Entertainment

Watch Meryl Streep's 2017 Golden Globes Speech

by Kadeen Griffiths
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

It came as a surprise to absolutely no one when it was announced that Meryl Streep will receive the Cecil DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2017 Golden Globes. That was like saying that Beyoncé would be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to our national swag. Streep is basically one of the greatest actors working today, and there's so much in her body of work to honor her for that the real question was how it took her so long to be honored. Naturally, she proved herself even more perfect for the award when she accepted it — just watch the video of Meryl Streep's Golden Globes speech, which brought a tear to my eye. A tear of joy, that is, because she's just such a queen. A queen who seemingly uses her moment to take potshots at President Donald Trump.

Viola Davis introduced Streep, which is incredibly fitting considering the latter complimented the former just last week at the Hollywood Walk Of Fame star ceremony and the pair co-starred with one another in Doubt. That introduction alone was tear-inducing. Davis said of the actress: "You make me proud to be an artist. You make me feel that what I have in me, my face, my body, my age, is enough." And that notion of everyone being enough was reflected in Streep's speech, which took numerous shots at Trump's policies and rhetoric against immigrants and foreigners.

She pointed out how many people in that very room came to America from somewhere else, and also took a moment to speak against the spreading of hate. While referencing the infamous November 2015 incident in which Trump allegedly mocked journalist Serge Kovaleski's disability — though Trump has denied allegations that he mocked a disabled reporter — she made this powerful point:

This instinct to humiliate, when it's modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everyone's life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.

Honestly, pulling quotes from Streep's speech doesn't even do it justice. You have to watch it for yourself.

Yes, Meryl Streep went home with another award for her mantel on Sunday night. But she also went home with something else: even more respect and esteem from everyone in that room and everyone at home watching.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated from its original version.