In the words of the wordsmith Jojo, the Golden Globes cancellation by NBC feels “too little too late.” Best known for being a star-studded red carpet event, the Golden Globes has been airing on NBC since 1993. For many, a nomination or a win at the Golden Globes is a sign that Oscars are not that far down the line. And for others, they don’t care about the awards and are just there to have a good time thanks to the likes of comedian guest hosts like Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler.
Everything came to a screeching halt when the Los Angeles Times published an investigative article back in February 2021 about some of the “ethical lapses” and more that the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) were connected to. Now, NBC has announced that the network will not air the 2022 Golden Globes, and seems to be making the airing of future ceremonies contingent on actual change at the HFPA, releasing a statement saying, “We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform. However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023,” according to Deadline.
First of all, the L.A. Times uncovered that the HFPA hasn’t had any Black members in at least two decades. And in the weeks that followed, former HFPA president Philip Berk sent an email out calling Black Lives Matter a “racist hate movement,” according to Vogue.
Secondly, it was uncovered that 30 members of the HFPA were flown to Paris for a set visit for Emily in Paris. Ohhh, and it gets better. Instead of being put in any cost-efficient hotel (because they wouldn’t try to swing the vote their way, right?), they housed the members in five-star accommodations, where the rooms currently start at $1,400 a night. They were then given lunch and attended a news conference at the Musée des Arts Forains.
It was easy to connect the dots after information like this came to light.
No wonder Black-led Oscar contenders like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Judas and the Black Messiah were excluded from this year’s list of Golden Globe nominations. They never stood a chance because there wasn’t representation in the HFPA that recognized, understood, and uplifted the voices of POC. And honestly, who can compete with a show/studio that gives the HFPA fancy hotel stays and private dinners in exclusive museums. Because you best believe, this hasn’t been the first time the members have been influenced to make a calculated choice.
The response from studios and members of Hollywood has been exactly what the HFPA deserves. Not only have Hollywood’s biggest studios like Netflix and Amazon announced they were breaking ties with the HFPA, according to Vogue over 100 of the industry’s biggest PR firms pledged to boycott the Golden Globes from here on out. Both of the studios and the PR firms will contemplate returning to the Golden Globes, if and only when change is made when it comes to diversity and the bouts of corruption the HFPA has been accused of, but there have been signs that instituting meaningful change is not going well.
Keeping all of that in mind, personally, it feels like a little too late for the Golden Globes. They have tarnished themselves and were revealed to be opportunists with no qualms at acting like the Black Lives Matter movement is beneath them. That’s not an organization that is going to change overnight, and it doesn’t matter how many Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, or Tom Cruises of the world speak up or return their awards, even though I appreciate them using their celebrity status for something useful.
The Golden Globes needs to be dismantled, brick by brick. And if that means it’s canceled for the foreseeable future, then so be it. Better yet, maybe it’s time to do something a little different and come up with a new awards ceremony. Maybe with a new awards body, we can have more diversity and inclusion from the very start, therefore setting an example for all that are being side-eyed for being too white like the Oscars.
Just saying, maybe it’s time for a drastic change bigger than just canceling the Golden Globes for 2022.
(image: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Published: May 11, 2021 05:31 pm