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Natalie Portman and Barbra Streisand Call Out Golden Globes for All Male Best Director Nominees

Barbra Streisand is the only woman to have won a Golden Globe for Best Director.


barbra streisand
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On Sunday, the vast majority of attendees at the 2018 Golden Globes wore black to bring attention to many issues, including gender inequality via the Time’s Up movement. Still, when the time came to announce the nominees for Best Director, there was not a single woman on the list. Evidently, this disconnect did not escape the attention of Natalie Portman, who instantly made one of the most iconic moments of the night when she introduced the candidates by saying, “And here are the all-male nominees.”

The audience responded by collectively making the “ooh-burn” sound. Meanwhile, Portman’s searing one-line indictment quickly became the talk of Twitter. Although Portman left her critique at that, the Golden Globes wasn’t finished having its gender imbalance raked over the coals. To introduce Barbra Streisand, who was presenting the award for Best Picture, the announcer made sure to emphasize that she was the only woman to have ever won a Golden Globe for Best Director. (She won for directing Yentl.)

Streisand immediately seized the opportunity to comment. “So backstage I heard they said something about my — I was the only woman to get, did I hear it right, yes, the only woman to get the Best Director award,” she said. “And, you know, that was 1984? That was 34 years ago? Folks, time’s up. We need more women directors and more women to be nominated for director. There are so many films out there that are so good directed by women.” (Greta Gerwig as the director of this year’s Lady Bird comes to mind.)

“Anyway, I’m very proud to stand in a room with people who speak out against gender inequality, sexual harassment, and the pettiness that has poisoned our politics,” Streisand continued. “And I’m proud that our industry faced with uncomfortable truths has vowed to change the way we do business. Truth is powerful, and in a really good film, we recognized the truth about ourselves, about others, and it’s so powerful that it can even change people’s minds, touch people’s hearts, and ultimately even change society, itself.” Although she concluded her speech by transitioning to the Best Picture nominees, her main point won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Related: Barbra Streisand’s Instagram is Pure Throwback Magic

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Allison Williams arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Caitriona Balfe arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Sadie Sink arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Debra Messing arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Alexis Bledel arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Tracee Ellis Ross arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Claire Foy arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Catherine Zeta-Jones arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Frankie Shaw arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Chrissy Metz arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Laurie Metcalf arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Allison Brie arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Dakota Johnson arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Meryl Streep and director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance Ai-jen Poo arrive to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Amy Poehler arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Christina Hendricks arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Sarah Paulson arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Susan Sarandon arrives to the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Allison Janney attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Alicia Vikander attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Issa Rae attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Kendall Jenner attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Pamela Adlon attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Elizabeth Moss attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Maggie Gyllenhaal attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Viola Davis attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Connie Britton attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Millie Bobby Brown attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Kerry Washington attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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America Ferrera and Natalie Portman attend The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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