The 2018 Golden Globes are just hours away, and there’s been a lot of discussion about how the annual awards show will grapple with the ongoing slew of sexual misconduct allegations rocking the film and television industry. Setting aside how the show itself will address the situation, however, Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood has an idea for how to handle the potential presence of unexposed sexual predators in the building.
She wants any such predators who haven’t been publicly accused or exposed to be encircled by other guests, a visual cue that will tip off people in the room. Wood tweeted out her suggestion on Friday, noting that attendees might spot people they know to be predators but might not feel like they can speak out at that particular moment.
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/949709598369312768
Wood further noted that people with personal knowledge or experience regarding the predator need not join in on the circle to keep it “anonymous.”
Wood’s suggestion comes amid a climate of heightened scrutiny, awareness, and glaring focus on sexual predation, assault, and rape in Hollywood, part of a cultural wave set off late last year following explosive reporting into the alleged crimes of longtime producer Harvey Weinstein. The moment has reached into the worlds of entertainment, comedy, music, journalism, and politics, as well as increased conversations about sexual misconduct in the everyday lives of countless women.
Wood herself has been a vocal advocate for victims, and she has spoken out publicly about her own experience as a rape survivor. She’s also a supporter of the Time’s Up initiative, which was launched this month to combat sexual misconduct and promote gender parity in the film and TV industry, including a legal defense fund that currently stands at $13 million. Time’s Up is also encouraging women to wear black to the Golden Globes on Sunday night as a statement on the ongoing reckoning, so the show figures to be more serious and solemn than it’s been in the past.