Meryl Streep's Golden Globes Speech

After receiving the Cecil B. Demille lifetime achievement award at the 2016 Golden Globes recently, Meryl Streep could have had her big moment all about her. But rather than simply bask in glory, Streep chose to take the opportunity to deliver an important message to an International audience. Turning attention away from her and toward Donald J. Trump, Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech to call out the president-elect for appearing to mock a disabled New York Times reporter in 2015, and warned that a free press would need to be defended.

With Donald Trump's inauguration as US president mere days away, Streep had a message for the man who will soon become, for better or worse, the leader of the "free" world. And she had the undivided attention of millions of people watching at home.

At the Globes, she confessed that she had coincidentally lost her own voice earlier that weekend, Streep used her platform to speak up for those who have been rendered voiceless. Eminently aware of her own position as a wealthy white woman in a liberal field, Streep redirected the spotlight to the actors, filmmakers, and artists who make film and television such as important creative avenue of resistance and representation. Streep issued a call to action, demanding that those in positions of power, including Trump, recognise and work to fix America's rampant inequality.

In an industry that relies heavily on our First Amendment Freedoms, Streep used her own privilege and influence to forcefully and sincerely advocate others. Her speech is a classic example of "allyship" - when people use their privilege and social standing to work alongside marginalised people and lift up their causes.

Unsurprisingly, Donald J. Trump did not take kindly to the actor's critique. In an interview with the New York Times, the president-elect derided Streep as a "Hilary Lover". He called her "underrated" on Twitter. He attacked Streep as part of the "Hollywood elite", an out-of-touch group disconnected from the needs and concerns of "real Americans".

It is important to note that Streep did not attempt to monopolise the struggles of others or to make it seem as if America's ongoing fight against injustice revolved around her. She noted that Hollywood is often at a vanguard of the fight for free creative expression, and implored her peers and the public to support groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists. She stressed the importance of First Amendments rights as means of elevating marginalised committees, and said that it is vital to ensure that the press freedoms are not curtailed by an executive who has made his hatred of the press well known.

Above all else, even when it's hard or scary, learn to make good use of the platforms you are given. Make yourself vulnerable, and speak from the heart. You never know who might be listening.

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