“And I am especially proud and inspired by all the women and men who felt strong enough to speak up and share their personal stories. Each of us in this room are celebrated for the stories we tell, and this year, we became the story,” s aid American talk show host Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony this month.
In the final months of 2017 and now in 2018, we have seen one of the most popular artiste communities in the world speak up about sexual harassment of women at the workplace. The #MeToo campaign culminated with the powerful display of a unified voice at the Golden Globes ceremony, with artistes choosing to wear black and declaring #TimesUp for sexual harassment at the workplace.
As I watched Oprah articulate what millions of women all over the world were experiencing and convey such strong resolve during her acceptance speech of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contributions to entertainment, I felt awe for the power of her choice. Not so long ago, Leonardo DiCaprio addressed the reality of climate change in his Oscar acceptance speech. In doing so, he too was displaying the power of his choice.
It is individuals like these who remind us that our voice is important. That it must not be limited to the work we invest our lives in, but also be used to spotlight issues that plague those whose voice may not always find an audience.
As a developing nation, we have so much to do. There is a need for so much to change across a spectrum of social, humanitarian and environmental issues. We have a galaxy of stars who benefit from stupendous fan followings and yet wield just a fraction of the influence necessary in areas that truly matter.
Up close and personal
Why are we not willing to lend more activism to our choices? Is it because we have been disillusioned by the speed of change around us? Are we all too overwhelmed by the scale of these issues? Does our personal instinct to survive outweigh all else? Are we too often confined to the notion that as actors, directors, writers, our primary function is to simply entertain?
Or have we just become too cynical? Cynical to the point that the only thing we want to preserve is the bubble we live in. The bubble of our home, the bubble of our career, our family, our friends, our interests and hobbies, our vacations… Today, in various direct and indirect ways, all of our treasured bubbles are under threat.
Gender bias, sexual discrimination or harassment at the workplace, female infanticide and honour killings, glass ceilings and lax safety standards… these are the real issues today. Do we really believe our children will always escape these unpleasant realities the way some of us might have?
Closer home, for my fraternity to consider, there were recent events that almost jeopardised the release of a film, with threats of violence and a complete defiance of law and order. Are we too cynical to see that this is not the personal crisis of one particular film or filmmaker, but in fact a collective crisis for our fraternity as a whole?
I feel our reluctance to say it like it is is a combination of all of the above. I do know there are some members of my fraternity who stand out as examples of how we can all be so much more. Their consciousness is reflected in the stories they choose to tell, in the songs they write, in the opinions they voice (without fear)… and I am grateful to them for being an inspiration.
Artistes explore the multiplicity of human emotions and its various forms of expression. They absorb all that is around them, learn and borrow from it to better their craft. It would seem appropriate then that we be most aware of issues that hurt society. It would be prudent to realise that the walls can cave in quickly. Everything matters to us and impacts us, if not today, then tomorrow.
For a plethora of issues then, including the reluctance of individuals to participate in activism that does justice to their ability to think and question, I truly hope it is #TimesUp.
Actor, producer, conservationist, the author dons many a hat.
