By: Amber Jade
Past Trending artist
10/3/17 -Cardi B.
1/28/18 -Time's Up
This award season entertainers have been taking a stand and using their platform to talk out against sexual harassment in their working environment. The Time's Up movement has become prevalent now more than ever.
Inspired by the Me Too movement, that encourages women to not be afraid to speak up about harassment they have experienced; Time's Up is "a unified call for change from women in entertainment for women everywhere. It addresses the systemic inequality and injustice in the workplace that have kept underrepresented groups from reaching their full potential."
Over the past few months more women in the entertainment industry have been outspoken about sexual abuse or harassment they have encountered in with men that they work with. It started with "Hollywood" and has ricocheted through out other industries, now music artists are following suit.
At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, Sunday night the guests were asked to wear a white rose or white attire to represent solidarity with the Time's Up movement.
Janelle Monae gave a short speech regarding the topic before introducing Kesha's performance. Monae said, "We come in peace, but we mean business...and to those that dare try to silence us, we offer you two words, Time's Up. And just as we have the power to influence culture we also have the power to undo the power that does not serve us well."
Kesha gave an emotional performance of "Praying" which is about her personal experience of sexual abuse in the music industry. She was joined on stage by fellow singers; Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Julia Michaels, Andra Day and Bebe Rexha, all dressed in white standing with her united for the cause.
It was great that the Grammys acknowledged the social issue, but at the same time they failed to have equal representation. The performers and nominees were predominantly male. Even the hashtag #GrammysSoMale was trending. In the last five years only 9.3% of the nominees were female. That is a sign the Time's Up movement will only continue to gain momentum in the music industry and a shift will start to take place.
In an interview with Billboard, Jody Gerson, the music industry's first and only CEO/Chairman (of Universal Music Publishing Group), said she "vows not to knowingly sign an artists who has committed a violent crime against women or anybody else." I hope others in her same position follow suit.
"No more silence. No more waiting. No more tolerance for discrimintation, harassment or abuse. Time's Up."