The women were the stars of the night at the 75th Golden Globe Awards that aired this past Sunday on NBC.

The Golden Globes are the annual ‘blowing out the birthday candles’ for award season where the top acclaimed films from film festivals and theaters are nominated. This year was not only the 75th anniversary of the Golden Globe Awards, but it is the first award show since the sexual harassment and assault issue has come to light in Hollywood. Starting right out on the red carpet, the women of the night were making a big statement by wearing black and promoting the actress-founded Times Up campaign. That being said, this year’s host had huge gender wage gap shoes to fill. The host of this year’s Golden Globe Awards was Seth Meyers, the former head writer on Saturday Night Live and former Weekend Update anchor, and the current host of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Seth delivered a controversial monologue and wasn’t afraid to discuss the ‘elephant’ in the room, even delivering: “Time to address the elephant not in the room: Harvey Weinstein isn’t here tonight because, well, I’ve heard he’s crazy difficult to work with. Don’t worry, he’ll be back in 20 years when he’s the first person ever booed during the In Memoriam.” But how did the rest of the night go?      

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Throughout the night, many films and television series were awarded. The HBO limited series, Big Little Lies racked up several wins, including Laura Dern for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Nicole Kidman for Best Actress in a Limited Series, and the series for Best Limited Series. Other big winners included Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Let’s not forget Oprah’s speech when accepting the Cecile B. DeMille Award and highlighting victims. Other memorable moments included when Allison Janney won for Best Supporting Actress for her role-playing Tonya Harding’s mother in I, Tonya when she brought an actual parrot on stage with her and reprised her role for a second, all while the real Tonya Harding was across the room. There were a few funny moments like this throughout the night, but what stuck out most were the women using their voice for change in Hollywood, with many actresses mentioning the new initiative “#TimesUp” in their speeches. It set the stage for the award shows that are to come this season.

With all this in mind, let’s meet our Golden Globes Roundtable and see what they thought of this year’s ceremony:

Gigi (@trilliaventuras) – Mom to triplets. Passionate, my glass is either full or not there at all. Sci-Fi nerd. Drooler over Red Carpet pre-show ceremonies. Fangirl extraordinaire

Ryan (@legendarylevy) –  Child actor, TV & movie buff

Arissa (@uhhhhrissa) – Avid TV watcher, guilty pleasure enthusiast and proud Hufflepuff

Tracey (@bookirl8824) – Mom, publishing professional, reader, and TV watcher

Tammy (@popcult_maven29) – TV and book nerd and twitter addict who spends too much time with fictional characters

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1. The red carpet rolled out for the first time this year and the stars of the night posed for photos and spoke to the press, with some of these conversations becoming trending topics. What was your favorite moment from the red carpet and why?

Gigi (@trilliaventuras): Hands downs Debra Messing throwing shade on  E! for not giving their male and female co-hosts equal pay while being interviewed by them. We all know women will no longer stay quiet about these issues, but doing it that way and in that specific setting, took a little extra.  Thank you, Ms. Messing.

Ryan (@legendarylevy): Loved that the actresses brought activists & advocates to the event to bring awareness to Times Up and other movements the activists are apart of starting a conversation that needs to happen to evoke change.

Arissa (@uhhhhrissa): I have two that just really stick out to me. First, is Debra Messing being the actual QUEEN that she is and calling out E! on their Catt Sadler / gender pay gap issue WHILE SHE WAS ON E! *SAVAGE* Second was definitely Kelly Clarkson squealing because she saw Meryl Streep. I mean, aren’t we all a little bit like Kelly Clarkson in some way or another?

Tracey (@bookirl8824): I loved Debra Messing calling E! out on not paying their female anchors as much as their male anchors.

Tammy (@popcult_maven29): Sadly, I missed Debra Messing calling out E! over Cat Sadler’s salary. Otherwise, that totally would’ve been my favorite moment. My favorite red carpet moment that I did see live wasn’t during an interview. It was America Ferrera, Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, and Billie Jean King all posing for a picture together. It seemed to me an unlikely group. And then America waved over none other than Mariah Carey, who happened to be posing for photos next to them. She scooted over to join them and I thought it was a perfectly symbolic moment of the solidarity of the evening.

