Viewers of The Golden Globes witnessed a major blackout last night, as men and women in the entertainment industry, as well as several invited activists wore black not only to advocate for equal pay between gender, but to speak out against sexual violence. However, throughout the red carpet entrances, and broadcast of the award, it became apparent some of the earliest victims of sexual aggression at the hands of Harvey Weinstein and other alleged predators were not present at the awards. The following day, several of those left off the guest list made it known publicly through Twitter that they, in fact, were not invited to the awards.
Chief among the snubs was Italian actress and director Asia Argento, who was among the first women to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault through an account documented in an investigative piece written by Ronan Farrow for the New York Times in October of 2017. Argento alleged Weinstein forced oral sex on her, and included a reenactment of the incident in her film, Scarlet Diva. Aside from a brief red carpet recognition from Eva Longoria, Argento was excluded from involvement either as victim or activist.
While American performers who made accusations subsequent to Argento’s found support through social media, and colleagues, Argento was widely criticized by media in her home country of Italy for speaking out. Specifically, a writer for Italian publication, Libero, wrote “First they give it away, then they whine and repent.” Following that statement, the paper’s editor stated in a radio interview that Argento should be “thankful” Weinstein performed oral sex on her, and that the account “must have been consensual because he didnt physically assault her.” The hostile climate of victim blaming has since prompted the actor/director to move to Germany where she is seeking respite from a country she believes is “far behind the rest of the world in its view of women.”
While violence against women was certanly a focal point of the awards ceremony, allusion to at least one male victim of sexual assault who spoke out was made, but yet that person was not invited either. Anthony Rapp, whose allegations of sexual assault against actor, Kevin Spacey, when Rapp was still a minor, shined a light on sexual assault as not being limited to male on female crime. During the broadcast, there was mention of the disgraced Spacey that alluded to his misconduct, but yet no mention of the victim brave enough to speak out.
Other victims not invited included Annabella Sciorra, Rosanna Arquette, Corey Feldman, and Mira Sorvino, who not only spoke out as a victim of Harvey Weinstein’s predatorial proclivity, but also against his abuse of power, as she claims to have been blacklisted by Weinstein subsequent to rejection of his advances.
Meanwhile, A-Listers like Reese Witherspoon, and Issa Ray, both experiencing “it factor” moments, were given ample opportunity to speak out against abuse, while the actual victims were relegated to having their voices heard through social media websites like Twitter, through which Argento fired back at the “Globes” by referring to victims left off the guest list as “Personae Non Gratae.” Instead of giving these women a wider platform from which to speak, The Golden Globes rubbed salt in a wound.
The message seems to be, unless you are making the art that makes the most money, or gains the most attention, we do not accept you.
Considering many actresses in attendance invited activists from outside the entertainment industry to accompany them, it stands to reason someone should have invited the voices who came forward with their own deeply painful accounts, and made it easier for so many others to speak out.
The Hollywood elite needs to understand that a movement ceases to be a movement if voices are divided into subcategories defined by notoriety.
Asia Argento Has Given So Many Others the Muscle to Tell Their Story of Sexual Assault