Did you miss the Golden Globes last night? Not to worry—check out this conversation with Refinery29 movie critic Anne Cohen and TV critic Ariana Romero, who will walk you through the highs and lows of the evening. If you were watching, you'll know the evening was an apology tour from a very embarrassed Hollywood Foreign Press Association, forced to reckon with the egregious lack of diversity in their membership and nominations. So, how'd they do?
Anne: Over the weekend, the former president of the 78-year-old HFPA admitted that they haven't had a single Black member in nearly two decades (!!), which prompted an outcry from celebrities calling Time's Up on the Golden Globes. The controversy was at the center of last night's very weird and Zoom-meeting-esque broadcast, with everyone from hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to presenters like Susan Kelechi Watson and Sterling K. Brown, and even winners like Sacha Baron Cohen making jokes about it onstage. Ari, what did you think of the HFPA's overall response?
Ariana: I'm tired of bland, crafted-by-publicists apologies. I'm tired of getting them from disgraced, willfully oblivious music industry misogynists. I'm tired of getting them from Bachelor Nation racists. And I'm definitely tired of them from awards show bodies. That is what we were confronted with when three HFPA leaders showed up on stage early in the broadcast to offer a "statement" on the L.A. Times' exposé from last week. These are supposed to be the people who decide what projects are worthy of going down in history as the "Best." If they can't regulate themselves, or their ideals, why should we care what they think about movies and TV shows? For that, give us an award show.
It didn't help that this year's Golden Globes, the first of the COVID-19 era, totally lacked the usually boozy celebrity shenanigans, which I l-o-v-e love. Nothing could distract from the foundational rot on clear display. At least the movie categories were far more "diverse" than my domain of television. How did it feel to witness at least two historical wins happen, Anne?
Anne: I have to say, it was thrilling to watch Chloé Zhao become the very first Asian woman and the second woman (after Barbra Streisand—in 1984) ever to win Best Director for Nomadland. But that win is tainted with the knowledge that it's just so long overdue. We shouldn't have to get excited about stuff like this anymore, yet we're still grasping for every crumb of acknowledgment because it's still so rare. Same goes for Andra Day's win for Best Actress in A Drama for The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Day's very first acting role. Her reaction was so genuine and pure; how can you begrudge her that moment? But the fact that she's only the second Black woman to win that award in 78 years? It's infuriating! I get that a lot of people think awards shows are stupid and don't mean anything. But the reality is that they do play a part in determining who gets funding, who gets cast, and who is taken seriously in the industry.
Where do you think we go from here?
Ariana: The obvious answer is "more Black HFPA members and other members of color." But that would be a cosmetic change. As The Bachelor has taught us this season, upping the number of BIPOC-identifying people in an institution rife with systemic racism is not the fix-all society pretends it is—it's a Band-Aid. I want to hear about education. I want to hear about the ousting of members who uphold white supremacist behavior. I want to hear the 2022 Globes will be voted upon entirely by BIPOC HFPA journalists and that Sanda Oh, the only Asian person to ever host the show, is coming back for a solo gig with a big fat paycheck. Let's hear that the HFPA is handing over an equally tidy sum to the kinds of organizations that get Black performers and journalists leadership jobs, instead of the oft-heard need for "training." BIPOC professionals are already well-trained. We need the chance to obtain middle-management (and much higher) positions to thrive—and therefore change the industry for the better.
Even though I'm frustrated today, there was stuff I loved. The Globes are traditionally my favorite award show. The pets! Anya Taylor-Joy's entire lewk. Jodie Foster's ability to bring together dogs, a glam pajama ensemble, romance, and a truly unexpected nod to celebrity gossip with a single Zoom shot. What about you?
Anne: My heart will never recover from The Crown's Josh O'Connor bashful acceptance speech, which ended with him telling fellow winner Emma Corrin: "I love you to bits." And let's hear it for Catherine O'Hara's comedian husband!
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