One thing 2016 did not lack was conversation about women.
From discussions about pay equity (still not happening) to Hillary Clinton’s historic presidential nomination, the year was kind of mixed and messy in terms of progress for half of the human species.
At a time when some women may have gotten the message their ideas and contributions are not valued; that harassment and twitter trolling are the price you may pay for talent or speaking your truth, it’s easy to feel discouraged.
But this week, some pretty damn fabulous women had some thoughts on that.
Ladies night? How about “Women’s Week.”
Tina Fey healing with laughter
While receiving The Hollywood Reporter’s Sherry Lansing Award on Wednesday, Fey managed to make us laugh about a subject not a lot of folks are finding funny these days: the recent presidential election.
“I think the real reason that Hillary lost — and it’s the thing that people are afraid to talk about: not enough celebrity music videos urging people to vote,” she said. “I just think if there had been, like, one more funny rap, or like, another Hamilton parody, or something. Just like a little more hustle from Liz Banks, and we could of taken Michigan.”
Fey also talked about power in Hollywood and what that really looks like for women.
“And maybe even more important than getting a ‘yes,’ I think power is having the freedom to say ‘no’ to something you don’t want to do,” she said. “Whether it’s writing a pilot for a bad actor, or the butter scene in Last Tango in Paris, or telling Roger Ailes to put his hamburger meat back in the freezer, feeling like you can say no without any negative repercussions is an important kind of power.”
With her history of hits like “30 Rock” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” Fey has plenty of power these days and she’s planning on using it.
“My goal is to be like Beyoncé and never do interviews anymore,” Fey joked.
Beyonce at the Grammys
Speaking of Beyoncé, the Grammy nominations were announced this week and the singer scored the most this year with nine.
That brings her career total to 62 nominations — continuing the “Formation” singer’s standing as the most nominated female artist ever.
With 20 past wins, Beyoncé is poised to potentially make history if she racks up enough trophies to surpass Alison Krauss, who with 27 Grammys holds the title of the female artist with the most wins.
One of Beyoncé’s strongest competitors this year is Adele.
The pair are both nominated for the “big 3”: record of the year, song of the year and album of the year.
Sisters are doing it for themselves.
Lady Gaga’s message of courage
She may be one of the biggest stars on the planet, but Lady Gaga has faced struggles on her rise to fame.
This week, she shared a painful secret with a group at Harlem’s Ali Forney Center for Homeless LGBT youth.
“I told the kids today that I suffer from a mental illness,” she said during an interview with “Today.” “I suffer from PTSD. I’ve never told anyone that before so here we are.”
The singer was raped when she was 19.
Gaga had a message for the youth at the center.
“You are brave, you are courageous,” she told them.
Amy Schumer shuts down the haters
Amy Schumer getting “fat shamed” is sadly starting to feel normal.
After it was announced that that she was in talks to write and star in a film about Barbie (as in the doll) the trolls came a calling.
Schumer took them head on, posting a bathing suit photo and writing “Is it fat shaming if you know you’re not fat and have zero shame in your game? I don’t think so.”
“I am strong and proud of how I live my life and say what I mean and fight for what I believe in and I have a blast doing it with the people I love,” the caption continued. “Where’s the shame?”
Michelle Obama is a proud mom, true to her word
We have watched the first children, Sasha and Malia grow up before our very eyes.
And if it has felt fast to us, imagine what it must have felt like to their parents?
Michelle Obama was quick to correct President Obama during an interview with People magazine when he talked about their eldest, Malia, heading off to college in the fall and entering into adulthood.
“She’s still a baby,” Mrs. Obama said.
As for the election, the First Lady said she didn’t stress that night.
“I went to bed,” she said. “I don’t like to watch the political discourse. I never have.”
She told People she maintains the concerns she expressed during the campaign about the President-elect now that he’s won.
“Anything that I felt about the election I said and I stand by,” she said, adding she and her husband were nonetheless ready to help the incoming team succeed.
“This is our democracy, and this is how it works,” she said. “We are ready to work with the next administration and make sure they are as successful as they can be. Because that’s what’s best for this country.”