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Kaylin Hall

Ms. Jorgensen

English 10 H Period 1

20 February 2019

Hope For Women and Their Futures

In the acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, Oprah Winfrey, winner of the Cecil B.

Demille award, asserts that women should no longer be silent, as their time is now to have a

voice and stand for what is right. She wants all the girls to know that one day it'll be different for

all women, and men will no longer be held higher, but instead, men and women will be equal.

She supports this claim by first addressing personal experiences and real life stories of

other women. This includes her witnessing Sidney Poitier on stage, as he was the first black man

to win ZSS same award she had just received. It was a memory that stuck with her as a child and

through her whole life, and was one that helped her also inspire her own audience that night.

Then, she ties it all in by relating her stories to past history of this nation. Toward the end of the

text, Oprah begins to say how things were once unfair for women, and how to this day still are,

but that it will all change in the close future. She addresses this to the audience by saying, “For

too long, woman have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of

those men. But their time is up. Their time is up” (Winfrey 3). Expanding on this statement,

Oprah is simply stating that the unequal treatment will not be existent in the near future, as

changes for the better are rapidly and efficiently occuring.

Winfrey's argument implemented pathos to women everywhere, when she powerfully

brings up the truth of current society. She allows women to all relate and know that they all go

through the same unfair treatment together. She ends with “So I want all the girls watching here,
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now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be

because of a lot of magnificent woman, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and

some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take

us to the time when nobody ever has to say “Me too” again” (Winfrey 3). This allowed for hope

and a sense of change to be present in women. Her approach of tearing at the heart strings of her

audience, was a successful usage of the rhetorical appeal of pathos. The use of pathos

strengthens her argument immensely.

Winfrey's argument is credible because it has currency, relevance, and authority. She

spoke this in 2018 which is current for humanity today. It has relevance for the fact that this is

current society and living standards that women are dealing with today. She has authority in her

argument because she is known as one of the most famous talk show hosts, and has addressed the

public on many topics and situations previously. Awards like the one she received the night of

these Golden Globes, and many others, also add to her authority and credibility.

Overall, Winfrey articulates an effective argument. She provides great aspirations for

women in present times of gender inequality. She thoroughly included rhetorical appeals, like

pathos, to engage into the listeners’ emotions and feelings. Lastly, she supported her claims with

credibility that derived from her trustworthy self, along with real life stories of other strong

women. All in all, Oprah Winfrey’s gender equality argument was captivating and effective to

the people listening.

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Works Cited

Winfrey, Oprah. Acceptance Speech, ​Golden Globes.​ 07 Jan. 2018.