Why the Golden Globes black-out fashion protest failed

Slate

The all-black outfits worn by female attendees “looked particularly silly on the red carpet,” says Christina Cauterucci, who adds that even E! saw the blackout as a gimmick. “The action might have had some real impact if it actually affected the audience’s viewing experience or asked some small sacrifice of the participants,” she says. “Imagine if the men had to wear green to show solidarity, instead of just swapping out their white shirts for black, or worn bags over their heads for the entire night. Or what if the women had worn matching T-shirts instead of gorgeous gowns? What if every woman brought another woman, instead of a man, as her plus-one? What if the women refused to get onstage, or ceded their speeches to lesser-known survivors of abuse, or didn’t show up at all? Industry leaders and viewers would have been forced to take notice and reckon with the power of hundreds of organized women. Instead, the show proceeded smoothly, with the unremarkable omission of most of the color spectrum.”