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Meryl’s Golden Globes speech ‘will help get Trump re-elected’

MERYL Streep’s Hollywood pals are applauding her anti-Trump speech at the Golden Globes. Others have reacted with fury.

Nick BondNick Bond
@bondnickbond
3 min read
January 10, 2017 - 1:20PM
Meryl Streep Criticizes Trump At Golden Globes

HOLLYWOOD stars and commentators are today divided about acting veteran Meryl Streep, who made a bold anti-Trump stance at yesterday’s 2017 Golden Globes.

Accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Lifestime Achievement award at yesterday’s event, Streep used her time on stage not to reflect on her 40-year film career, but instead to deliver a sustained denouncement of Donald Trump’s character and morals.

While she never once referred to Trump by name, Streep spoke of the “moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter, someone he outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it.

“I still can’t get it out of my head because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.”

Streep’s speech has fiercely divided opinion, with many of her liberal Hollywood peers applauding her for taking a stance.

On the other side of the political divide, political commentator and daughter of former presidential nominee John McCain, Meghan McCain described Streep’s speech as “why Trump won” and suggested it was a bad mistake.

From there, the self-described ‘blonde Republican’ got into a war of words with comedian Billy Eichner, who replied to her tweet thusly: “Um she asked him not to make fun of disabled people and advocated for the freedom of the press and the arts you f**ing moron.”

McCain responded: “Calling republicans like me ‘f***ing morons’ is a great way for Hollywood to bridge the cultural divide. Enjoy your bubble.”

Conservative commentator Meghan McCain says Streep’s speech is an example of the thinking that helped Trump win.
Conservative commentator Meghan McCain says Streep’s speech is an example of the thinking that helped Trump win.

Another conservative, the right-wing firebrand Tomi Lahren, unleashed an almighty Twitter rant against Streep and Hollywood’s “out of touch, whiny, overpaid snowflakes”.

Bizarrely, it was a seemingly throwaway gag about sports in Streep’s speech that has provoked some of the strongest responses. Streep opened her speech by reflecting on the diversity of talent in Hollywood — actors who’ve travelled from the four corners of the globe to work in the entertainment business.

“Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if you kick ‘em all out, you’ll have nothing else to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts,” she said, to cheers and applause.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White responded to Streep’s comments via TMZ yesterday, slamming the 67-year-old as an “uppity 80-year-old.”

“It’s not going to be everybody’s thing and the last thing in the world I expect is an uppity, 80-year old lady to be in our demographic and love mixed martial arts,” White said.

Porn star Jenna Jameson, a Republican, tweeted a plea for someone to “mute Meryl Streep,” saying that Streep’s mixed martial arts quip was an example of “the left” offending “half of America.”

For his part, President-elect Trump responded to Streep’s speech on Twitter (where else), describing the nineteen-time Academy Award nominee as “overrated.”

However, when asked to name his favourite actors in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last year, Trump was quick to heap praise on Streep.

“Julia Roberts is terrific, and many others. Meryl Streep is excellent; she’s a fine person, too. The problem is I’ll name three or four or five and then the hundred that I know will be insulted, and I don’t mean to insult them,” he said at the time.

“Meryl Streep, one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood, doesn’t know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes,” Mr Trump tweeted. “She is a Hillary flunky who lost big.”

The View co-host Joy Behar offered her take on the unfolding drama on the latest episode of the show, noting that those who demand celebrities keep their noses out of politics should remember that “this country just elected a celebrity.”

Trump says Meryl Streep is “overrated.” Dude she made Mamma Mia watchable. MAMMA MIA! Picture: AFP / Robyn Beck
Trump says Meryl Streep is “overrated.” Dude she made Mamma Mia watchable. MAMMA MIA! Picture: AFP / Robyn Beck

“What’s beautiful about the story is that of course Donald Trump tweeted that she’s an overrated actress. He’s such a baby. Of course, she’s no Scott Baio, I’ll admit that,” she joked, in reference to the former Happy Days star and one of the few Hollywood ‘celebs’ to publicly back Trump. “He is supposed to be the president of the free world, he’s not there to go tit for tat over every little slight that goes through his thin skin — that’s not his job.”

Originally published as Meryl’s Golden Globes speech ‘will help get Trump re-elected’

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/awards/golden-globes/meryls-golden-globes-speech-will-help-get-trump-reelected/news-story/a15f3bec521cf8d861f50e00d8a1c32e