There are two types of people. The ones who as children dreamed of attending the Golden Globes, and the ones who barely know what it is. The award season has just started, full of fashion, films, series that everyone bets on. However, what is all this fuss about? Are Golden Globes really as shiny as they seem to be?
The Golden Globes date back to 1944, when the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association (the precursor of today’s Hollywood Foreign Press Association) awarded outstanding accomplishments in the film industry. At that time, it was an unofficial ceremony at 20th Century Fox’s studio. The ceremony that took place last week on Sunday January 7th, on the other hand, has transformed a lot since its debut.
Nowadays, Golden Globes similar to Oscars, BAFTAs, SAG Awards, Emmy’s, and Critics’ Choice that took place yesterday, and many other prestigious awards is not only honouring creme de la creme of the year, but one of its purpose is entertainment, and putting on a big show. HFPA with several hundred other voters, mostly from the press world, spoke out again. As the Golden Globes meet somewhere in the middle with Oscars, and Emmy’s they can award many more creatives because both films and series are included. Golden Globes is usually this time when we follow what premiers are worth waiting for, and what we did see last year. Do you remember Barbiehaimer? If so, it should not be surprising when Barbie was awarded in the category of Cinematic and box office achievement, while Oppenheimer won the main award: Best Film – drama.
As I mentioned before, Golden Globes are known for bringing entertainment in the glamourous style. Everyone who is watching or at least following the gala always wonders – what did the celebrities wear, with who did they come? Sometimes it seems as if the main purpose of the ceremony disappears under all the drama of the night. However, is it the way it is supposed to be?
The media before, during the night, and a while after are all about the ceremony, and as the artists are still awaiting the other ceremonies there is a lot of attention put on them. Some argue that all that fuss should be used for important matters, and mentioning political problems rather than shining bright and giving wishy-washy, sugary speeches. I believe that after all those are just people who should be given the space to celebrate their hard work. Moreover, some speeches even if they are not strictly political can be beautiful such as Gladstone’s speech. She made history at this year’s Gala as she is now the first Indigenous person to win the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama. At first she spoke in Blackfeet language, then gave a speech centred on humanity and an intimate moment recognizing and honouring her heritage.
We all know that Hollywood’s a bubble, and in my previous statement I do not mean that it should not be improved. After all, it is about artists who put their heart into projects that they believe in. Nonetheless, most Galas turn into a gigantic parties for millionaires while showcasing this ‘outer world’ to so-called normal people. Instead of the ones that could focus on something worth a real attention, there are many more articles on what fashion hits wore Billie Elish or Emma Stone (both of them were awarded; Elish for Best Original Song in a Film (Gerwig’s Barbie) – What Was I Made For? in collaboration with her brother Finneas, while Stone won Best Female Actor in a Film – Musical or Comedy in Lanthimos’s Poor Things), and the others rather than on, for example Youssef the previous winner, who as a Muslim American talked about Gaza’s ceasefire, which was quite courageous as such moves can usually cost actors a lot.
There is, however, more into it. It is not particularly the fault of the nominated creatives, or the designers that are using ceremony for their fashion, but more about the structure of it all. Obviously, events such as this one have its better and worse years but shouldn’t it improve rather than getting worse? Instead of only talking about what Selena Gomez talked about to her girlfriends, or making a big thing out of Chalamet’s romance, more of the attention could be shifted towards the yellow ribbons that were worn by for instance Succession’s J. Smith-Cameron, and American Fiction’s John Ortiz, that were supposed to symbolise the safe return home for hostages. However, the organisation that is claimed to organise this “symbolic effort”, does not mention Palestinian prisoners still held by Israel. It seems Globes washed their hands of it, in the fear of protests. But, at the same time some of the nominees were actors who signed petitions in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. Overall, it concludes that the renamed HFPA has quite a toxic reputation, usually by avoiding anything that is problematic. Does it really? Maybe, if they actually did, this year’s host would not be a misogynistic unfunny comedian named Jo Koy.
Sadly, or not the Globes are powdered with flashinnes and glamour. In the end, we already know the fashion can be used to talk about important matters but it does not always do that, perhaps we should really treat this ceremony only as a meaningless entertainment? Nevertheless, I believe the 81st ceremony of Golden Globes 2024, even though accused of not having a backbone, while being one of the biggest televised awards shows of the year, awarded well-deserved creators. After all, films and series which were nominated talk through themselves, and in the end it is all about them.
Here’s the full list of the winners: https://goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/
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