If you were in the circle, it sounded quite something. A select group of film and TV critics – the Hollywood Foreign Press Association – numbering under 100, who were being treated to jollies, to gifts, and to a bizarrely disproportionate amount of power for their awards show. Oh, and over $1m a year apparently.
That show, The Golden Globes, became the precursor to the Academy Awards, until, in more recent times, people began to see past its house of cards. As much as the booze-laden live show became notorious, the awards themselves were, well, hollow. Notwithstanding some of the odd choices, eventually people woke up to the fact that precious few people – predominantly white – were deciding what won what. Even when this was rumbled, the glacial pace of change eventually led to a collective ‘screw this’ from Hollywood, leading to the 2021 ceremony being reduced to a press release. A properly proofchecked press release, but a press release notwithstanding.
Fuck that 😂 https://t.co/sinOAmmqJd
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) October 9, 2022
That said, here comes the rebuild. It’s now been confirmed that the Golden Globes are going ahead as a physical event again in 2023, and that what’s more, they’ve snagged a lucrative spot on the telly in the US. We’d tell you the date, but it’d only encourage them.
The Globes are on borrowed time though. The deal the HFPA – as it’s known to its dwindling collection of mates – covers just one year, and American network NBC is clearly hedging its bets a bit. If it all goes tits up again, then that might just be the last we see of the Globes for a while.
It doesn’t help the HFPA that Ricky Gervais – a contentious host, but ratings gold – has ruled himself out of presenting the ceremony again. The hunt is on for someone who presumably can get under the skin of Hollywood royalty with gags that make for good YouTube clips.
While they crack on with that, who’s with us to set up a rival awards show? Reckon we need around 20 members, and we’ll split a few million between us when we get the TV rights sold. Send us your membership fee in Bitcoin, at your leisure…
