That was Oprah Winfrey about halfway through her magnificent speech at the 2018 Golden Globes. Winfrey became the first black woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. (She's only the fifteenth woman of any color to be honored in the award's 67-year history.)
Winfrey, a phenomenal multitasker if there ever was one, used the opportunity to share her personal history; to thank her friends, family and mentors; to honor Recy Taylor, a courageous historic figure whose name we should know; to support journalists and the necessary work they do; and to stand in solidarity with the countless but no longer nameless victims of sexual predators. The audience, dressed almost entirely in black this year, gave her a standing ovation. Her remarks were intelligent, heartfelt and powerful — and particularly welcome after Seth Meyer's tone-deaf opening monologue.
It was Winfrey's moment, although it felt vaguely familiar to those of us who were at the Democratic National Convention in Boston back in 2004. Of course, Winfrey is more familiar than then-State Senator Barack Obama was. But, hundreds of people at the Beverly Hilton (and 19 million more at home) recognized the same feeling, a watershed moment of potential and hope.
#oprahpotus2020 began trending immediately.
And truly, if we must have a television celebrity for our president, let's choose one who celebrates the good in people.
Winfrey, from her very earliest days as a journalist, has always focused on allowing people — especially disenfranchised people — to tell their story. This is an opportunity that women haven't had historically. When the women's suffrage movement began more than a hundred and fifty years ago, it wasn't just to secure the vote. It was to secure a voice.
Today, things are better. But, we still adhere to laws crafted by men. We still study history written by men. We still consume entertainment that comes from a male-dominated Hollywood. Even reviewers, the people who are supposed to represent our interests when it comes to all that entertainment, are mostly men. A 2016 study by San Diego State University revealed that only 27% of film critics are female.
That's one reason I was thrilled to become a "Top Critic" at Rotten Tomatoes recently. I believe that women have a different perspective when it comes to critiquing film and television. Since I began writing reviews in 2010 (for the marvelous online magazine Women's Voices for Change), I've often found that a movie that didn't generate much notice from predominantly male critics could offer a rich and valuable viewing experience for female audiences. On the other hand, films that were acclaimed by my male counterparts often featured two-dimensional female characters in demeaning situations.
The gender perspective matters. Using Hollywood as an example, influential reviewers can determine box office numbers, which affects what movies are made and who gets an opportunity to make them. The same can be said for other industries when only half the world's potential voices are heard.
I'm launching What She Said in order to celebrate the words of the many smart, talented women I know and admire. We'll begin by adding our perspectives to the conversations around current entertainment: movies, television, music, books. And, eventually, I hope to provide a platform for women to discuss travel, sports, politics, social issues, and more.
So, stay tuned. Thank you for reading.
And, more importantly, thank you for listening.
