I, for one, loved last night’s Golden Globes’ Awards presentation, even while everyone from entertainment television to fashion designers to hair stylists did not. The press conference style of handing out the awards was a wonderful change from the overdone hype we are usually subjected to.
“Authenticity” and “Simplicity” are two of my favorite spiritual characteristics, and this ceremony had both. In striking a vague resemblance to the inaugural Academy Awards ceremony which took less than an hour, this was a straight-forward event that wasn’t about hair, or fashion, or publicity, or a carpet.
It was, instead, a simple event that honored the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s choices for “Best” in several categories. There was no pre-show, show, critique of the show or after-parties. The only event was the event itself: nominees were announced, their work was shown in clips and the winners were announced.
And, afterwards, the only thing left for E-commentators and TV critics to debate was the choices themselves and their subsequent bearing on the upcoming Academy Awards.
The 2008 Golden Globes ceremony was the most authentic and simple expression of straightforward accolades that I’ve seen in a long time, and I hope the Academy follows suit. Perhaps it could even be a new trend, making it more about the films and less about the fashion and the hair. Maybe, like that first time back in 1929, they could just invite all of the nominees to dinner and then, as peers, hand out their awards to each other without the compulsory dance numbers, commercial interruptions and other bits that take the show into the wee hours of the morning.