Sunday night, Kristen Bell, the first-ever host of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, dissed first lady Melania Trump in her opening monologue.
Noting that “there has never been a host for this award show before,” which made her the “first lady,” Bell added, “I think my first initiative as first lady will be cyberbullying, because I have yet to see any progress on that problem quite yet.”
Melania Trump infamously said that her main initiative as first lady would be fighting cyberbullying, of which her husband is the biggest perhaps ever.
On Sept. 20, the first lady finally began work on the issue, delivering a speech to the United Nations. “Nothing can be more urgent nor worthy a cause than preparing future generations for adulthood with true moral clarity and responsibility,” she said. “Therefore, we must teach each child the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership, which can only be taught by example.”
She added that it was best to “live by the golden rule, which is to do unto others as you would have done unto you.” The day before, President Trump had called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “Rocket Man” in reference to the country’s nuclear proliferation.
That United Nations speech, along with another the first lady gave on Oct. 23 (the day President Trump tangled with a Gold Star widow on Twitter), is the sum total of her campaign against the issue.
Since then, the national groundswell against sexual harassment has brought down powerful men with a history of abuse, and drawn President Trump, who has been accused of sexually harassing more than 16 women, into the fray. In her monologue, Bell alluded to the movement, of which Hollywood has played a leading role. “We are living in a watershed moment in time 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,” she said.
The Trump era loomed large over the evening.
“Hey, I love your show about living in hell,” said comedian Maya Rudolph, joining Bell to present the first award. “What’s it called again?”
“2018,” Bell replied.
