TTO – The Golden Globes organizing committee is facing an unprecedented crisis when it is simultaneously boycotted by Hollywood stars, television stations, and the world’s largest film studios due to many evils and scandals.
HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association), founder and organizer of the Golden Globe Awards, is an association that has caused a lot of controversy. But by 2021, the association is facing a crisis that threatens its survival.
The association is facing two options: either reform, or be strongly boycotted by Hollywood.
Tom Cruise won 3 prizes: the most ‘harsh’ boycott action
Without statement or explanation, on May 10, actor Tom Cruise bluntly returned the three Golden Globe awards he had received in the past. Information provided by Deadline . Those are the Best Actor awards for the movies Born on the Fourth of July (1990), Jerry Maguire (1997) and the Best Supporting Actor award for the movie Magnolia (2000).
This action is no less valuable than strong statements. Tom Cruise shows that the Golden Globe Award is no longer valuable in his eyes if it is awarded from a scandalous organization. Where does the cause come from?
MCs Tina Fey and Amy Poehler publicly criticized the Golden Globes right at the 2021 awards ceremony for many unworthy nominations and lack of racial diversity – Photo: NBC
The boycott arose after an investigative article on February 21 by the Los Angeles Times . The newspaper said the HFPA has 87 members but none are black, although there are some people of color. This explains why this year’s nomination list does not have any films about black people even though the films are very prominent such as: Da 5 Bloods, Judas and the Black Messiah, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Regarding member quality, a survey by the Los Angeles Times shows that the HFPA has many members who are “not serious journalists”, do not come from reputable press agencies, and even work at newspapers that have not yet been established. who has ever heard of it or has “not been active in journalism for decades” (according to Variety ).
Additionally, the HFPA is ethically questionable. For a long time, the HFPA has also been looking for ways to supplement the association’s income, which is receiving gifts from movie studios and celebrities and then selling them online to make money.
In the 2021 season, the Los Angeles Times also reported that the HFPA received a gift of a 5-star resort visit from the producer of the movie Emily in Paris to put this bad movie on the nomination list. Association members were treated like “kings and queens” during the trip.
Emily in Paris, the film is said to have received an unworthy nomination and was given special treatment by the producer HFPA – Photo: DARREN STAR
In 2017, The Wrap reported that HFPA member Munawar Hosain (Bangladeshi) sold tournament tickets for $39,000, was discovered and banned from receiving tickets for the next 2 years.
After the incident, the HFPA promised to strictly control and severely punish members for selling tickets outside, but this situation still continues. Last year, a member offered to sell tickets to the awards ceremony for $10,000 and tickets to the after-party for $2,000.
Many prestigious entertainment and film journalists in the world once sought to attend the HFPA to have a voice in selecting quality award-winning films, but they were blocked by current members of the HFPA, possibly even through ugly tricks.
Journalist Claudine Mulard – Hollywood reporter for leading French newspaper Le Monde in the 1990s – was rejected three times by the HFPA for unknown reasons.
Before the Los Angeles Times article , the HFPA and the Golden Globe Awards were facing the ax of public opinion because of many scandals. The tournament’s press conferences are said to always be filled with racist and 𝓈ℯ𝓍ist questions.
Lady Gaga received the Golden Globe Award for the soundtrack song “Shallow” in the 2019 movie “A Star Is Born” – Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Neither ‘golden’ nor ‘global’
“As an industry, we regret, we complain, but most still tolerate this behavior until now” – a representative of WarnerMedia said when participating in a massive boycott targeting entered the HFPA and the Golden Globes on May 10.
According to Variety , the boycott has brought together the largest studios and television stations in Hollywood and the world such as HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Warner Bros. Television, TNT, TBS, WarnerMedia Studios & Networks, Netflix, Amazon Studios.
The HFPA was given an 18-month extension to reform, during which time the boycotting units would stop cooperating.
On May 10, NBC – the television station specializing in broadcasting the Golden Globes – announced that it would not broadcast the 2022 awards ceremony. If the HFPA fulfills its reform promise, NBC will return to broadcasting the awards ceremony on May 10. January 2023.
Many Hollywood studios and television stations turned their backs on the HFPA until the organization reformed – Photo: DEADLINE
Commenting on the incident, Variety wrote: “A world without the Golden Globes is not any worse.” The newspaper cited films about black people such as Black Panther and 12 Years a Slave that were not honored by the Golden Globe but were still honored by the Oscar and many other awards and have a place in cinema history.
More prestigious awards such as Critics Choice, SAG, BAFTA… still exist and recognize talents of all races and genders. When the Golden Globes ignored the TV series When They See Us , the series still received 16 Emmy nominations.
“Neither ‘golden’ nor ‘global’. The HFPA’s questionable and unethical practices do not deserve to be rewarded. No talented journalist should join the association” – Variety wrote.
Scarlett Johansson at the 2020 Golden Globes – Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Scarlett Johansson: “Almost 𝓈ℯ𝓍ually harassed”
Stars Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo publicly criticized the HFPA.
Scarlett Johansson declared to Variety : “In the past, I often participated in tournament press conferences. This meant facing 𝓈ℯ𝓍ist questions from some HFPA members, almost amounting to 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual harassment.” That’s why I refused to participate in their press conferences for many years.”
The actress called on the entire film industry to “take a step back” and stay away from the HFPA. And Mark Ruffalo called on Twitter: “This is the time for us to step forward and correct past mistakes.” He called on Hollywood to stop participating in HFPA activities.