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2. Seth Meyers was the host and did not shy away from the scandals surrounding Hollywood. What did you think of Seth’s monologue and as a host?

Gigi: Seth Meyers did an amazing job with his monologue. He had a very tough job and it was a bit of a no-win situation, him being a white, straight man, but he performed flawlessly weaving in-jokes and seriousness all the way through. The Amy Poehler bit was genius and The Post gag hilarious. I enjoyed it very much.

Ryan: Seth’s monologue and performance was tasteful and he did a good job setting the tone for the Golden Globes. I liked his joke ” In 2018 – marijuana is finally allowed, sexual harassment finally isn’t, it’s going to be a good year.”

Arissa: I am a fan of Seth Meyers. I think he delivered and I like that he didn’t shy away from the topics that are undoubtedly affecting Hollywood and beyond. My only qualm, where was he most of the night?! It seems like he was just there for the monologue and then introducing a few people here and there.

Tracey: Seth was okay. I would love to see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler back as hosts! #girlpower

Tammy: I think he was fairly absent after the opening monologue, and honestly I didn’t miss him. No offense to Seth. I think he did a decent job with the opening, especially (as he pointed out) given the climate of Hollywood at the present moment. The opener wasn’t too long, it got a lot of laughs, hit a few awkward beats, and gets bonus points for Audience Participation. Overall enjoyable.

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3. Women wore black in solidarity in light of the sexual harassment and assault issues in Hollywood. What did you think of this movement?

Gigi: There is probably not a single woman in the world without a #MeToo story, some might be considered mild in comparison to others, but we all have one. Bringing to light the seriousness and pervasiveness of sexual harassment in any industry by any means possible is not only necessary but also the responsible thing to do, so our daughters won’t have their own #metoo story.

Ryan: I respect it, they are using their podium & fame to talk about an important issue that needs to change. I understand and support the Times Up movement.

Arissa: What a beautiful thing it was to see so many people, men, and women (!), supporting one another and praising one another and standing up for one another. It’s a movement like this that makes me proud to be a woman. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.

Tracey: It was great to see the solidarity, but I wish it wasn’t necessary.

Tammy: LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!! Not a single color in the place! Solidarity sister!!! I wore black to work today. #TimesUp and it’s about damn time.  

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4. Which of the Golden Globe winners do you think had the best acceptance speech?

Gigi: Oprah. I didn’t even have to think about it. Her acceptance speech was inspiring, rousing, empowering and, most of all,  delivered perfectly. Not a single women, and a lot of men, who listened to it, didn’t feel energized afterward. That’s exactly what an acceptance speech for an “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment” should be.

Ryan: They all did a great job and loved the opinions/comments expressed for female equal pay and equality for women and sexual assault. So great to see these strong females stand up for each other with each other.   

Arissa: Oprah. I mean, do I really need to say anything else?

Tracey: Sterling K. Brown had the best acceptance speech! Love him!

Tammy: Oh goodness. I adore Sterling K. Brown and I love what he said when he thanked Dan Fogelman for writing a role specifically for a black man. But Frances McDormand!!! Short, hilarious, heartfelt. Tequila shots and tectonic shifts were mentioned, and they kept unnecessarily bleeping her. I mean, come on. Loved it!

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5. Were you surprised about any of the Golden Globe winners? If so, which one(s) and why?

Gigi: I’m always surprised when my very own and particular picks don’t win, but no, not really. If I’ve learned anything from watching award shows year after year is to “expect the unexpected” however cliched that may sound.

Ryan: No surprises for the Golden Globe winners for me.

Arissa: I’m not going to lie, I hadn’t heard of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” until the awards show so pretty surprised by how much it won. And maybe not so surprised by any winners but more surprised that Chrissy Metz of “This Is Us” wasn’t awarded the Golden Globe. She is phenomenal and heartbreaking and stunning to watch.

Tracey: It was surprising that Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig wasn’t nominated for Best Director.

