One of Hollywood’s biggest nights, The Golden Globes, typically bedazzles viewers with stars showing off unique fashion choices and a crowd full of many hoping to win an award. This year, it remained the same, but the audience was only sprinkled with masked health care workers. Hosts had to deal with delays due to being on opposite sides of the country, time lapses that killed what little chanced existed for comic timing. Even with a year-long pandemic, the show still went on. Unlike previous years, controversy filled the night as viewership declined and Covid left a lack of media to nominate. The only real questions worth asking would be if award shows matter anymore and if there is any fixing Hollywood’s diversity flaws and treatment of performers of color.

On February 21, the Los Angeles Times released an article about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the people behind choosing winners of a Golden Globe. The Times investigation revealed that there was not a single black person among the small group of journalists from across the world, and there were only a few people of color. This article triggered backlash, with people taking to social media to point out what they deemed bias. Because of this lack of diversity, people wondered if the HFPA was xenophobic after seeing Minari, a film about a Korean family moving to America in the 1980s, nominated underneath “Best Foreign Film” when it was made by Americans.

The HFPA had come out to claim the film was nominated under the “Foreign Film” category because most of the movie was spoken in Korean (apparently the only qualification necessary for this veteran crew of cinematic evaluators). Although there was no apology and the film remained under the category that had started this backlash, the live show took a small portion of available time to do a quick apology with the vice president, Helen Hoehnen, sharing how they “must have black journalists in [their] organization.” Former president, Meher Tadna, spoke after, continuing the message Hoehnen shared that the HFPA “must ensure everyone from all underrepresented communities gets a seat at our table.” Yet, the audience wasn’t satisfied with this apology, calling it rushed and claiming this change should’ve occurred years ago, specifically back in 2002, the last year when a black journalist was a part of the HFPA. There is no telling when a change will occur within this organization, but there is hope for the future to see more diversity within groups like the foreign press.

Besides this, the night held big winners and excitement. Chloé Zhao, director of Nomadland, won “Best Director for Motion Picture,” making her the first Asian woman to win in this category, inspiring many to follow in her footsteps. The late Chadwick Boseman won “Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama” for his performance in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, with his wife accepting the award for him and sharing an emotional speech in his memory, calling for black voices to share black stories. Her speech brought many to tears as they remembered the star they adored and lost last year. Minari also took home “Best Foreign Film” despite the controversy, with the writer-director, Lee Isaac Chung celebrating the win with his daughter. The image of the two celebrating was an adorable sight and memorable one too, with his daughter heard saying, “I prayed!”

Other big wins of the night came from The Crown, with Emma Corrin taking home “Best Actress for TV Drama,” Jost O’Connor winning “Best Actor for TV Drama,” and Gillian Anderson winning “Best Supporting Actress for TV.” Disney’s newest animated film, Soul, took home “Best Animated Picture” as well as “Best Score for Motion Picture,” making it another win for the large company. The excitement was in every corner in the night, and new actors got a turn in the spotlight, creating a platform for themselves in the entertainment industry.

In a normal year, such shows would have crowds filled with people beyond tipsy on the open bar, but this season was reduced to an audience of masked health care workers and most nominated stars checking in via Zoom calls. All in all, these were the measures needed to keep everyone safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. Previously, fashion was a big topic discussed on the internet, making it one of the many huge issues discussed after the show. Unlike past years, there weren’t stars posing on the red carpet, ready to accept their awards. The health care workers brought the fashion with them as they arrived, and some stars shared their fashion through social media, yet the most memorable choice was made by Bill Murray, who wore a tropical Hawaiian shirt. Even with most of the setting being odd and different from previous years, there were still much needed moments of laughter and joy.

Although it could have been viewed as a disaster of the night with all the changes and controversy compared to previous years, the Golden Globes was still a night full of excitement and memorable moments. However, that doesn’t excuse the lack of the HFPA’s diversity, with some stars even calling it out during the award show. The HFPA isn’t the only group guilty of not being diverse; the entertainment industry as a whole is guilty of it. This major problem could possibly be the reason behind the Golden Globes garnering only 6.9 million viewers, one-third of the total number of viewers from last year’s show. But in a world where change is needed, painful consequences can make a push towards equality. These award shows have a significant impact on the entertainment industry, and there is no sign of them going away anytime soon. The only question that remains is one written in words without color.

By Ruby Pluchinsky

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue 6

March 25, 2021

Shocking lack of diversity steals headlines as virtual Globes flames out