Kristen Bell kept things light, breezy, but still packed a punch in her opening monologue as the first-ever host of the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
KB, you look forkin’ gorgeous. 😍
@IMKristenBell #sagawards pic.twitter.com/FISg2OaVT8
— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) January 22, 2018
The Good Place star avoided heavier topics that have been dominating headlines (Trump, sexual assault) while still touching on those topics, describing The Handmaid’s Tale as a documentary, and saying that Get Out was “a walking reminder that if you say yes to the Tea Party, you’re immediately on your way to the sunken place.”
She also casually dragged First Lady Melania Trump.
“I honestly never thought that I would grow up to be the first lady. But you know what? I kind of like it. I think my first initiative, as first lady will be cyberbullying, because I have yet to see any progress on that problem quite yet.”
Ouch. But also, incredibly fair.
In a much cuter note, Bell offered the SAG Awards to be the inspiration for every struggling actor “watching this in a studio apartment in Koreatown with their five roommates downing their nightly dinner of canned tuna.” I’m strongly inclined to believe this is a direct reference to her pre-famous life.
She ended her speech on a note that touched on the wave of women and men speaking out about sexual assault and abuse.
“We are living in a watershed moment, and as we march forward with active momentum and open ears, let’s make sure we are leading the charge with empathy and diligence, because fear and anger never win the race.”
Actually, we lied: she ended the note with a plug for Frozen 2. Queen princess (Anna).
Here’s her full speech below.
When I was young, I used to record Disney movies on my cassette player. I would sing every lyric in the Disney canon, knowing and believing that some day I would be a part of that magic. I’m Kristen Bell and I am a narcissist. Just kidding! I am an actor and tonight I am also your host.
Good evening, friends! Welcome to the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. There has never been a host for this award show before. Yep. First time. First person. First lady.
I honestly never thought that I would grow up to be the first lady. But you know what? I kind of like it. I think my first initiative, as first lady will be cyberbullying, because I have yet to see any progress on that problem quite yet. I’m looking at you, Tony Hale. You’re a bully! Guys, he is savage on Twitter. I’m serious.
There are so many beautiful faces here tonight. I’m so thrilled to see the cast of GLOW. GLOW, for those of you who are unfamiliar, is about a tour de force of powerful, strong, thoughtful ladies who get roped into doing Marc Maron‘s podcast.
Elisabeth Moss is here from the documentary The Handmaid’s Tale. That’s a sad one. Hi, Elisabeth. Just doing a quick check in on your serotonin levels. Not the platform? We can talk after the show.
The cast from the film Get Out is here serving as a walking reminder that if you say yes to the Tea Party, you’re immediately on your way to the sunken place. It’s just a fact.
The SAG Awards is a show for actors, by actors, but it is not just for the ones in this room. It is especially for the ones who have just gone on their 20th fruitless commercial audition, who are watching this in a studio apartment in Koreatown with their five roommates downing their nightly dinner of canned tuna. This is a show for you guys and is to entice you to stick around. It’s true! Because it is a true privilege to experience and share the wide scope of humanity through storytelling. You know, the skating queen, the grieving mother, the Lady Bird, even the sea monster — everyone’s story deserves to be told, especially now.
We are living in a watershed moment, and as we march forward with active momentum and open ears, let’s make sure we are leading the charge with empathy and diligence, because fear and anger never win the race.
Most importantly, regardless of our differences, we can all come together and delight in one thing: Frozen 2 is coming to theatres in 2019. I’m very excited! OK! Let’s get this thing started.