Tammy: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel winning TWICE!!! I’ve barely even heard of this show and it took home Best Actress In A Comedy AND Best Comedy Series! Seemed like an underdog to me, but maybe I’m out of the loop on this one. I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan, so whatever’s good for Amy Sherman-Palladino is good for us all. Oye with the poodles already.

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6. What did you think of Lady Bird winning the top award of the night for Best Musical or Comedy Motion Picture over Get Out, which became a highly discussed snub? Do you think the next award shows in award seasons will have similar results as tonight’s award winners?

Gigi: The Golden Globes have always been considered the best Oscar predictors, particularly since voting (for the Oscars) only began a couple of days ago. I was truly surprised The Post didn’t win anything, with all the star power it carries but I’m always happiest when an underdog wins. Lady Bird had the advantage of having a separate category because drama is always favored in awards.

Ryan: I am glad they won they are two deserving movies with strong actors/actresses. The Globes and Oscars are different. The Globes don’t predict the Oscars even though most winners end up being the same but in the past, there has been a difference in choices from the Academy and HFPA.  

Arissa: Like I said, I hadn’t really heard of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri until the show. Lady Bird was a given. Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan are forces of nature. I do think that the Golden Globes do set a precedent for upcoming awards shows like the Oscars but, in all my years of award show watching, the Oscars do tend to throw a curveball here and there. (Remember Leo LOSING the Oscars for allllllll those years even when he won the Golden Globe?!)

Tracey: As always I wish these awards shows were more diverse. I’m hoping the next awards shows take note.

Tammy: I feel like independent movies are often looked at as their own thing. They’ve got their own festivals, their own awards. It’s niche. So to see them celebrated at something as mainstream as The Golden Globes is awesome. I think there are so much heart and meaning that goes into Indie films, and the bigger platform they get, the more people they’ll reach. I hope the rest of award season does continue to highlight them.

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7. Overall, what was your favorite part of this year’s Golden Globes?

Gigi: Oh, it was a small, blink and you miss it moment, but Natalie Portman’s insurrection took guts. It was so unexpected, no one knew what to do. It was perfect.

Ryan: I can’t narrow it down to a specific moment I did love the many parts from Seth’s monologue, everything Oprah, Natalie Portman’s “all-male directors” nominees and every female standing up and voicing themselves are some of my favorite parts of this year’s Golden Globes.

Arissa: Oprah, Sterling K. Brown, and Frances McDormand’s speeches, the beautiful solidarity among peers and as always, the fashion *insert heart eyes emoji here*

Tracey: Oprah’s speech, of course! But she doesn’t need to run for president.

Tammy: “Here are the all-male nominees.” —Natalie Portman

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Final Verdict: The 2018 Golden Globes were used as a platform for good and sent a message to the industry

This year’s Golden Globes was surrounded by controversy in light of actions by Hollywood’s elite. However, from the #MeToo campaign to the new #TimesUp campaign, women’s voices are starting to be heard in Hollywood thanks to the women who have supported one another. What was lacking is that none of the Golden Globe-winning men spoke up about the initiative started by many of the women present in that room with them. Some may say that women’s voices were silent for so long and that for men to speak up about it would be taking it away from them. Others may believe men should have voiced in support when accepting their award. What do you think? Now on a lighter note, Oprah. Let’s talk about Oprah again, shall we? Oprah, again, was honored as the recipient of this year’s Cecile B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes. Instead of discussing her accomplishments, she used her speech to highlight victims of violence like Recy Taylor and others like her that are not heard. She encouraged others to speak up and was the most memorable part of the night – who doesn’t love Oprah?

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History was also made at the Golden Globes with Sterling K. Brown becoming the first black man to win Best Actor in a Drama TV series for his role in This Is Us and Aziz Ansari who became the first Asian-American man to win a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television show for Master of None. Finally, the snubs. There are only so many Golden Globes awarded, but many, especially on Twitter, were upset that Get Out and Call Me By Your Name did not win a single award. Additionally, all of the nominees for Best Director were men – a point which Natalie Portman outspokenly made clear. Let us know what you think! And fear not because it’s just getting started and your favorite critically acclaimed films still have many chances to come!

The 76th Golden Globes will return for the next award season in 2019