As an ardent defender of the usually fun and flighty Golden Globe Awards, which did not air on NBC or stream Sunday night due to a diversity controversy about a lack of black members, I’m changing my tune.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 2022 picks were inconsistent and silly. Who the hell cares about these European drunkards’ taste?
Sometimes they leaned pretentious — like choosing the boring and overrated “Power of the Dog” for best drama (absolutely no normal at-home viewers like this snooze of a movie) and best director (Jane Campion) — over the far better “Dune” and “Belfast.”
And then at other moments they couldn’t care less about nose-up industry peer pressure. They shoved aside the lauded Kristen Stewart for her brilliant portrayal of Princess Diana in “Spencer” in favor of the controversial Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos.”
The Globes will predict the Oscars about as well as my friend’s cat can.
Honestly, this is probably the last year we’ll discuss the Globes with any real seriousness, anyway. It’s hard to believe NBC will ever air them again — the ratings are abysmal — and most other award shows other than the Oscars are getting smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.
The Globes did make a rare few good choices. Will Smith’s performance as Venus and Serena Williams’ dad in “King Richard” is the A-lister’s best showing in many years.
And “West Side Story” (Best Motion Picture — comedy or musical), while nowhere as good as Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza,” is appealing to the average viewer — even if the average viewer has avoided it at the box office like the plague. Ariana DeBose (who won Best Supporting Actress) and Rachel Zegler (Best Actress — comedy or musical) are terrific.
The TV choices were easier and more obvious. “Ted Lasso” won Best Comedy and “Succession” won Best Drama. Duh.
But for those who care (all 12 of you) and watched in the only way possible (on freakin’ Twitter), you couldn’t help but feel this once fascinating and defiant awards voting ceremony has succumbed to dullness and a shrug.
I honestly don’t care if they air on NBC next year or ever again. In fact, I rather they wouldn’t.
One more day off for me.