An analysis of the recent Golden Globe Awards and the controversies surrounding them. Photo from beautifulballad.org.
The 78th Golden Globes kicked off this year’s awards season with some historic wins, but a reminder that Hollywood still has a long way to go in terms of diversity and representation.
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were back for their fifth time hosting the show, but in separate locations; Fey from New York City and Poehler from Los Angeles. Both of their venues had a small, socially distanced group of essential and frontline workers as attendees, while the majority of presenters showed up in person and the winners and nominees stayed home. This could have been totally awkward, except Poehler and Fey somehow managed to time their jokes perfectly, working off each other in a way that if nobody had said anything, you likely wouldn’t have noticed.
Their opening monologue didn’t disappoint, a good mix of what every opening monologue should have: jokes, roasts and serious callouts disguised as both. A few days before the ceremony, it was revealed that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) did not have a single Black member on their 87-person roster, and hadn’t for about two decades, according to former president Meher Tatna.
“The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is made up of around 90 international, no Black journalists who attend movie junkets each year in search for a better life,” Fey said, not bothering to beat around the bush.
Poehler and Fey continued to joke about the HFPA as they did every other year, and called award shows stupid, pointing out that a lot of Black actors and Black-led projects (most notably Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You”) was overlooked in favor of what Poehler described as “a lot of flashy garbage” (most notably Netflix projects “Emily in Paris” and “The Prom”). Still, they acknowledged that as stupid as award shows may be, inclusivity will always be important. They also took shots at Sia’s problematic “Music,” which went home empty-handed.
The night wasn’t dominated by anyone, with a three-way tie for most wins in the film category with just two each. “The Crown” had the biggest sweep with four awards, three for acting and one for Best Television Series — Drama.
Despite the fundamental diversity and inclusion issues going into the show, it was a strong start for Black actors with Daniel Kaluuya and John Boyega winning back-to-back. Kaluuya looked as though his speech would go unheard due to a technical difficulty, but he was given the opportunity to deliver just before they moved onto the next award.
We may not have seen such an issue with an in-person ceremony, but a benefit of it being virtual was that it allowed for much more time to be spent on the actual awards and speeches. It was refreshing to not have people played off by the band while thanking their families or providing inspiring, important words for viewers (see Sterling K. Brown at the 2017 Emmy Awards) just so we could watch two celebrities who seemingly have little to do with each other make their way through scripted banter. In fact, one thing I really preferred about the at-home virtual acceptance speeches was that the winners could have the chance to do so with their loved ones beside them. When “Minari” won Best Foreign-Language Film, director Lee Isaac Chung had his 7-year-old daughter on his lap. She excitedly hugged him and repeatedly said, “I prayed. I prayed.”
Actress and activist Jane Fonda, who was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, was the only winner who accepted her award in person and her speech didn’t disappoint. Her words summed up the show; regarding it as both a celebration and a moment of reflection.
“Stories can change people, but there’s a story we have been afraid to see and hear about ourselves and this industry,” Fonda said. “The story about which voices we respect and elevate, and which we tune out.”
It was something echoed throughout the night by the viewers at home, hosts, presenters and winners alike. Historic wins like Chloé Zhao becoming just the second woman to win Best Director and Andra Day being just the second Black woman to win Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama were exciting, but long overdue. It highlighted progress, but also raised questions as to why it took so long to get there.
In a night full of these big wins and great speeches, the most memorable one belonged to a woman accepting an award she herself had not won.
Simone Ledward Boseman was in tears as she accepted the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama, on behalf of her late husband, Chadwick Boseman.
“He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you you can, that tells you to keep going, that calls you back to what you’re meant to be doing at this moment in history,” she said. “And I don’t have his words, but we have to take a moment to celebrate those we love. So thank you HFPA for this opportunity to do exactly that.”
While the HFPA should be held accountable for their shortcomings, they still managed to properly recognize a diverse group of creatives, and that should be celebrated.