Barack Obama has joined the chorus of praise for the ongoing awards season’s diverse films and television series.
The president printed a note in Sunday’s Golden Globes program espousing the importance of stories that reflect all spectrums of the human experience.
Here’s what Obama wrote, as first obtained by The Hollywood Reporter:
Michelle and I send greetings to all those attending the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards.
Film and television have captured audiences for generations — transforming the art of storytelling and challenging our understanding of society. Using the big and small screens to bring diverse tales to life, actors and actresses and creative visionaries behind the scenes have inspired us to find deeper meaning in our shared humanity.
Tonight’s nominees have devoted their talents to helping us celebrate our triumphs and illustrate our flaws. By enabling us to see ourselves in each other and creating a space for the many narratives that reflect our rich and collective history, they remind us of the power of our voices and ideas and the ways they can shape our world for the better.
As you gather to recognize this year’s nominees, I wish you all the best for a memorable evening.
Obama’s final Golden Globes as president recognized such movies as “Moonlight,” “Lion,” “Fences,” and “Hidden Figures.” (Or “Hidden Fences,” if you’re Jenna Bush Hager or Michael Keaton.) While Hollywood’s diversity problems are far from cured, this year’s slate offers a reprieve after two consecutive rosters of all-white Oscar nominees.
We know Obama is a Meryl Streep fan too, so we have a feeling he was cheering during her Cecil B. DeMille speech denouncing Donald Trump.
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