HOLLYWOOD—Wow, I was just blown away to hear about the news involving the Golden Globes not being aired by NBC for 2022. For as long as I’ve been immersed in the entertainment industry NBC has been a staple for airing the ceremony, but amidst controversy as exposed by the Los Angeles Times with its lack of Black members it has reached a feverish pitch. Actress Scarlett Johannson has made her stance clear about issues surrounding the Golden Globes, as well as actor Mark Ruffalo. Let this sink in America, you will NOT see the 2022 Golden Globes on television. Talk about sending a message!
The big news had to be Tom Cruise who returned all three of his Golden Globes he earned (1990 for Best Actor for “Born on the Fourth of July,” 1997 for Best Actor for “Jerry Maguire” and 2000 for Best Supporting Actor for “Magnolia”). Cruise sending those trophies back is a major statement and now the ball is placed into the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to make sweeping changes when it comes to its membership. Yes, the lack of diversity in its 87 members, which is now at 86 after the resignation of a member.
However, people are starting to wonder what does this mean for other memberships? Are we going to see changes with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? I mean they made major changes after the hashtag OscarsSoWhite trended years back after a lack of actors and actresses of color in the acting races. People have been in uproar about the Recording Academy of Music and its lack of diverse winners and musical talent being overlooked. The list can go on and on when it comes to ‘changes’ that need to be fixed in various memberships when it comes to awards.
People fail to realize that awards are personal opinion. Do you honestly think these various members of elite groups (it is what some people call it) are making their decisions solely based on merit? Of course not, people like what they like when it comes to music, acting and so much more. With that said people have friends in the industry and with that it is going to influence how people vote and make decisions. However, at the same time, you do have to have more inclusion when it comes to diversity because it provides another perspective in certain industries that may be overlooked or ignored.
Yes, the controversy involving the Golden Globes swept Hollywood like a tornado on Monday and I think it may have raised eyebrows for some organizations that have halted making change, but this action will force them to make change and address issues that have been ignored for years that need to see the light of the day. Hollywood does sit on its high horse at times, so when you see actors, actresses and members in the entertainment industry take a stance on certain issues it shows they are not be afraid to speak out against obvious issues.
Do I want to see more diversity when it comes to awards shows? Absolutely. However, at the same time I don’t want to see people nominated just to be nominated to fulfil a quota or ‘show’ they are attempting to enact change. There has to be some level of merit to things, but also we live in a world after all the mayhem of 2020 we had a racial awakening that had long been ignored or swept under the rug.
Race is something you cannot ignore; sweeping it under the rug only causes the rug to get full with dirt, which at a point will spill over. We can have discussions about race and diversity that doesn’t have to get nasty, but the more we talk about it the closer we can reach a solution to problems that we don’t think exist that actually EXISTS! The Golden Globes have been forced to take action; the question now remains what other organizations are now going to take action as a result of this bomb. We shall see people.
