With January comes the award season of the film industry. The normal thing is that it is a moment in which the stars of the big screen and television abound, the red carpet is filled with television cameras and the photographers do not stop operating their equipment to have the best angle of the actors and actresses present . However, for the next edition of the Golden Globes on January 9, this may change significantly due to various questions about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Contrary to what you might think at first, with COVID-19 and its different variants affecting public health and generating new outbreaks, the crisis at the Golden Globes has to do with other factors. These have put tension between the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA, for its acronym in English), the different production companies and the actors, to the point that they speak in terms of a “boycott” against the next edition.
But all this began last year, as a result of an investigation published almost a year ago by the newspaper Los Angeles Times. At work the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was questioned. Although that publication seems distant in times of immediacy and new flows of information, the industry does not forget the doubts that exist about the HFPA.
We review what is happening.
The investigation of Los Angeles Times
about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The newspaper Los Angeles Times published a series of investigations in connection with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. One of them, Posted on Feb 21, 2021, carried the following title: “Who really gives out the Golden Globes? A tiny group full of quirky characters – and no Black members ”. In Spanish, a possible translation is the following: “Who really delivers the Golden Globes? A small group full of quirky characters and no black members. “
In their note, journalists Josh Rottenberg and Stacy Perman detailed, in relation to members of the organization:
“While many members keep a low profile, others are more colorful. Member names and biographies do not appear on the HFPA website, but based on documents reviewed by LA TimesAmong the group’s members are Chinese-born actress Lisa Lu, who played the grandmother in the 2018 hit movie. Crazy Rich Asians; former beauty queen Margaret Gardiner, who in 1978 became the first South African to win the Miss Universe title; and Noel de Souza, born in India, who along with his journalistic work played Mahatma Gandhi in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, among other small roles in movies and television ”.
Further on, the authors point out, in relation to the previous point:
“… there are no black members, a fact that a representative (of the organization) says the group is aware of and is’ committed to addressing‘. (…) An important part of the members are elders. According to an antitrust lawsuit filed last year against the HFPA by Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa, a member in his 90s is deaf and legally blind. (Flaa’s lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge in November, but an amended motion to the lawsuit is now pending.)
The journalists consulted the organization about it, and got this response: “The HFPA embraces and is proud of its senior members, who have contributed much to the organization and to entertainment journalism over the years.”. In that investigation they quote another job, carried out by the same medium, in which different events considered unethical and selfish were explored within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The Golden Globes: what’s up?
That scenario has not been forgotten, almost a year after those publications. It should be borne in mind that the United States has been going through various public debates on these types of issues for years. From the Me Too movement to the racial agenda. They are discussions that involve years of the history of that country. Therefore, they have multiple ramifications.
How has all of the above impacted on the next edition of the Golden Globes? According to an investigation by Variety, no star from the film industry will attend this January 9th edition. The aforementioned medium describes that it had access to an email in which the organization asks different agencies for its talent. However, no celebrities have confirmed their participation.
Variety cites the information to which he had access, in which the following can be read:
“This year’s event will celebrate and honor a variety of diverse community programs that empower inclusive filmmakers and journalists to pursue their storytelling passions. The HFPA has financially supported important underserved organizations for decades and will continue to invest in future leaders in our industry. ”
In the note, signed by Marc Malkin with the title “Golden Globes 2022: HFPA Fails to Secure Celebrity Presenters”, it was added:
“The HFPA has not yet announced its official plans for the January 9 ceremony. NBC canceled the annual television broadcast this year after the HFPA came under fire for lack of diversity among its members. and unethical business practices. Since then, 21 new members have been added to help diversify the organization and new bylaws have been approved. “
However, it seems to be not enough to summon the figures of other years. By March of last year they were already talking in terms of boycott against the organization by different agencies linked to the film industry. The HFPA jury is made up of 87 members. The most recent action they carried out had to do with the nomination of the candidates for the awards. During the event, Helen Hoehne, the president of the organization, offered the following message, taken by The Hollywood Reporter:
“This has been a year of change and reflection for the HFPA. For the past eight months, we have worked tirelessly as an organization to be better. We changed our rules, statutes, added a new code of conduct, and restructured our government. We also have 21 new members. The largest and most diverse in our 79-year history. They have not only provided a new perspective, but also ideas that will help us continue to evolve. “
The next edition of the Golden Globes will take place without press, audience or celebrities. This is the list of nominees for the awards.