Active celebrity trends are beginning to catch up with the world around them as the award season has begun. Some of the most popular award shows in the world took place during the last month, including the Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11 and the Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 1. These shows presented themes of political participation and culture sharing — two things that the public and college students do regularly.
Hello and welcome back to my column, “Trendsetter,” where I discuss and dissect current trends. Today’s issue will dive into recent award shows, specifically the Grammys, regarding themes of speeches as well as fashion choices.
The overall theme of the Grammys this year was boldness, with the exception of a few attendees. From Chappell Roan’s topless nipple-ring dress to Teyana Taylor’s asymmetric cut-out dress, celebrities were on full display on the red carpet. Although maybe the showy-ness of several outfits were taken to extremes we have not seen before, these outfits were reminiscent of the “naked-dress” trend, which was popularized in the 2010s by stars like Rihanna, Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Lopez.
These daring choices were on brand with the 2016 revival that I discussed in my last two issues, and were a juxtaposition to the rise of conservative fashion that took the media by storm in the 2020s after Sofia Richie, the Kardashian-Jenners and others seemingly changed aesthetics and opted for more concealing attire.
On a more serious note, many celebrities also took to the red carpet and stage to share their thoughts and opinions on the current state of U.S. politics. At the Golden Globes, pins that read “ICE OUT” or “BE GOOD” were worn by celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo, Wanda Sykes, Natasha Lyonne and Ariana Grande. Ruffalo also spoke on the red carpet to share his negative opinions on ICE. At the Grammys, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Joni Mitchell, Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny wore the same pins.
Eilish and Bad Bunny also used their acceptance speeches to speak on ICE and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” Bad Bunny said. “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we’re humans.”
Bad Bunny has become quite the trend himself, too. The artist became the talk of the nation after he was announced to headline the Superbowl LX halftime show on Sunday, Feb. 8, and he gained media attention after taking home three Grammys Sunday night. His halftime performance will make history, set to be entirely in Spanish, according to an article by the AP News published on Feb. 4. Bad Bunny’s Album of the Year Grammy win also made history as the first Spanish-language album to do so. He and other Latin artists are sharing their culture with wide audiences during a time of ethnic and political tension.
But politically-charged acceptance speeches are nothing new. I would like to flash back in time to revisit a moment in 1973 that became a prominent predecessor to the kinds of speeches we still see today.
Marlon Brando was set to win Best Actor at the 1973 Oscars for his role in “The Godfather.” However, viewers and attendees were shocked when a woman, named Sacheen Littlefeather, who was an Indigenous actress and Native American civil rights activist, went on stage instead. Brando refused his award in protest of the mistreatment and misrepresentation of Indigenous people in the film industry. You can view Littlefeather’s speech on the official Oscars YouTube channel.
Political speech and culture sharing are extremely common and relevant today, but there was a time not long ago when they weren’t (and not as accepted, either). Littlefeather herself was blacklisted from the Academy Awards, until they released a formal apology just months before her death in October of 2022.
While today’s issue may have explored heavier topics than usual, these events are aspects of pop culture nonetheless and have even more room to be explored. Tune in next time to examine trends that have emerged or cycled back into view as February begins to close!