Many celebrities were sporting Time's Up pinsChris here. Last night’s Oscar ceremony was one to rejoice for how it brought the Times Up movement to the forefront of the proceedings. Viewers often forget what a global platform the Oscars are, and it was heartening to see a ceremony that seized the opportunity provided. This Oscar telecast didn’t leave the message for the acceptance speeches and instead integrated Times Up into the show to celebrate the movement alongside the movies themselves.
But it wasn’t merely about acknowledging the shift happening in the entertainment industry (and countless others), the theme was about next steps moving forward. This was best embodied in Frances McDormand’s thrilling and ebullient Best Actress acceptance speech. After having all female nominees across all categories stand for recognition, she ended her speech with “inclusion rider.”
The speech immediately opened a dialogue about the legal term online, with Merriam-Webster saying the term was their most searched online for the evening. An inclusion rider is a contractual demand for 50-50 diversity both behind and in front of the camera - a negotiation that some Times Up leaders like Ashley Judd have already utilized and many, like Frances herself, have only begun to discover the power of. Now I’m no lawyer, but this sounds like a way to implement structural diversity demanded by audiences and industry folks alike and to implement it fast.
While the producers also made a noticeable push to include more diversity in the presenters as well, one of the highlights of an evening packed with montages was the one devoted specifically to Times Up and the push for equal representation onscreen and behind the scenes. Presented by Annabella Sciorra, Salma Hayek-Pinault, and Judd, the moment not only spoke to many of the points in this wide-spanning issue, but also reclaimed the moment from the men who have oppressed without even saying their names.
The sequence also worked in the movies of the moment, from Wonder Woman to Get Out to The Big Sick to Lady Bird.
Another next step that we need to see: jobs and roles for these women who have suffered career-wrecking wrath of their abusers. A way for Hollywood to put their money where their mouth is that has yet to materialize is supporting those who have had career consequences with actual work. Don’t just applaud Judd and colleagues, cast them!