I really like the Golden Globes. I know the Oscar pundits don’t take it seriously as a predictor of what’s to come for the Golden Derby, but the rest of us who don’t think that way could care less. It’s a night to see TV and film stars let loose, and boy, it looked like lots of them did last night. It is also a night where, because there are more prizes and there are TV as well as film awards, we get to see a lot more women.
Too bad not many of them won in any categories other than acting.
The Golden Globes work because they don’t take themselves so seriously. It’s a party and people love that. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are the perfect hosts for the event and they did not disappoint. They used their moments in the spotlight to remind us and their industry colleagues that even though there are a lot of women in the room, there are still monumental inequities in the way women are treated in Hollywood.
Some of the best zingers included:
— Introducing Meryl Streep’s nomination for August: Osage County by faux-congratulating Hollywood for offering “great parts in Hollywood for Meryl Streeps over 60.”
— Describing Gravity as “the story of how George Clooney would rather float into space and die than spend one more moment with a woman his own age.” (Sandra Bullock loved this joke.)
— Noting Matthew McConaughey had lost significant weight for Dallas Buyer’s Club: “He lost 45 pounds — or what actresses call being in a movie.”
— Proving there isn’t much of a difference between Leonardo DiCaprio and his Wolf of Wall Street character’s proclivities toward women: “And now, like a supermodel’s vagina, let’s all give a warm welcome to Leonardo DiCaprio.”
There were also several hate-odes to high heels, with Fey leading the charge: “Ladies, kick off your shoes. Gentlemen, try them on and see how horrible they are.” Thompson continued her campaign against heels from last week by throwing her Louboutins across the stage.
These were great award-show moments, but they don’t constitute real progress. Frozen co-director Jennifer Lee only had a brief time to speak as the only big female winner of a category other than acting. Reported on Twitter (though unseen to TV audiences) was the fact that Megan Ellison, producer of American Hustle, which won more than any other film or TV show with three wins, gave up on speaking because the band drowned her out.
Then there was the incredibly awkward presentation of the Cecil B. DeMille Award to an absent Woody Allen. Diane Keaton, whom I deeply love and respect as an actor, looked awkward and uncomfortable during the presentation, and the award was rightly overshadowed by tweets from Ronan and Mia Farrow. The elder Farrow was more circumspect in her dismissal of Allen’s award: “Time to grab some icecream & switch over to #GIRLS.” Her son was more pointed: “Missed the Woody Allen tribute — did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?”
Our TV columnist Alyssa Rosenberg live-blogged about Allen’s honor, “I would respect Diane Keaton more if she were not doing this. Any of this.” Hard to disagree.
Watch Fey and Poehler’s opening monologue:
Scroll down for the list of female winners at the Globe:
MOVIES
ACTRESS IN A DRAMA: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR COMEDY: Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
ANIMATED FILM: “Frozen”
TELEVISION
ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES: Robin Wright (“House of Cards” as Claire Underwood)
ACTRESS, MUSICAL OR COMEDY SERIES: Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation” as Leslie Knope)
ACTRESS, MINISERIES OR TV FILM: Elisabeth Moss (“Top of the Lake” as Robin Griffin)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jacqueline Bisset (“Dancing on the Edge” as Lady Livinia Cremone)
