Joaquin Phoenix took home the award for Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture at the Golden Globes Sunday night, and he received a standing ovation. However, shortly after the awards took place, some Twitter users noticed that Beyoncé wasn't among those standing for Phoenix, who won the award for his role as Arthur Fleck in Joker. Fans of both Phoenix and Bey took note, with some criticizing the latter as "disrespectful."
The Beyhive has come to the defense of the singer, who was in attendance as her song "Spirit" from The Lion King was nominated for Best Original Song. "Let's not create any mess here," one fan wrote, attempting to defuse those upset about her not standing for Joaquin. "She most likely didn't stand because she would be in [the] way when he walked by. She smiled and clapped."
Another person jokingly referenced how Bey did, in fact, stand for Kate McKinnon's speech but not when it was announced Joaquin won. "Yes I trust her with my life," the fan wrote.
Some highlighted how silly the backlash is by talking about Joaquin Phoenix's speech about the very real threat of global warming. "But somehow Beyoncé not giving him a standing ovation is more important," a user wrote. The size of Bey's dress was also suggested as a possible reason she didn't stand, as she didn't want to take away from the actor's moment. "She clearly didn't stand up due to her gown possibly being a distraction," a fan added.
Caring about someone sitting down instead of standing seems antithetical to the performance these Joker fans so clearly love, but that's just one take on what is very likely a non-issue to begin with. Still, it's hard to imagine Joaquin Phoenix—who essentially carried the film with his performance—is actually bothered.
