Commentary about the 68th Golden Globes ~ Ricky Gervais, Hollywood Foreign Press, and the Acting Community

I’ve heard that Ricky Gervais is in a whole world of hurt because of the hosting job he did a few nights ago for the Golden Globes.  I suppose there are two schools of thought about this; one, the people in the audience make zillions of dollars and are honored by what feels like a billion such award shows so it was nice to see someone give them something to akin to the reality that everyday working folks are actually thinking about the Hollywood elite or two, if you are a host of something you should at least attempt to be gracious. 

 

                Probably one of the hardest jobs to do in Hollywood is host one of these award shows.  If you keep the humor too light you will lose the audience and then TV ratings will go down (most of these award organizations live and die by the revenue they collect from the television broadcast of their awards, this also includes the Mac Daddy of all of award ceremonies, the Oscars) if you go for the kill, sort of speak…well, you are greeted with a comment such as this one by Philip Berk the Head of Hollywood Foreign Press Association, "He definitely crossed the line, and some of the things were totally unacceptable. But that's Ricky. Any of the references to individuals is certainly not something the Hollywood Foreign Press condones."  Another member added, “Ricky will not be invited back to host the show next year…  For sure any movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated. He humiliated the organization last night and went too far with several celebrities whose representatives have already called to complain.”

 

                My take of the situation is that Gervais could have added a bit of sweetness to some of his humor, but overall he scored in the sense that people are talking about the awards the day after...and not just any awards mind you, but the Golden Globes which have to be the lamest awards given out during the so-called ‘Award Season’.  The only two reasons they have any significance at all is because one, they have pushed their telecast so far up into the new year that soon the broadcast will be competing with the Rose Bowl for ratings.  The Academy of Motion Picture Sciences a few years ago was trying to take the Hollywood Foreign Press thunder (the thunder the HFPA stole from the Academy in the first place) by scheduling their nomination process earlier, but that didn’t affect the HFPA much because they are like cockroaches (more on this in a moment) and adjusted their own nomination process.  You see, the main reason the Globes get any attention is because they are a precursor/indicator as to what and who will be nominated for an Oscar.   

 

                The second reason is because the Golden Globes include both the movie and television community, which although they all exist in Hollywood doesn’t mean there is a lot of cross pollination since movie acting is seen as more prestigious than mere television work.  Of course for the audience at home it is a novelty to see the good folks of ‘Mad Men’ joshing around with the likes of say the cast of ‘The King’s Speech’.  A bonus, of course, is that the setting is all separate roundtables with alcoholic drinks meaning that without the help of a jokester like Gervais things can get out of hand quickly.

 

                I hate the Hollywood Foreign Press.  I think it is a worthless organization whose only function is to allow questionable members of the press – as in people who don’t really write that much about Hollywood, but are more like star kissers (read between the lines people) or individuals who want to be stars themselves.  In 2004 the Trio network showed a documentary called ‘The Golden Globes: Hollywood’s Dirty Little Secret’ the film covered how members of the HFPA often took advantage of their position by asking for autographs and pictures taking with the actors during film junkets and press conferences.  There are eighty some members of the organization and their minimum requirement to keep up membership is to publish four articles a year and have a permanent residence in Southern California.  To become a member however requires jumping through hoops, one of which you must be sponsored by two members.  In the past some actual journalists with name recognition (ones who wrote for cinematic publications published in foreign markets) were turned down for membership.  However, once you are a member you are allowed to attend two film festivals of your choice fully paid by the organization including airfare.  You are also given subscriptions to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ and ‘Variety’ not to mention access to actors, directors, and producers that are unheard of for other more legitimate organizations.

 

                One of the most famous incidents of this payola type of scam was when Pia  Zadora won Best Newcomer for her role in the incest themed ‘Butterfly’ in 1981, which at the time of her win had not even been released.  Her husband, Meshulam Riklis, hosted an all expenses paid weekend to his Riviera Casino in Las Vegas ergo it appeared as if Riklis had indulgently purchased the trophy for his then much younger trophy wife.  HFPA gave a lot of lip service about cleaning up their trifling ways, but I should mention that one of the ways members prove they are active in the organization is having their photo taken with the Hollywood elite.  As one member noted, most join the organization as writers but end up listing themselves as photographers since they can prove their participation in events by posing with their idols of the moment. 

 

                Getting back to Gervais, as someone who writes about pop culture and the comings and goings of Hollywood, it doesn’t bother me if the HFPA has severed its connection to the comedian.  He knew he was taking a risk when he told some of his jokes such as those alluding to the homosexuality of prominent Scientologists or that Hugh Hefner’s engagement sounds ridiculous – once again, these are the thoughts of many Americans, and if I may be so bold, people of westernized nations across the world – but what does bother me is the veiled threat that Berk and his associates allude to about ignoring future cinematic efforts of Gervais because he made them look bad.  That somehow they are going to make him pay for making them look bad WITHOUT EVEN NOTING THE IRONY THAT THEY MAKE THEMSELVES LOOK BAD THE OTHER 364 DAYS OF THE YEAR! 

 

                I want the Golden Globes to go away.  It is a useless award that only exists because it is telecast before the Oscar nominations are announced.  Due to the writers’ strike it wasn’t telecast in 2008 and I for one didn’t miss it.  If I want to see television and movie actors associate with one another then I’ll take the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the 17^th SAG Awards will be broadcast on January 30^th at least the winners of that award have the legitimacy of being voted on by members of SAG not be some mandy pandy people who get free stuff and a photo op with Angelina Jolie.  Come on, you have to know it is a scam when ‘The Tourist’ is nominated for Best Picture!        

 

                Before I get totally off my soapbox I also want to say that I love the Oscars, but for the Oscars to regain its freshness and maintain its prestige there has to be some editing in Hollywood when it comes to award ceremonies.  I understand that there is now a cottage industry of fashion (designing, wearing, and commenting) associated with the various awards but it is seriously getting out of hand.  Although I’m sure that many fine entertainers both in front and behind the cameras work hard, I dare say they work no harder than the average Joe or Jane at their jobs who muddle through their lives without much fanfare.  There is a tipping point with all these award shows (Country Music I’m really looking at you) where they cease to be a fun to being more of a national embarrassment of frivolity over substance.     

   

 Westerfield © 2011