The Golden Globes, established in 1944, is an award show to celebrate significant works in film and television per annum. However jolly this seems, the ceremony has been marred in controversy since its inception, culminating in the tumultuous events of this year’s broadcast. Let’s consider if the Golden Globes are truly as glamorous as they seem.
In 2010, the Golden Globes were rumoured to be involved with bribery concerning their nominations. Particularly Burlesque and The Tourist, two rightfully acclaimed movies I enjoy. However, perhaps these ‘Best Picture’ nominations aren’t what they seem. 2010’s host, actor, and comedian Ricky Gervais joked that these films only had nominations because of the show’s alleged involvement in bribery.
More seriously, a mere two months later, Phillip Berk, a notorious Globes voter and long-running President of the Association responsible for the ceremonies was expelled for sending emails to voters regarding Black Lives Matter. He called it a ‘racist hate movement’. The Association was dissolved from their involvement in the show.
In 2023 the show was hosted by Black American comedian, actor, and filmmaker Jerrod Carmichael. Opening the show with an unflinchingly biting monologue, he stated ‘I’m here because I’m Black’. Supposedly, making a comedic spin on the heavy racist- intentions the show was heavily affiliated with previously. Carmichael goes even further to call out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)- previously run by Berk, hinting that they didn’t air a show in 2022 due to the aforementioned controversial comments. Saying ‘I won’t say they are a racist organisation, but they didn’t have a single Black member of the team until George Floyd’s death’. Carmichael encourages all of us to look past the deceiving wall of glamour and discover the ugly truths behind it. Some of which were more obvious in this year’s show.
Credit: Michael Tran, AFP- via Getty Images, 2022.
Jo Koy, another American actor and comedian, was in charge of hosting the summary of an incredible year for motion pictures. Especially with the cultural significance of Barbenheimer, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film, and new stunning cartoons. However, it fell very short, going viral for all the wrong reasons.
This show, initially a very exciting one, was quickly diminished by Koy’s hacky jokes. All of which fell very flat with little applause, and concerned looks from the crowd of Hollywood creatives. Koy went on a tangent, glorifying the historical representation of Oppenheimer, and it being based on a 700 page book of dogma around the Manhattan Project. He used this hyperbolic praise to belittle Barbie in response, making a laborious joke objectifying the doll, and in doing so, almost all the women involved in its creative process. Greta Gerwig (Barbie’s director, executive producer and writer) did not seem pleased as Koy reduced the themes of existentialism and women’s empowerment in the blockbuster to juvenile breasts’ jokes. He went on to make a similarly tasteless joke about Taylor Swift’s ‘over-exposure’ on footage at NFL games, when simply supporting her partner, player, Travis Kelce.
Though I feel Koy’s humour left everything to be desired, his monologue has been met with some positive reception. The Guardian commended Koy for taking on the difficult task of relieving a crowd of ‘uptight celebrities’. This perspective seems to add another dimension to the conversation.
Seemingly, the Globes tend to hire those with a natural ‘buy-in’, intentionally bringing an element of horror to the stage, a flux to deliver or expose controversy. Which indeed gets people talking about the show, and ultimately, watching it. This also goes beyond just the Golden Globes, just look at the Chris Rock-Will Smith incident at the Academy Awards. But is this dramatisation a good look? Should we be thinking more about who is running our favourite television events?
Credit:Francis Specker and Sonja Hemming – CBS via Getty
