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NBC censored Frances McDormand's Globes speech but missed the actual swear word

Frances McDormand’s Golden Globe speech was unfairly censored
Frances McDormand’s Golden Globe speech was unfairly censored

Frances McDormand is known for her colourful language but during her acceptance speech at the 75th Golden Globe Awards she was censored when she wasn’t even swearing.

The Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star had various words of hers bleeped out because NBC, who were airing the live show, thought they would be curse words.

They bleeped out the “Fox” in “Fox Searchlight as well as “shift” in “tectonic shift” but missed the actual time McDormand did use a swear word; she said “sh**e” while describing her throwing skills.

Viewers at home were impressed with the actress’s speech, despite the unnecessary censorship, because of the tone and the message.

“So many of you know I keep my politics private but it was really great to be in this room tonight. And to be part of the tectonic shift in our industry’s power structure. Trust me,” she said.

“The women in this room tonight are not here for the food. We are here for the work. Thank you.”

The win was McDormand’s first individual one at the Golden Globes having previously earned five nominations since 1997. She beat Jessica Chastain (Molly’s Game), Meryl Streep (The Post), Michelle Williams (All the Money in the World) and Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) to take the gold trophy on Sunday night.

Three Billboards, written and directed by Martin McDonagh, did the best on the night by earning four awards in total; Best Screenplay, Best Picture – Drama, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor for Sam Rockwell.

The movie has been well-received by critics as it tells the story of Mildred Hayes, a sassy and independently-minded woman who uses three billboards in her small town to call out the police chief who still hasn’t solved the case of her daughter’s rape and murder.

The cast and crew of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
The cast and crew of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Rockwell won his Golden Globe for playing racist and violent cop Officer Jason Dixon, who does good in the end, but many people felt this narrative element was problematic.

Some critics are uncomfortable with the casual treatment of the character’s racist and bigoted actions and do a disservice to the few black characters who make up the supporting cast.

The Daily Beast’s Ira Madison said: “(Three Billboards) attracts the type of crowd that likes to reward simplistic tales of racism like Crash, where white people learn how to be good to one another at the expense of black people.”

“It’s a movie that has a violent, racist cop as a central player, and uses his history of torturing black people as a kind of edgy character detail,” NPR’s Gene Demby tweeted.

“[It’s] a movie that’s in large part about a cop who beats up black people — to say nothing of the black woman (Denise) he throws in jail as a way to get back at Mildred — but the movie is mostly concerned about *his* feelings. Not the damage he’s done.”

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is released in UK theatres this Friday.

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