Kristen Bell Dissed Melania Trump in Her SAG Awards Opening Monologue

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published 22 January 2018

Kristen Bell is the SAG Awards' first-ever host, and she certainly didn't disappoint with her opening monologue. Bell full-on dissed Melania Trump (the first lady's cause célèbre is, famously, cyberbullying, and the president is, famously, a cyberbully), while also offering an inspiring message for young actors (yes, both). Plus she gave a shout-out to the #MeToo movement. Read the full transcript for yourself below.

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 a savage on Twitter. I'm serious.

There are so many beautiful faces here. 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 in to do Marc Maron's podcast.

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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 and not just 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, to entice you to stick around.

"Everyone's story deserves to be told, especially now."

It's true! Because it is a true privilege to experience and share the wide scope of humanity through storytelling. The skating queen, the grieving mother, the ladybird, even the sea monster—everyone's story deserves to be told, especially now. 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.

Most importantly, regardless of our differences, we can all come together and delight in one thing: Frozen 2 is coming to theaters in 2019. I'm very excited! Ok! Let's get this thing started. Presenting the first award with me, my good friend, Maya Rudolph.

Rudolph: Hey, I love your show about living in hell. What's it called again?

Bell: Thanks, it's called 2018. Here are the nominees for outstanding perform by a male actor in a comedy series.

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Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.