually guilty of it,” Sarah Ash, senior exercise science major, said.
“It makes me sad! I was a fan of James and loved that he was standing with the women to stop this abuse,” Erin Roche, senior human resources major, said. “People had no idea that he was doing this abuse. It goes to show how well power and Hollywood can hide the abuse from the public and friends.”
Learning about these accusations had a lot of people talking. One person who was vocal about Franco’s choice to wear the pin to the awards was Scarlett Johansson. This year’s women’s march had many speakers regarding the Time’s Up movement. During Johansson’s speech, she took a moment to ask Franco for the pin back.
“If James Franco is guilty of sexual harassment, then I think it was very appropriate for Scarlett Johansson to ask James for the pin back. I love seeing women stand up like she did,” Ash said.
Many thought it was empowering that Johansson called out Franco.
“I find it empowering that she was able to call him out and speak out against him because that is what the whole movement is about,” sophomore education major Maria Merino said.
The Time’s Up movement empowers women to speak up about the injustices that have happened to them. According to Time’s Up, one in three women have been sexually assaulted at work, ages ranging from 18 to 34. Out of those women, 71 percent said they did not report the incidents.
Letting women know they can speak up instead of being silent is important. They should not have to live in fear of losing their job.
“I am proud to see women of power finally taking a stand for themselves and all women,” Ash said. “I hope to see a day where men are responsible for their actions and where women are no longer afraid to come forward with the harassment or abuse that they have faced.”
