At the Globes, Women Spoke Out About Abuse. Men Didn't

Women and men wore black to Sunday's Golden Globes, while #MeToo trended along with #TimesUp to call attention to the scourge of sexual harassment that plagues not only Hollywood but all industries.

Actresses including Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, Michelle Williams, and America Ferrera were accompanied by activists who helped elevate the event to something more than a mere all-black fashion show. But so did the speeches of the women who took home trophies -- the denouement being Oprah Winfrey's hopeful, impassioned speech when she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award. While the likes of Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Elisabeth Moss, Rachel Brosnahan, Frances McDormand, Saoirse Ronan, Allison Janney, and Laura Dern spoke out about the watershed moment of calling out sexual harassment, abuse, and gender disparity, not one man who won an award addressed the elephant in the room (with the exception of host Seth Meyers's monologue).

Kidman, who took home the award for best actress in a limited series for playing domestic abuse survivor Celeste in Big Little Lies, thanked her friend and producing partner Reese Witherspoon profusely, along with the rest of the cast before saying, "This character I played represents something at the center of our conversation right now: abuse. I hope we can elicit change . . . let's keep the conversation alive."

Meanwhile, Ewan McGregor, who won best actor in a limited series for Fargo,thanked his wife of 22 years and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, the actress he met on set who he's been seen kissing in public.

The Handmaid's Tale star Elisabeth Moss, who won for best actress in a drama, quoted Margaret Atwood's novel to make her #MeToo moment statement.

"We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edge of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories," Moss read from Atwood's novel.

James Franco, who won the award for best actor in a musical or comedy for The Disaster Artist took the opportunity to call Tommy Wiseau, the inspiration for the film up to the stage before blocking Wiseau from taking the mic and then giggling about it for several seconds. He went on to thank the men who helped get him to where he is.

Winning the prize for best supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie for playing the tightly wound Renata in Big Little Lies, Laura Dern gave a moving speech about the #MeToo moment.

"Many of us were taught not to tattle. It was a culture of silencing and that was normalized. I urge all of us to not only support survivors and bystanders who are brave enough to tell their truth, but to promote restorative justice," Dern said. "May we also, please, protect and employ them. May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture's new North Star."

Dern's Big Little Lies costar Alexander Skarsgard won in that category for the men for playing the wife beater and rapist Perry, and he failed to address sexual harassment and abuse. Skarsgard managed to give a shout out to the women he worked with on the HBO juggernaut, but he also called them "girls."

Toward the end of the evening, Winfrey took the stage to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award and she brought the house down with her powerful words.

"What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I'm especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories," Winfrey said. "Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell. And this year we became the story. But it's not just a story affecting the entertainment industry. It's one that transcends any culture, geography, race, religion, politics or workplace."