80th Golden Globes: Ready for a fresh start? That’s how the ceremony went – culture

First of all, the presenter Jerrod Carmichael asks the Hollywood stars to please shut up and sit down. And then he gets straight to the point: “I’m here because I’m black.” This sets the tone for the 80th Golden Globes ceremony, which was televised again on Tuesday evening after an existential controversy and a year’s break. They’re all back too: stars like Rihanna or Brad Pitt, fans in front of the hotel, red carpet and of course champagne. Great award-winning films like “The Banshees of Inisherin” or Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans”. And yet the situation is quite different.

As a quick reminder: At the beginning of 2021, the Los Angeles Times based on detailed research: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which has existed since 1943 and has been awarding this prize since 1944, was a group of 87 members at the time who did not think much of journalistic standards and who bordered on corruptibility invite or give gifts. The HFPA was also accused of discriminating against people of color. Black members, black presenters of the Golden Globes? There wasn’t. Black award winners? So few that even the Oscars were considered motley in comparison. The research of Los Angeles Times caused a lot of excitement. Last year, the Golden Globes took place without stars, without fans and without live TV broadcasts.

“What would you have done? Fire me, the first black host in 80 years?”

So this year, the Globes are returning to the spotlight. And for presenter Carmichael, it’s important to emphasize that this comeback isn’t necessarily happening because the HFPA has changed, but because it had no other option. Because: Without Golden Globes, no money (the TV channel NBC pays $62.5 million per year by contract until 2025, whether it broadcasts or not), no relevance for celebrities and thus preferential treatment for interview requests. HFPA President Helen Hoehne asked him to meet three times and finally pushed for it to explain all the oh so great measures to him. “I don’t have to,” says Carmichael: “What would you have done? Fire me, the first black host in 80 years?” Why he really took the job: because of the money (he gets $500,000, and a friend advised him to “take the white people’s money”) and because of the artists in the hall.

A few have now been awarded. Among others, Eddie Murphy, one of the greatest comedians in history, with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for his outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry. Also Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), Tyler James Williams and Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and MM Keeravani (Best Song for “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”). Last but not least, the moderator Carmichael is considered one of the best comedians at the moment.

Best Supporting Actress in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Angela Bassett.

(Photo: Rich Polk/dpa)

And he doesn’t bang on like Ricky Gervais, who has hosted the Golden Globes five times and whose radical honesty is part of his comedic genius, but simply says: “The HFPA did not have a black member before the death of George Floyd – you do with this information whatever you want.”

If someone were to claim – and yes, these voices could be heard in the run-up to the awards ceremony in Hollywood – that the numerous People of Color among the winners only received awards because they are People of Color, one can answer: They won, because they are fantastic artists – and even if skin color had played a role: so what?

The slogan on the advertising banners reads: “Joy and Desperation”

One might rather ask why Brendan Fraser Not Best Actor – may he win the Oscar for his role in The Whale! He accuses former HFPA President Philip Berk – who is now also no longer a member – of sexually harassing him in 2003; and that the HFPA did not apologize to him (the HFPA says it offered Fraser two apologies). “You can accuse me of a lot, but not that I’m a hypocrite. I won’t come,” Fraser told the magazine in November GQ. So Fraser didn’t win. So it could be argued that the HFPA still likes to give awards to people who come to the awards show.

Most of Hollywood seems ready to give the union another chance. You’re in a good mood, I confess White lotus-Showrunner Mike White in his acceptance speech (his wonderful series won Best Mini-Series) that he was properly teased – as befits Hollywood’s supposed party of the year. There are some perfectly funny gags about Will Smith and Tom Cruise. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is connected via video message.

Whether the Golden Globes really get a second chance in the end – NBC broadcast them on probation this year – is still decided by the viewers. In pre-pandemic times, 18 million watched. In 2021 it was only 6.9 million, in 2022 there was no NBC transmission, so zero. The numbers for this year will be released in the US on Wednesday. In any case, the motto could hardly have been more appropriate this year: “Joy and Desperation” could be read on advertising banners.

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