The red carpet has been a long-standing tradition for many years now to welcome many celebrities to famous awards shows like the Golden Globes and the Oscars. These highly-televised events that happen every year without fail are seen by millions of viewers.
Many discuss the lead up to the event and after it’s over. It is safe to say that these events can be pretty powerful with the influence that they can have on their viewers.
Many celebrities have used the red carpet’s power to voice their concerns about important issues that are happening in the world. Some of the major issues that many activists have discussed on the red carpet are the Me Too movement, the Time’s Up movement, global warming, and gun violence. They have used this event to express concerns on some important issues by using fashion as a form of protest.
During the Golden Globes Awards, many A-list celebs from Shonda Rimes to Reese Witherspoon dressed up in black and said “Time’s Up” in the form of protest against sexual harassment and workplace inequality. Some artists that have attended the Grammys have carried a white rose in a similar sign of unity.
After the tragic high school shooting that happened in Florida, A-listers in Hollywood wore orange pins in solidarity with the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.
Here are some of the most important issues that celebrities have used to protest on the red carpet.
#MeToo Movement
The #MeToo Movement has been around since 2006 when founder Tarana Burke used the phrase “Me Too” to raise awareness of women who had been abused. This movement found global recognition years later, in 2017, when it came out that Harvey Weinstein had been sexually assaulting many women within the film industry.
After the Weinstein fallout and in the wake of the Me Too movement, many wondered whether the red carpet mattered at all. But during the 2018 Golden Globes, it proved that it still does, with many celebrities turning up in black dresses or tuxes to protest sexual harassment against women in Hollywood.
This movement is now so important because it is based upon breaking the silence and a way for survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment to express themselves and gain support. People see this movement as a way for people to fight back against what’s gone on for far too long, and a way for a survivor to understand that they are not alone.
Time’s Up movement
The Time’s Up movement was created by a group of celebrities after the wake of the Me Too movement. This movement is shred light on the issues women face around the world and make people aware of the obstacles women encounter in their daily lives, both personal and professional.
Both movements, Time’s Up and Me Too, share similar visions, but the Time’s Up can be thought of as the next step in the Me Too movement. This organisation aims to create concrete change, leading to safety and equity in the workplace. It was created by over 300 women in Hollywood, with high profile leaders including Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman, and Shonda Rimes.
During the 2018 Oscars, the Time’s Up organisation asked people not to wear all black like the MeToo movement during the Golden Globes but to wear a Time’s Up label pin.
Anti-gun violence
The anti-gun violence movement is led by a New York-based gun control advocacy group called Everytown for Gun Safety. This organisation is the largest gun violence prevention organisation in America. Their aim is to end gun violence and save lives. They are doing this by supporting and educating survivors of gun violence, advancing gun safety in the courts, researching the causes and solution, and building partnerships to raise awareness.
After the recent events of the high school shooting in Florida that left 17 dead, the Everytown for Gun safety created a pin for celebrities to wear on the red carpet at the 2018 Oscars. The pins came in the colour orange with the America flag on.
These orange pins and ribbons were worn by celebrities out of respect to the many victims that lost their lives or have been wounded as a result of gun violence.